The phylogenetic pattern and timing of the radiation of mammals, especially the geographical origins of major crown clades, are areas of controversy among molecular biologists, morphologists and palaeontologists. Molecular phylogeneticists have identified an Afrotheria clade, which includes several taxa as different as tenrecs (Tenrecidae), golden moles (Chrysochloridae), elephant-shrews (Macroscelididae), aardvarks (Tubulidentata) and paenungulates (elephants, sea cows and hyracoids). Molecular data also suggest a Cretaceous African origin for Afrotheria within Placentalia followed by a long period of endemic evolution on the Afro-Arabian continent after the mid-Cretaceous Gondwanan breakup (approx. 105–25 Myr ago). However, there was no morphological support for such a natural grouping so far. Here, we report new dental and postcranial evidence of Eocene stem hyrax and macroscelidid from North Africa that, for the first time, provides a congruent phylogenetic view with the molecular Afrotheria clade. These new fossils imply, however, substantial changes regarding the historical biogeography of afrotheres. Their long period of isolation in Africa, as assumed by molecular inferences, is now to be reconsidered inasmuch as Eocene paenungulates and elephant-shrews are here found to be related to some Early Tertiary Euramerican ‘hyopsodontid condylarths’ (archaic hoofed mammals). As a result, stem members of afrotherian clades are not strictly African but also include some Early Paleogene Holarctic mammals.

The Afro-Arabian Paleogene fossil record of Chiroptera is very poor. In North Africa and Arabia, this record is limited, thus far, to a few localities mainly in Tunisia (Chambi, late early Eocene), Egypt (Fayum, late Eocene to early Oligocene), and Sultanate of Oman (Taqah, early Oligocene). It consists primarily of isolated teeth or mandible fragments. Interestingly, these African fossil bats document two modern groups (Vespertilionoidea and Rhinolophoidea) from the early Eocene, while the bat fossil record of the same epoch of North America, Eurasia, and Australia principally includes members of the "Eochiroptera." This paraphyletic group contains all primitive microbats excluding modern families. In Algeria, the region of Brezina, southeast of the Atlas Mountains, is famous for the early Eocene El Kohol Formation, which has yielded one of the earliest mammalian faunas of the African landmass. Recent fieldwork in the same area has led to the discovery of a new vertebrate locality, including isolated teeth of Chiroptera. These fossils represent the oldest occurrence of Chiroptera in Africa, thus extending back the record of the group to the middle early Eocene (Ypresian) on that continent. The material consists of an upper molar and two fragments of lower molars. The dental character association matches that of "Eochiroptera." As such, although very fragmentary, the material testifies to the first occurrence of "Eochiroptera" in Algeria, and by extension in Africa. This discovery demonstrates that this basal group of Chiroptera had a worldwide distribution during the early Paleogene.

No abstract

Cette étude intègre des faunes inédites de chiroptères fossiles découvertes lors de plusieurs campagnes de terrain réalisées en Afrique du Nord. Il s'agit de localités fossilifères datées de l'Éocène inférieur à moyen de Tunisie (Chambi) et d'Algérie (Glib Zegdou). Les différentes analyses systématiques et cladistiques réalisées sur ce matériel fossile, essentiellement constitué de dents isolées, ont permis d'apporter de nombreux éclaircissements sur les modalités évolutives de la radiation des premiers microchiroptères modernes. Ces nouvelles faunes ont livré pas moins de huit nouveaux taxons répartis dans cinq familles modernes bien identifiées : un Necromantidae (?Necromantis fragmentum Ravel, n. sp.), deux Hipposideridae Miller, 1907 (?Palaeophyllophora tunisiensis Ravel, n. sp. et Hipposideros (Pseudorhinolophus) africanum Ravel, n. sp.), trois Emballonuridae Gervais in de Castelnau, 1855 (Vespertiliavus kasserinensis Ravel, n. sp., ?Vespertiliavus aenigma Ravel, n. sp., et Pseudovespertiliavus parva Ravel n. gen., n. sp.), un Nycteridae (Khoufechia gunnelli Ravel n. gen., n. sp.) ainsi qu'un Vespertilionidae indéterminé. Deux autres taxons sont également répertoriés (Chambinycteris pusilli Ravel n. gen., n. sp. et Drakonycteris glibzegdouensis Ravel n. gen., n. sp.), mais leur morphologie dentaire originale ne permet pas de les attribuer de manière formelle à des familles connues. Deux analyses cladistiques permettent de clarifier les positions phylogénétiques des taxons les mieux documentés. Par ailleurs, elles mettent en évidence l'existence d'un axe majeur de dispersion des chiroptères Hipposideridae et Emballonuridae depuis l'Afrique du Nord vers le Sud de l'Europe durant l'Éocène moyen.

No abstract