Taphonomy As an Aid to African Palaeontology*
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JVP 26(3) September 2006—ABSTRACTS
Neoceti Symposium, Saturday 8:45 acid-prepared osteolepiforms Medoevia and Gogonasus has offered strong support for BODY SIZE AND CRYPTIC TROPHIC SEPARATION OF GENERALIZED Jarvik’s interpretation, but Eusthenopteron itself has not been reexamined in detail. PIERCE-FEEDING CETACEANS: THE ROLE OF FEEDING DIVERSITY DUR- Uncertainty has persisted about the relationship between the large endoskeletal “fenestra ING THE RISE OF THE NEOCETI endochoanalis” and the apparently much smaller choana, and about the occlusion of upper ADAM, Peter, Univ. of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA; JETT, Kristin, Univ. of and lower jaw fangs relative to the choana. California, Davis, Davis, CA; OLSON, Joshua, Univ. of California, Los Angeles, Los A CT scan investigation of a large skull of Eusthenopteron, carried out in collaboration Angeles, CA with University of Texas and Parc de Miguasha, offers an opportunity to image and digital- Marine mammals with homodont dentition and relatively little specialization of the feeding ly “dissect” a complete three-dimensional snout region. We find that a choana is indeed apparatus are often categorized as generalist eaters of squid and fish. However, analyses of present, somewhat narrower but otherwise similar to that described by Jarvik. It does not many modern ecosystems reveal the importance of body size in determining trophic parti- receive the anterior coronoid fang, which bites mesial to the edge of the dermopalatine and tioning and diversity among predators. We established relationships between body sizes of is received by a pit in that bone. The fenestra endochoanalis is partly floored by the vomer extant cetaceans and their prey in order to infer prey size and potential trophic separation of and the dermopalatine, restricting the choana to the lateral part of the fenestra. -
A Neoceratopsian Dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia And
ARTICLE https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-020-01222-7 OPEN A neoceratopsian dinosaur from the early Cretaceous of Mongolia and the early evolution of ceratopsia ✉ Congyu Yu 1 , Albert Prieto-Marquez2, Tsogtbaatar Chinzorig 3,4, Zorigt Badamkhatan4,5 & Mark Norell1 1234567890():,; Ceratopsia is a diverse dinosaur clade from the Middle Jurassic to Late Cretaceous with early diversification in East Asia. However, the phylogeny of basal ceratopsians remains unclear. Here we report a new basal neoceratopsian dinosaur Beg tse based on a partial skull from Baruunbayan, Ömnögovi aimag, Mongolia. Beg is diagnosed by a unique combination of primitive and derived characters including a primitively deep premaxilla with four pre- maxillary teeth, a trapezoidal antorbital fossa with a poorly delineated anterior margin, very short dentary with an expanded and shallow groove on lateral surface, the derived presence of a robust jugal having a foramen on its anteromedial surface, and five equally spaced tubercles on the lateral ridge of the surangular. This is to our knowledge the earliest known occurrence of basal neoceratopsian in Mongolia, where this group was previously only known from Late Cretaceous strata. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that it is sister to all other neoceratopsian dinosaurs. 1 Division of Vertebrate Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York 10024, USA. 2 Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, ICTA-ICP, Edifici Z, c/de les Columnes s/n Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain. 3 Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. 4 Institute of Paleontology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, ✉ Ulaanbaatar 15160, Mongolia. -
A New Mid-Permian Burnetiamorph Therapsid from the Main Karoo Basin of South Africa and a Phylogenetic Review of Burnetiamorpha
