Three novel species of Bacillariophyta (Diatoms) belonging to Aulacoseira and Lindavia from the Pliocene Hadar Formation, Afar Depression of Ethiopia

Researchers have identified three novel species of diatoms (Bacillariophyta) from the Pliocene Hadar Formation in Ethiopia's Afar Depression, contributing to our understanding of freshwater diatom evolution in East Africa during the Piacenzian age (2.59–3.60 Ma). These discoveries, made through analysis of sediment cores collected by the Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project (HSPDP), include two new species of Aulacoseira and one of Lindavia. Additionally, two previously reported diatom varieties, classified as Melosira, were reclassified into Aulacoseira. The study compares these findings with modern and fossil diatoms from Lake Malawi and other Pliocene outcrops, offering insights into the paleoecological history of Paleolake Hadar—a significant site for hominin fossils.

MOHAN, J., STONE, J. R., & CAMPISANO, C. J. (2016). Three novel species of Bacillariophyta (Diatoms) belonging to Aulacoseira and Lindavia from the Pliocene Hadar Formation, Afar Depression of Ethiopia. Phytotaxa, 272(4). https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.272.4.1