DOCSLIB.ORG

Biostratigraphic Correiation in Tiie Karoo

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Research Letter Biostratigraphic correiation and Eunotosaurus Page 1 of 4 Biostratigraphic correiation in tiie Karoo: The case AUTHORS: of the Middie Permian parareptiie Eunotosaurus Mike Dayi Bruce Rubidge^ The richness of fossil tetrapods from the Beaufort Group of South Africa has enabled biostratigraphic John Almond^ subdivision of this Permo-Triassic succession, with global applicability. Despite being the thickest of the seven Sifeiani Jirah^ biozones recognised, attempts at further subdivision of the Middie Permian TafJinocephalus Assemblage AFFILIATIONS: Zone (Abrahamskraal Formation) have not been successful, largely because the exact stratigraphie ranges 'Bernard Price Institute of of fossil taxa are unknown. This gap in knowledge has limited stratigraphie eorrelation of the Abrahamskraal Paiaeontoiogy, University of the Formation and hindered understanding of Middle Permian Karoo basin development. Currently, the lowermost Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa Beaufort Group is split between an eastern and a western stratigraphie scheme and, beeause of poor outerop ^Natura Viva, Cape Town, and the reiative paueity of fossiis in the east, stratigraphie eorrelation between the two areas has been South Africa uneertain. Reeent fossil diseoveries of the parareptile Eunotosaurus africafius in the Eastern Cape and Free State provinees have extended its known geographic range in ttie east. An additional speeimen from the lower CORRESPONOENCE TO: Middleton Formation in the Eastern Cape has, forthe first time, enabied the biostratigraphie eorrelation of this Mike Day unit with the Poortjie Member of the Teekloof Formation in the west. These finds eonfirm the diaehroneity of the boundary between the marine Eeea Group and the terrestrial Beaufort Group. EMAIL: [email protected]. acza Introduction POSTAL AOORESS: The taxonomic affinity of the enigmatic Permian parareptiie Eunotosaurus africanus, easily recognised in the BPi Palaeontology, fieid by its distinctive broad ribs (Figure 1), has iong intrigued paiaeontoiogists. The genus has been placed in Paiaecsciences Centre, Schooi the Parareptiiia as the soie member ot a sister taxon to the Miiierettidae^'^ and, most recently, as a sister taxon of Geosciences, university to modern turties.^ Aii specimens of Eunotosaurus come from the upper Tapinocephaius and Pristerognathus ot the Witwatersrand, Private Assembiage Zones of the Permian Beaufort Group of South Africa"'^ and most specimens have been recovered Bag 3, Johannesburg 2050, from the western part of the Main Karoo Basin (Tabie 1, Figure 2) where the genus has aiready been used for South Africa biostratigraphic correlation.^^ OATES: Received: 11 June 2012 Revised: 02 Oct. 2012 Accepted: 08 Oct. 2012 KEYWOROS: Eunotosaurus] biostratigraphy; Permian; Karoo; parareptiie; Beaufort Group HOW TO CITE: Day M, Rubidge B, Almond J, Jirah S. Biostratigraphic correlation in the Karoo: The case of the Middie Permian parareptiie Eunotosaurus. S AfrJSci. 2013;109(3/4), Art. #0030,4 pages. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/ sajs.2013/20120030 Srmrm: Councii for Geoscience, Pretoria Figure 1 : The Middie Permian parareptiie Eunotosaurus africanus, specimen M777. In this part of the basin the Tapinocephaius and Pristerognathus Assemblage Zones correspond approximateiy to the Abrahamskraal Formation and the overlying Poortjie Member of the Teekioof Formation, respectiveiy.^ © 20Í3. The Authors. Correiation of these biozones with iithostratigraphic units in the east of the basin has been difficuit as fossiis are Pubiished under a Creative iess abundant and the Tapinocephaius Assembiage Zone was oniy recently demonstrated to be present in there Commons Attribution Licence. at aii.' South African Journai of Science Voiume 109 \ Number 3/4 http://www.sajs.eo.za March/Aprii 2013 Researeh Letter Biostratigrapbic correlation and Eunotosaurus Page 2 ot 4 Table 1 : List ot Eunotosaurus specimens included in this study. Specimen number Collecfion Localify Disfricf Province Unif Certainfy (to within) AÍVI5999 AiVI Buckiands108 Aibany Eastern Cape K Low B46 CGS Sterkfontein 147 Murraysburg Westem Cape AorP 100 m BP/1/3514 BPI Die Bad 286 Beaufort Wesf Western Cape A 150 m BP/1/3515 BPI Die Bad 286 Beaufort Wesf Western Cape A 150 m BP/1/5677 BPI Katferskraai 536 Carnarvon Northern Cape A 50 m BP/1/6218 BPi The Grant 39 