The African land mammal ages (AFLMA) system is a geologic timescale for African land mammal faunas of the Cenozoic Era. Based on biostratigraphic systems in use for mammal fossils on other continents, each AFLMA is defined at its base by a type locality with a distinctive fauna, rather than any particular species. Faunal zones have been in use in Cenozoic African paleontology since the 1980s, but the comprehensive AFLMA system was only established in 2020.
List of AFLMAs The list of AFLMAs from youngest (stratigraphically highest) to oldest (stratigraphically lowest): ALMA Age(million years ago) Global epoch / stageType locality Namesake First appearances in Africa Last appearances in AfricaNaivashan0.0 – 1.0middle-late Pleistocene, HoloceneOlorgesailie bed I, KenyaLake Naivasha, Kenya Homo sapiens (modern humans) Ursidae (bears)Natronian1.0 – 2.0early PleistoceneOlduvai Gorge bed I, TanzaniaLake Natron, Tanzania †Deinotheriidae (elephant relatives) †Mammutidae (elephant relatives) †Gomphotheriidae (elephant relatives) †Chalicotheriidae (chalicotheres)Shunguran2.0 – 3.6late Pliocene – early PleistoceneShungura Formation member A, Omo Valley, EthiopiaShungura Formation Homo (humans) †Anthracotheriidae (hippo relatives)Kerian3.6 – 5.3early Pliocene (Zanclean)Chemeron Formation, Tugen Hills, KenyaKerio Valley, Kenya Pholidota? (pangolins) †Stegodontidae (elephant relatives)Baringian5.3 – 6.8late MioceneMpesida beds, KenyaLake Baringo, Kenya Camelidae (camels and kin) Australopithecines (human-like apes) †Amphicyonidae ("bear-dogs")Sugutan6.8 – 10.0late MioceneNakali site, KenyaSuguta Valley, Kenya †Stegodontidae (elephant relatives) Elephantidae (elephants) Hominidae (great apes) Cercopithecidae (modern Old World monkeys, probable Oligocene origin) Leporidae (rabbits and hares) Canidae (dogs and kin) †Dendropithecidae (early apes) †Percrocutidae (hyena relatives)Tugenian10.0 – 12.8middle-late MioceneNgorora Formation member A, KenyaTugen Hills, Kenya Procaviidae (modern hyraxes) Hystricidae (Old World porcupines) Cricetidae (hamsters, voles, and kin) Equidae (horses) †Ptolemaiida (carnivorous afrotheres) †Victoriapithecidae (early monkeys) †Climacoceratidae (giraffe relatives) †Hyaenodonta (early relatives of carnivorans) †Barbourofelidae ("false saber-toothed cats")Tinderetian12.8 – 15.8middle MioceneMuruyur beds, KenyaTinderet volcano, Kavirondo rift valley, Kenya Gliridae (dormice) Soricidae (shrews) †Percrocutidae (hyena relatives) Hyaenidae (hyenas) †Diamantomyidae (early hystricognath rodents) †Myophiomyidae (early hystricognath rodents) †Sanitheriidae (pig relatives) †Gelocidae (chevrotain relatives)Kisingirian15.8 – 18.5early MioceneKiahera Formation, Rusinga Island, KenyaKisingiri volcano, Kavirondo rift valley, Kenya Ctenodactylidae (gundis) Dipodidae (jerboas) Muridae (true mice and kin) Spalacidae (African mole-rats and kin) Bovidae (antelopes and kin) †Amphicyonidae ("bear-dogs") Ursidae (bears) Mustelidae (weasels and kin) Herpestidae (mongooses) Felidae (cats) †Phiomyidae (early hystricognath rodents) †Kenyamyidae (early hystricognath rodents) †Stenoplesictidae (early feliforms)Legetetian18.5 – 22.5early MioceneTonde Bridge site, KenyaLegetet Hill, Kavirondo rift valley, Kenya Tubulidentata (aardvarks) Pedetidae (springhares) †Kenyamyidae (early hystricognath rodents) Bathyergidae (blesmols) Sciuridae (squirrels) Nesomyidae (climbing mice and kin) Ochotonidae (pikas) Erinaceidae (hedgehogs and kin) †Sanitheriidae (pig relatives) Suidae (pigs) Hippopotamidae (hippos) Tragulidae (chevrotains) †Gelocidae (chevrotain relatives) Giraffidae (giraffes, okapis, and kin) †Climacoceratidae (giraffe relatives) Viverridae (civets, genets, and kin) †Barbourofelidae ("false saber-toothed cats") †Chalicotheriidae (chalicotheres) Rhinocerotidae (rhinos) †Embrithopoda (large hebivorous afrotheres)Turkwelian22.5 – 28.2late OligoceneChilga area, EthiopiaTurkwel River, Kenya †Deinotheriidae (elephant relatives) †Mammutidae (elephant relatives) †Gomphotheriidae (elephant relatives) †Victoriapithecidae (early monkeys) †Dendropithecidae (early apes) †Stenoplesictidae (early feliforms) †Parapithecidae (early monkeys)Qatranian28.2 – 33.4early OligoceneL-41 site, Jebel Qatrani Formation, Fayum area, EgyptJebel Qatrani Formation Pholidota? (pangolins, tentative oldest ID) †Proteopithecidae (early monkeys †Propliopithecidae (early monkeys) †Herpetotheriidae (marsupial relatives) †Numidotheriidae (early elephant relatives) †Djebelemuridae (lemur relatives) †Adapidae (lemur relatives) †Proteopithecidae (early monkeys) †Propliopithecidae (early monkeys) †Oligopithecidae (early monkeys)Phiomian33.4 – 37.0late Eocene(Priabonian)BQ-2 site, Birket Qarun Formation, Fayum area, EgyptFayum †Herpetotheriidae (marsupial relatives) †Ptolemaiida (carnivorous afrotheres) Galagidae (galagos) †Parapithecidae (early monkeys) †Oligopithecidae (early monkeys) Anomaluridae (anomalure rodents) †Phiomyidae (early hystricognath rodents) †Diamantomyidae (early hystricognath rodents) †Myophiomyidae (early hystricognath rodents) †Anthracotheriidae (hippo relatives)Kebarian37.0 – 39.5middle EoceneKEB-1 site, Jebel el-Kébar area, TunisiaJebel el-Kébar Thryonomyidae (cane rats) Anthropoidea (monkeys, estimated)Lazibian49.5 – 48.6middle EoceneHGL49 site, Hammada du Dra Formation, Gour Lazib area, AlgeriaGour Lazib Tenrecomorpha (tenrecs and relatives) Chrysochloridae (golden moles) Macroscelidea (elephant shrews) †Djebelemuridae (lemur relatives) †Azibiidae (lemur relatives) †Adapidae (lemur relatives) †Zegdoumyidae (early anomaluromorph rodents) Chiroptera (bats) †Azibiidae (lemur relatives) †Zegdoumyidae (early anomaluromorph rodents)Abdounian48.6– 56.0early Eocene(Ypresian)Ouled Abdoun phosphorite bed I, MoroccoOuled Abdoun Basin Hyracoidea (hyraxes) †Embrithopoda (large hebivorous afrotheres) †Ocepeiidae (early afrotheres)Tingitanian56.0 – 66.0PaleoceneOuled Abdoun phosphorite bed II, MoroccoTingitana (Morocco) †Ocepeiidae (early afrotheres) †Numidotheriidae (early elephant relatives) Primates? (Altiatlasius) †Hyaenodonta (early relatives of carnivorans)
Other continental ages North American land mammal age South American land mammal age European land mammal age Asian land mammal age References