La faune de Mammifères du Pliocène terminal d'Ahl al Oughlam, Casablanca, Maroc

Abstract

The Late Pliocene site (ca 2.5 Ma) of Ahl al Oughlam has yielded a complete fauna of macroand micro-mammals, by far the richest of the late Cenozoic era of North Africa; it includes at least 55 species. Carnivora (23 species) are the dominant group. Many of them used the caves and fissures as dens or shelters, bringing in most of the ungulate remains. These remains include mostly medium-size species and juveniles of larger ones. Very few taxa are akin to Palearctic ones, and most of the faunal exchanges were intra-African. However, when compared to East Africa, the poor diversity of these ungulates must be noted, which the karstic nature of the site fails to fully explain, but which could result from a harsh, open and relatively cold environment.