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Vulpes skinneri; Temporal range: 1.977–1.98 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ Pleistocene
	Mandible of type specimen
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Genus:	Vulpes
Species:	†V. skinneri
Binomial name
	†Vulpes skinneri; Adam Hartstone-Rose et al., 2013

Vulpes skinneri is a species of extinct fox in the genus Vulpes^[1] from the early Pleistocene, identified based on fossil remains dated to about 2 million years ago.^[2] The species is known from a single partial skeleton discovered in the Malapa Fossil Site at the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site in South Africa and is associated with the fossil hominin remains of Australopithecus sediba.^[3] The fossils have been dated to between 1.977 and 1.980 million years ago.^[2] Hartstone-Rose and colleagues described the remains as a newly discovered species of fox, which they named skinneri after the African mammalogist John Skinner.^[1]

Discovery

The type specimen of V. skinneri was discovered during preparation of fossil bearing blocks from Malapa. The find was announced to the public on January 16, 2013. Also found at the Malapa archeological site were a variety of animal fossils, including saber-toothed cats, mongooses, and antelopes.^[2] Berger and geologist Paul Dirks speculated that the animals might have fallen into a deep, 100–150-foot (30–46 m) "death-trap", perhaps lured by the scent of water.^[2] The bodies may have then been swept into a pool of water rich with lime, and with sand at the bottom, making it possible for the remains to become fossilized.

Age estimates

The fossil was dated using a combination of palaeomagnetism and uranium-lead (U-Pb) dating which showed that the fossils are not older than ~2.0 Ma. The occurrence of species of animal that became extinct at ~1.5 Ma indicate the deposit is not younger than 1.5 Ma. The sediments have a 'normal' magnetic polarity and the only major period between 2.0 and 1.5 Ma when this occurred is the Olduvai sub-Chron between 1.95 and 1.78 Ma.^[2] As such, the fossils were originally dated to ~1.95 Ma. Recent dating of a capping flowstone illustrated this was not possible and the normal magnetic polarity sediments have since been correlated to the 3000-year-long Pre-Olduvai event at ~1.977 Ma.

Morphology and interpretations

Three associated small canid specimens (an M2, a rib and a posterior mandibular fragment including the P4, M1, coronoid, condylar and angular processes) that were originally attributed to Vulpes cf. V. chama are reassigned to V. skinneri. In the paper describing the new specimens, the authors argue that “we compare these specimens to a broad sample of modern and fossil foxes and conclude that these specimens are distinct enough to be referred to a new species”^[1] of the early Pleistocene, identified based on fossil remains dated to about 2 million years ago.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Hartstone-Rose, A; Kuhn, B. F.; Nalla, S.; Werdelin, L.; Berger, L. R. (2013). "A new species of fox from the "Australopithecus sediba" type locality, Malapa, South Africa". Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa. 68 (1): 1–9. doi:10.1080/0035919X.2012.748698. S2CID 84695745.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Dirks, P. H. G. M.; Kibii, J. M.; Kuhn, B. F.; Steininger, C.; Churchill, S. E.; Kramers, J. D.; Pickering, R.; Farber, D. L.; et al. (2010). "Geological Setting and Age of Australopithecus sediba from Southern Africa" (PDF). Science. 328 (5975): 205–208. Bibcode:2010Sci...328..205D. doi:10.1126/science.1184950. PMID 20378812. S2CID 206524717.
^ Berger, L. R.; de Ruiter, D. J.; Churchill, S. E.; Schmid, P.; Carlson, K. J.; Dirks, P. H. G. M.; Kibii, J. M. (2010). "Australopithecus sediba: a new species of Homo-like australopith from South Africa". Science. 328 (5975): 195–204. Bibcode:2010Sci...328..195B. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.729.7802. doi:10.1126/science.1184944. PMID 20378811. S2CID 14209370.

External links

Hartstone-Rose, Adam; Kuhn, Brian F.; Nalla, Shahed; Werdelin, Lars; Berger, Lee R. (2013). "A new species of fox from the Australopithecus sedibatype locality, Malapa, South Africa". Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa. 68: 1–9. doi:10.1080/0035919X.2012.748698. S2CID 84695745.
"Carnivore fossils from Malapa" (PDF). Lee Berger. Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2023-06-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)</ref>
"Images and Pictures of Australopithecus sediba and Malapa". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Free images and resources about "Australopithecus sediba" for educators and students]