Editors' choice A new mid-Permian burnetiamorph therapsid from the Main Karoo Basin of South Africa and a phylogenetic review of Burnetiamorpha MICHAEL O. DAY, BRUCE S. RUBIDGE, and FERNANDO ABDALA Day, M.O., Rubidge, B.S., and Abdala, F. 2016. A new mid-Permian burnetiamorph therapsid from the Main Karoo Basin of South Africa and a phylogenetic review of Burnetiamorpha. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 61 (4): 701–719. Discoveries of burnetiamorph therapsids in the last decade and a half have increased their known diversity but they remain a minor constituent of middle–late Permian tetrapod faunas. In the Main Karoo Basin of South Africa, from where the clade is traditionally best known, specimens have been reported from all of the Permian biozones except the Eodicynodon and Pristerognathus assemblage zones. Although the addition of new taxa has provided more evidence for burnetiamorph synapomorphies, phylogenetic hypotheses for the clade remain incongruent with their appearances in the stratigraphic column. Here we describe a new burnetiamorph specimen (BP/1/7098) from the Pristerognathus Assemblage Zone and review the phylogeny of the Burnetiamorpha through a comprehensive comparison of known material. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that BP/1/7098 is closely related to the Russian species Niuksenitia sukhonensis. Remarkably, the supposed mid-Permian burnetiids Bullacephalus and Pachydectes are not recovered as burnetiids and in most cases are not burnetiamorphs at all, instead representing an earlier-diverging clade of biarmosuchians that are characterised by their large size, dentigerous transverse process of the pterygoid and exclusion of the jugal from the lat- eral temporal fenestra. The evolution of pachyostosis therefore appears to have occurred independently in these genera. -
New Paleobotanical Data on the Portuguese Pennsylvanian (Douro Carboniferous Basin, NW Portugal)
Versão online: http://www.lneg.pt/iedt/unidades/16/paginas/26/30/185 Comunicações Geológicas (2014) 101, Especial I, 409-414 IX CNG/2º CoGePLiP, Porto 2014 ISSN: 0873-948X; e-ISSN: 1647-581X New paleobotanical data on the Portuguese Pennsylvanian (Douro Carboniferous Basin, NW Portugal) Novos dados paleobotânicos do Pensilvaniano português (Bacia Carbonífera do Douro, NW Portugal) P. Correia1*, Z. Šimůnek2, J. Pšenička3, A. A. Sá4,5, R. Domingos6, A. Carneiro7, D. Flores1,7 Artigo Curto Short Article © 2014 LNEG – Laboratório Nacional de Geologia e Energia IP Abstract: This paper describes nine new macrofloral taxa from 1. Introduction Douro Carboniferous Basin (lower Gzhelian) of Portugal. The plant assemblage is mainly composed by pteridophylls (Sphenopteriss The fossil flora of Carboniferous of Portugal is still little arberi Kidston, Sphenopteris fayoli Zeiller, Sphenopteris tenuis known. The new megafloral occurrences recently found in Schenk, Odontopteris schlotheimii Brongniart), sphenopsids the Upper Pennsylvanian strata of Douro Carboniferous (Annularia spicata Gutbier, Stellotheca robusta (Feistmantel) Basin (DCB) provide new and important data about Surange and Prakash, Calamostachys grandis Zeiller (Jongmans) and Calamostachys calathifera Sterzel) besides the gymnosperm paleobotanical richness and diversity of the Paleozoic Cordaites foliolatus Grand`Eury. The new data provide a better floras of Portugal offering more information to previous understating of the knowledge of Late Carboniferous floras of researches reported from diverse localities and by different Portugal, showing the high plant diversity of Gzhelian floras, when authors (e.g. Wenceslau de Lima, Bernardino António considerable changes in paleogeography and climate dynamics are Gomes, Carlos Ribeiro, Carríngton da Costa, Carlos evidenced in Euramerican floristic assemblages. -
New Heterodontosaurid Remains from the Cañadón Asfalto Formation: Cursoriality and the Functional Importance of the Pes in Small Heterodontosaurids
Journal of Paleontology, 90(3), 2016, p. 555–577 Copyright © 2016, The Paleontological Society 0022-3360/16/0088-0906 doi: 10.1017/jpa.2016.24 New heterodontosaurid remains from the Cañadón Asfalto Formation: cursoriality and the functional importance of the pes in small heterodontosaurids Marcos G. Becerra,1 Diego Pol,1 Oliver W.M. Rauhut,2 and Ignacio A. Cerda3 1CONICET- Museo Palaeontológico Egidio Feruglio, Fontana 140, Trelew, Chubut 9100, Argentina 〈[email protected]〉; 〈[email protected]〉 2SNSB, Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie and Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, LMU München, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, Munich 80333, Germany 〈[email protected]〉 3CONICET- Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Museo Carlos Ameghino, Belgrano 1700, Paraje Pichi Ruca (predio Marabunta), Cipolletti, Río Negro, Argentina 〈[email protected]〉 Abstract.