Earliest known procaviid hyracoid from the late miocene of Namibia

Despite the great diversity of known fossil hyracoids that belong to the archaic family Pliohyracidae, practically nothing has been unravelled about the origin and diversification of the modern family Procaviidae (containing four genera of Pliocene to Recent age). A new species of procaviid hyrax is reported from Namibian cave breccias dating to the earlier part of the late Miocene. The new species is represented by dental, postcranial, and fragmentary cranial specimens. Despite its 1.0 X 107-year age, the new hyracoid cannot be generically distinguished from the modern genus Heterohyrax. The new species differs from extant H. brucei in its less molarized anterior premolars, and its molar cusps that are slightly more inflated basally. The possible relevance of the new fossil for the origin and radiation of the family Procaviidae is discussed.