Monodactyl Equids from Konso, Interval 4 or 5

Cranium
The data (Table A) and photographs of the cranium KGA 8-374 were kindly communicated by Dr Hideo Nakaya (Fig. 17).
The cranium (Basilar Length : 529mm) is about the size of E. grevyi, complete, and belonged to an adult male. The cheek (measure 32) is longer than the naso-incisival notch (31) as it always is in Equus unlike Allohippus.

The Simpson’s ratio diagram (Fig. 18) shows an asinine character : the relative breadth of the muzzle between the crests (measure 17bis).

Upper Cheek Teeth
The post-protoconal valleys are not deep, the protocones are short with flat lingual faces and convex vestibular ones (Fig. 19).
Similar morphologies may be observed in teeth from Venta Micena, Spain and Ubeidiyeh, Israel (see articles on this web-site), and they are usually asociated with slender limb bones.

Metacarpals
There are a few specimens, with different morphologies (Fig. 20).
– KGA 7-215 of medium size and robustness and the deep proximal end like the Middle-Upper Pleistocene E. melkiensis of North Africa (Fig. 22) ;
– KGA 8-165 larger, very robust, with a deep keel ;
– KGA 8-418, very small.

Metatarsal
There is only one proximal fragment which looks like the MT from KGA 12.

Tali
Most (Fig. 22) have the usual proportions observed at Konso (and indeed in most extant Equus species).
But KGA 8-435 is unusual, somewhat resembling the talus of a Poitou Donkey (Fig. 23).

Posterior Second Phalanx
KGA 7-445 looks like Ph2 of E. mauritanicus (fig. 24).

To summarize :
Fossils from Interval 4 or 5, KGA 7/8 localities belong to two forms, one Ass-like, the other robust.