—New ornithischian remains reported here (MPEF-PV 3826) include two complete metatarsi with associated phalanges and caudal vertebrae, from the late Toarcian levels of the Cañadón Asfalto Formation. We conclude that these fossil remains represent a bipedal heterodontosaurid but lack diagnostic characters to identify them at the species level, although they probably represent remains of Manidens condorensis, known from the same locality. Histological features suggest a subadult ontogenetic stage for the individual. A cluster analysis based on pedal measurements identifies similarities of this specimen with heterodontosaurid taxa and the inclusion of the new material in a phylogenetic analysis with expanded character sampling on pedal remains confirms the described specimen as a heterodontosaurid. Finally, uncommon features of the digits (length proportions among nonungual phalanges of digit III, and claw features) are also quantitatively compared to several ornithischians, theropods, and birds, suggesting that this may represent a bipedal cursorial heterodontosaurid with gracile and grasping feet and long digits. -
Continental Complexities: a Multidisciplinary Introduction to Africa
Continental Complexities A Multidisciplinary Introduction to Africa By Dr. Ibigbolade Simon Aderibigbe and Dr. Akinloye Ojo Included in this preview: • Table of Contents • Chapter 1 & 2 For additional information on adopting this book for your class, please contact us at 800.200.3908 x501 or via e-mail at [email protected] Dpoujofoubm!Dpnqmfyjujft A MULTIDISCIPLINARY INTRODUCTION TO AFRICA Revised Edition Edited by Ibigbolade Aderibigbe and Akinloye Ojo University of Georgia Bassim Hamadeh, CEO and Publisher Christopher Foster, General Vice President Michael Simpson, Vice President of Acquisitions Jessica Knott, Managing Editor Kevin Fahey, Cognella Marketing Manager Jess Busch, Senior Graphic Designer Zina Craft , Acquisitions Editor Jamie Giganti, Project Editor Brian Fahey, Licensing Associate Copyright © 2013 by Cognella, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereaft er invented, including photocopying, microfi lming, and recording, or in any information retrieval system without the written permission of Cognella, Inc. First published in the United States of America in 2013 by Cognella, Inc. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation without intent to infringe. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-62131-133-1 (pbk) Contents The Study of Africa: An Introduction 1 Ibigbolade Aderibigbe -
The Origin and Early Evolution of Dinosaurs
Biol. Rev. (2010), 85, pp. 55–110. 55 doi:10.1111/j.1469-185X.2009.00094.x The origin and early evolution of dinosaurs Max C. Langer1∗,MartinD.Ezcurra2, Jonathas S. Bittencourt1 and Fernando E. Novas2,3 1Departamento de Biologia, FFCLRP, Universidade de S˜ao Paulo; Av. Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeir˜ao Preto-SP, Brazil 2Laboratorio de Anatomia Comparada y Evoluci´on de los Vertebrados, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘‘Bernardino Rivadavia’’, Avda. Angel Gallardo 470, Cdad. de Buenos Aires, Argentina 3CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cient´ıficas y T´ecnicas); Avda. Rivadavia 1917 - Cdad. de Buenos Aires, Argentina (Received 28 November 2008; revised 09 July 2009; accepted 14 July 2009) ABSTRACT The oldest unequivocal records of Dinosauria were unearthed from Late Triassic rocks (approximately 230 Ma) accumulated over extensional rift basins in southwestern Pangea. The better known of these are Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis, Pisanosaurus mertii, Eoraptor lunensis,andPanphagia protos from the Ischigualasto Formation, Argentina, and Staurikosaurus pricei and Saturnalia tupiniquim from the Santa Maria Formation, Brazil. No uncontroversial dinosaur body fossils are known from older strata, but the Middle Triassic origin of the lineage may be inferred from both the footprint record and its sister-group relation to Ladinian basal dinosauromorphs. These include the typical Marasuchus lilloensis, more basal forms such as Lagerpeton and Dromomeron, as well as silesaurids: a possibly monophyletic group composed of Mid-Late Triassic forms that may represent immediate sister taxa to dinosaurs. The first phylogenetic definition to fit the current understanding of Dinosauria as a node-based taxon solely composed of mutually exclusive Saurischia and Ornithischia was given as ‘‘all descendants of the most recent common ancestor of birds and Triceratops’’. -
Meandering in the Main Karoo Basin, Eastern Cape, South Africa FIELD TRIP LEADERS: Emese Bordy & Goonie Marsh
