A sub-complete fossil aardvark (Mammalia, Tubulidentata) from the Upper Miocene of Chad

A new sub-complete specimen of fossil Tubulidentata has been found by the ‘Mission paléoanthropologique franco-tchadienne’ (MPFT) in Chad. After O. abundulafus Lehmann et al., 2005 from Kossom Bougoudi, O. djourabensis Lehmann et al., 2004 from Kollé, it is the first described aardvark from the fossiliferous sector Toros-Menalla. This specimen belongs to O. abundulafus. This discovery extends the stratigraphic range of that species, enables to validate and supplement its diagnosis, and confirms that a relationship exists between O. abundulafus from Chad and O. gaudryi from Greece/Turkey. The recent studies undertaken on the Chadian specimens will become the cornerstone for the revision of the Tubulidentata.