Orycteropus Explained

Orycteropus is a genus of mammals in the family Orycteropodidae within Tubulidentata. The genus is known from Late Miocene to recent of Africa.

The only living species within Tubulidentata is the aardvark (Orycteropus afer).

Species

Three species are recognized:^[1]

• Orycteropus afer – aardvark – Palaeolithic to Recent of Africa
• † Orycteropus abundulafus
• † Orycteropus crassidens ^[2] – Pleistocene of Kenya
• † Orycteropus djourabensis ^[3] – Early Pliocene to Early Pleistocene of Chad and Kenya

Other species previously assigned to Orycteropus are now classified in the genus Amphiorycteropus.^[1]

Further reading

• Lehmann . Thomas . Vignaud . Patrick . Likius . Andossa . Mackaye . Hassane Taïsso . Brunet . Michel . A sub-complete fossil aardvark (Mammalia, Tubulidentata) from the Upper Miocene of Chad . Comptes Rendus Palevol . 2006 . 5 . 5 . 693–703 . 10.1016/j.crpv.2005.12.016. free.

Notes and References

1. Lehmann, T. . 2009 . Phylogeny and systematics of the Orycteropodidae (Mammalia, Tubulidentata) . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society . 155 . 3 . 649–702 . 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00460.x. free .
2. MacInnes, D.G. . 1955 . Fossil Tubulidentata from East Africa . Fossil Mammals of Africa . 10 . 1–38.
3. Lehmann, T.. Vignaud, P.. Mackaye, H.T.. Brunet, M. . 2004 . A fossil aardvark (Mammalia, Tubulidentata) from the lower Pliocene of Chad . Journal of African Earth Sciences . 40 . 5 . 201–217 . 10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2005.01.001. 2004JAfES..40..201L.