POST 10 Meandering in the main Karoo Basin, Eastern Cape, South Africa FIELD TRIP LEADERS: Emese Bordy & Goonie Marsh This comprehensive five day trip will take us through, via an unique route in the shortest travel time and distance, a geo-traverse through over 400 million years of South African geological history. The main focus of the field trip is the sedimentary fill of the southern main Karoo Basin, including the nature of some of the major Karoo intrusive and volcanic complexes of the Eastern Cape. Field Trip Leaders: Emese Bordy and Goonie Marsh Start: Port Elizabeth End: Port Elizabeth Dates: 3-8 September 2016 ITINERARY SUGGESTION OF FLIGHT BOOKING FROM CAPE TOWN TO PORT ELIZABETH: SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS FLIGHT 1803 DEPARTING CAPE TOWN AT 07h00, ARRIVING PORT ELIZABETH AT 08h15 Day 1 3 September 2016, Saturday Arrival at Port Elizabeth Airport and transfer to Grahamstown Overnight at the Graham Hotel in Grahamstown BB via Addo Elephant Park Day 2 4 September 2016, Sunday Stop 1 : Overview of 400 million years of South African geological history though the rocks and landscape of Grahamstown, Eastern Cape. Topics covered: Cape and Karoo systems, formation of the main Karoo Basin and Cape Fold Belt, Gondwana breakup, Cenozoic sea level changes. Location : 1820 Settlers' Monument Features to be seen : Relationship of the geology and geomorphology Cape Fold Belt - large-scale geological and geomorphological features: Witteberg quartzite ridges with some mudstone lenses to the south (cut by the N2 national road) & to the north (called Botha’s Ridge) running across the horizon. City bowl overlying the E-W running contact between soft Witteberg mudstones to the south and Dwyka tillites to the north Flat peneplain underlain by hard silcretes (with Joza/ King’s Flat township on it), visible along the northeastern horizon. -
PIA Wanhoop Oct 2010
PALAEONTOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT: DESKTOP STUDY WANHOOP BOREHOLE SCHEME EXTENSION, EDEN DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY, WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE Dr John E. Almond Natura Viva cc, PO Box 12410 Mill Street, CAPE TOWN 8010, RSA [email protected] October 2010 1. SUMMARY The latest phase of the ongoing upgrade of the water supply for Willowmore (Eastern Cape Province) involves several small developments c. 35km to the south of town on the farm Wanhoop in the adjacent Eden District Municipality. The proposed new water pipelines will involve excavations of up to one and a half metres depth but the Devonian to Cretaceous bedrocks and younger superficial sediments affected – viz. the Baviaanskloof Formation (Table Mountain Group), Buffelskloof Formation (Uitenhage Group) and Quaternary alluvium - are mostly of low palaeontological sensitivity. Installation of new powerlines and a short section of new access road are unlikely to involve extensive bedrock excavations and are not regarded as palaeontologically significant. It is concluded that the proposed water supply developments on Wanhoop will not substantially compromise palaeontological heritage and there are therefore no objections to approval on these grounds, nor is any specialist palaeontological mitigation required. However, any substantial fossil remains - such as bones, teeth or dense accumulations of shells or plants – that are exposed during excavations should be reported to Heritage Western Cape and / or a qualified palaeontologist for formal collection and documentation. 2. PROJECT OUTLINE & BRIEF As part of the ongoing upgrade of the water supply for the town of Willowmore (Eastern Cape Province) several proposed developments will take place on the remainder of Wanhoop 19, Wanhoop Farm in the adjacent Eden District Municipality, Western Cape Province, approximately c. -
71St Annual Meeting Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Paris Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada, USA November 2 – 5, 2011 SESSION CONCURRENT SESSION CONCURRENT
ISSN 1937-2809 online Journal of Supplement to the November 2011 Vertebrate Paleontology Vertebrate Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Society of Vertebrate 71st Annual Meeting Paleontology Society of Vertebrate Las Vegas Paris Nevada, USA Las Vegas, November 2 – 5, 2011 Program and Abstracts Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 71st Annual Meeting Program and Abstracts COMMITTEE MEETING ROOM POSTER SESSION/ CONCURRENT CONCURRENT SESSION EXHIBITS SESSION COMMITTEE MEETING ROOMS AUCTION EVENT REGISTRATION, CONCURRENT MERCHANDISE SESSION LOUNGE, EDUCATION & OUTREACH SPEAKER READY COMMITTEE MEETING POSTER SESSION ROOM ROOM SOCIETY OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS SEVENTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING PARIS LAS VEGAS HOTEL LAS VEGAS, NV, USA NOVEMBER 2–5, 2011 HOST COMMITTEE Stephen Rowland, Co-Chair; Aubrey Bonde, Co-Chair; Joshua Bonde; David Elliott; Lee Hall; Jerry Harris; Andrew Milner; Eric Roberts EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Philip Currie, President; Blaire Van Valkenburgh, Past President; Catherine Forster, Vice President; Christopher Bell, Secretary; Ted Vlamis, Treasurer; Julia Clarke, Member at Large; Kristina Curry Rogers, Member at Large; Lars Werdelin, Member at Large SYMPOSIUM CONVENORS Roger B.J. Benson, Richard J. Butler, Nadia B. Fröbisch, Hans C.E. Larsson, Mark A. Loewen, Philip D. Mannion, Jim I. Mead, Eric M. Roberts, Scott D. Sampson, Eric D. Scott, Kathleen Springer PROGRAM COMMITTEE Jonathan Bloch, Co-Chair; Anjali Goswami, Co-Chair; Jason Anderson; Paul Barrett; Brian Beatty; Kerin Claeson; Kristina Curry Rogers; Ted Daeschler; David Evans; David Fox; Nadia B. Fröbisch; Christian Kammerer; Johannes Müller; Emily Rayfield; William Sanders; Bruce Shockey; Mary Silcox; Michelle Stocker; Rebecca Terry November 2011—PROGRAM AND ABSTRACTS 1 Members and Friends of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, The Host Committee cordially welcomes you to the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Las Vegas. -
GAMMA-KAPPA 765Kv Transmission Line, Western Cape Province
1 GAMMA-KAPPA 765kV Transmission Line, Western Cape Province SCOPING REPORT PALAEONTOLOGY Compiled by: Dr JF Durand (Sci.Nat.) For: MDT Environmental (Pty) Ltd 673 Glossoti Street, Garsfontein, Pretoria 0081, SOUTH AFRICA 25 July 2020 2 Table of Contents: 1. Executive Summary………………………………..…………………………....................3 2. Introduction……………………………………………………………………….................4 3. Terms of reference for the report………………………………………………................5 4. Details of study area and the type of assessment…………………………………….....8 5. Geological setting……………………………………………………………………………9 6. Palaeontology of the study area…………………………..……………………………...11 7. Conclusion and Recommendations………… …………………………………………20 8. Declaration of Independence……………………………………………………………..22 . List of Figures: Figure 1: Google Earth photo indicating the study area……...………………….……….. 8 Figure 2: Geological map of the study area with the proposed power grid for the Gamma-Kappa section (adapted from the 1: 1 000 000 Geology Map for South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, Geological Survey, 1970) ………………………10 Figure 3: Biostratigraphical map indicating the Karoo Supergroup strata including the biozonation of the Lower Beaufort Group in the study area (adapted from Rubidge, 1995)………………………………………………………………………...11 Figure 4: Mesosaurus fossil skeleton………………………………….…………………….12 Figure 5: Tapinocephalus skull……………………………………………………………… 14 Figure 6 : Bradysaurus skeleton …………………………………………………………… 15 Figure 7: Atherstonia………………………………………………………………………… 15 Figure 8: Rhinesuchus skull………………………………………………………………....16 -
Evolution of the Female Conifer Cone Fossils, Morphology and Phylogenetics
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EVOLUTION OF THE FEMALE CONIFER CONE FOSSILS, MORPHOLOGY AND PHYLOGENETICS Daniel Bäck Degree project for Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology BIO602, Biologi: Examensarbete – kandidatexamen, 15 hp First cycle Semester/year: Spring 2020 Supervisor: Åslög Dahl, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences Examiner: Claes Persson, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences Front page: Abies koreana (immature seed cones), Gothenburg Botanical Garden, Sweden Table of contents 1 Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 2 2 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Brief history of Florin’s research ............................................................................... 3 2.2 Progress in conifer phylogenetics .............................................................................. 4 3 Aims .................................................................................................................................... 4 4 Materials and Methods ........................................................................................................ 4 4.1 Literature: ................................................................................................................... 4 4.2 RStudio: .....................................................................................................................