The status of the african fossil suids Kolpochoerus limnetes ( Hopwood, 1926), K. Phacochoeroides ( Thomas 1884) and “K.” Afarensis ( Cooke, 1978)

Abstract

Kolpochoerus limnetes is the name widely used for an abundant suid in East African Plio-Pleistocene deposits. A recent publication ( Pickford 1994) suggests that the holotype of “ Sus limnetes” from Kaiso could be a Nyanzachoere and proposes that this specific name should be restricted to the Type specimen and also that the other East Africa fossils be given the prior name of Kolpochoerus phacochoeroides. It is shown here that, although the Kaiso Type specimen is morphologically compatible with Kolpochoerus, this single tooth is now an unsatisfactory type specimen in view of the questionable stratigraphic source indicated by the preservation colour. Accordingly the name should be restricted only to that specimen as Pickford suggests. The use of the specific name phacochoeroides is inappropriate as Geraads (1993) has demonstrated that collections from Ahl al Oughlam, Morocco, belong to the North African K. phacochoeroides and are clearly different from the East African species. Accordingly the East African material is best referred in future to K. heseloni. Based on Geraads evaluation of other species and reconsideration of the material, it is proposed here that the Hadar species described as Kolpochoerus afarensis should now be placed in Potamochoerus as P. afarensis.