Kochalia geespei, de Bruijn et Hussain, 1985

Antoñanzas, Raquel López, Sen, Sevket & Mein, Pierre, 2004, Systematics and phylogeny of the cane rats (Rodentia: Thryonomyidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 142, pp. 423-444 : 435

KOCHALIA GEESPEI (DE BRUIJN ET HUSSAIN, 1985)

Synonymy: Kirtharia geespei de Bruijn et Hussain, 1985

This species was described, illustrated and originally coined as Kirtharia geespei by de Bruijn & Hussain (1985). Because the name Kirtharia de Bruijn et Hussain, 1985 was incorrectly believed to be a homonym of Khirtharia Pilgrim, 1940 (an artiodactyl), de Bruijn (1986: 125) reallocated this species to a new genus name: Kochalia . This name has been used by all subsequent authors, but, as noted by Mckenna & Bell (1997: 195), the act of de Bruijn, 1986) is a violation of the I.C.Z.N. rules. Pending a possible adjudication of the matter, we shall continue to use the name Kochalia in the present paper. The holotype of this species is a left d4 or p4 (p4 according to de Bruijn & Hussain, 1985: pl. 1, fig. 7a, b). According to de Bruijn & Hussain (1985), K. geespei differs from all known African thryonomyids, except for Gaudeamus aegyptius , in showing tooth replacement. However, the two teeth described by these authors as d4 and p4 show a similar morphology and the only difference between them rests in size. Therefore, further work might reveal that the two teeth correspond in fact to d4. Kochalia geespei , as well as all Neogene thryonomyids, could have retained the deciduous premolar throughout their lifespan.

As remarked by de Bruijn & Hussain (1985: 159), the material from the Chinji Formation described and figured by Flynn et al. (1983: fig. 2a–f), as ‘morphotype 3’ (that they considered represented a thryonomyid more derived than Paraphiomys and of a lineage distinct from Paraulacodus ) seems to belong to this species.

Kochalia geespei differs from Paraphiomys pigotti , P. hopwoodi , Paraphiomys sp. nov. from Saudi Arabia, P. occidentalis , Epiphiomys coryndoni and Sacaresia moyaeponsi , amongst other characters, in lacking a metalophulid II in the lower molars. It is distinct from Neosciuromys africanus and P. simonsi in being smaller and less hypsodont. Kochalia geespei mainly differs from P. roessneri and P. australis in having a prominent anteroconid, and from P. shipmani in having a smaller m3 and a small hypoconulid. According to de Bruijn & Hussain (1985: 159), this taxon differs from Paraulacodus in having a bunodont d4, in having the anteroloph of the D4 not constricted near the protocone, and in being smaller. Kochalia geespei has the posterior part of the m3 much more reduced than in P. orangeus .