The Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Early Cenozoic fishes of Africa

Abstract

Africa has provided many fossil fishes from sediments laid down over a 400 million year period. The large array of fossil fishes come from diverse localities throughout the continent, representing a variety of environments. The marine fossil fishes of Africa have not been reviewed as a whole, while the freshwater Cenozoic fishes of Africa were last reviewed over 25 years ago. Since that time, many new finds have increased our knowledge of the history of African fishes. This paper summarizes the known fish fossils, excluding otoliths, from marine and freshwater deposits throughout Africa from the Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and first part of the Cenozoic (Palaeogene). Much new work is ongoing, in areas such as Mali and South Africa, from which more information on the ichthyofaunas should come to light. New information presented here includes the Eocene site of Mahenge, Tanzania, from which have come the oldest known members of the family Cichlidae.