Aibany Eastern Cape K 50 m BP/1/7024 BPI Bullekraal251 Beautort West Westem Cape A 50 m BP/1/7027 BPI Buiiekraai251 Beaufort West Westem Cape A 50 m BP/1/7121 BPI Bullekraal 251 Beautort West Westem Cape A 50 m BP/1/7198 BPi Zwargershoek151 DeAar Northern Cape ? Low C()b3 CGS Droogvoetstontein 356 Fraserburg Northem Cape A 50 m cm341 CGS Kromelboog 68 Beautort West Western Cape P 50 m cm45 CGS Esferville57 BeauforfWesf Western Cape PorH 100 m GM71 CGS Bord Voi Water 313 Fraserburg Northern Cape A 100 m M275 CGS Duiker Kranse 45 Beautort West Western Cape P 50 m M775 CGS Duiker Kranse 45 Beautort West Western Cape P 50 m M777 CGS One Kop 53 Beautort West Westem Cape P 100 m NM3299 NM Philippoiis Commonage Philippoiis Free State Low NM3466 NM Katterskraai 536 Carnarvon Northem Cape A 50 m NM3474 NM Kareepoort138 Phiiippoiis Free State 7 Low NM348S NM Somerstontein 69 Philippoiis Free State ? Low NM3486 NM Somersfontein 69 Phiiippoiis Free State 7 Low NM3490 NM Somerstontein 69 Philippoiis Free State ? Low NM3500 NM Somerstontein 69 Phiiippoiis Free State 7 Low SAM-PK-011954 SAM De Kruis van Bioem Fontein 323 Fraserburg Northern Cape A 100 m SAM-PK-K00207 SAM Lammers Kraai 11 Prince Albert Westem Cape A 200 m SAM-PK-K01132 SAM BushmansRiver312 Beautort West Western Cape A 100 m SAM-PK-K01133 SAM BushmansRiver312 Beaufort West Westem Cape A 100 m SAM-PK-K01509 SAM Bumonfein387 Beaufort Wesf Western Cape PorH loom SAM-PK-K01625 SAM Bulffonfein 387 Beaufort Wesf Western Cape PorH 100 m SAM-PK-K01673 SAM Bulffonfein 387 Beaufort West Wesfem Cape PorH 100 m SAM-PK-K06732 SAM Ryers Vaiiey 401 Fraserburg Northem Cape P 100 m SAM-PK-K07611 SAM Bloukrans 31 Prince Alberf Western Cape A 100 m SAM-PK-K07670 SAM Springtontein 305 Beautort West Western Cape A 50 m SAÍVÍ-PK-K07909 SAM Kiipbani« Fontein 137 Beaufort West Western Cape AorP 100 m SAÍVI-PK-K07910 SAM Kiipbanks Fontein 137 Beaufort West Westem Cape AorP 100 m SAÍVÍ-PK-K07911 SAM Kiipbanks Fontein 137 Beaufort West Western Cape AorP 100 m Af[/I, Albany Museum, Grafiamstown; CGS, Councii for Geoscience, Pretoria: BPI, Bernard Price Institute (Palaeontology), Johannesburg: NM, National l^useum, Bloemfontein: SAM, Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town. A, Abrahamskraal Formation: p Poortjie Member: H, Hoedemaker Member; K, Koonap Formation. Specimens in bold are at the extremes ot the range. Soufh Atrican Journal ot Science Volume 109 \ Number 3/4 http://www.sajs.eo.za 69 March/April 2013 Research Letter Biostratigraphic correlation and Eunotosaurus Page 3 of 4 Etinoiosaufus specimens 3122, Vietoria West, 1:250 000 Geoiogieai Series 1989), the ioeaiity Western Region data of CGS CM45 indicate that this specimen was eoiieeted from the Soutn.eastern Region Centrai Region iowermost Hoedemai<er Member of the Teekioof Formation: however, as a resuit of the approximate determination ot the eoordinates, there is a siight ehanee that the speeimen may have been found in the uppermost Poortjie iVlember. The SAM speeimens are reeorded as eoming oniy from Buittontein 387 - a farm which covers the upper Poortjie and iowar iHoedamaker - so their aetuai position is not wali eonstrained. Aeeordingiy, CGS CM45 is the highest well-eonstrainad oeeurranee and probabiy oeeurs in the iowermost part ot the Hoedemaker Member. iBeaulDrtGnigp The stratigraphie range ot Eunotosaurus in the west theretore extends from about 350 m beiow the top ot the Abrahamskraai Formation Figure 2: Eunotosaurus fossil localities in the Beaufort Group of South to the iowarmost Hoedemaker Member of the Teekioof Formation Africa, separated into regions. IMumbers show the localities of (Figure 3). This distribution gives it a totai stratigraphie range of 450- the stratigraphie sections in Figure 3. 550 m, depending on local thicknesses, and corresponds to the upper Tapinocephalus and the entire Pristerognathus assemblage zones.* Materials and methods The Beautort Group fossil tetrapod geographic information system (GIS) database" was used to project the locaiities of ali specimens of Height Eunotosaurus onto Google Earth sateiiite imagery (both use the WGS84 (m) coordinate system) whence their stratigraphie position was deduced from geoiogicai maps. E The quaiity ot iocaiity intormation for each specimen varies, with many 2500 eariier discovered specimens being assignabie oniy to the area of a farm. The range of strata that outcrops in the area of a iocaiity, or across the farm as a whoie, theretore has a direct infiuence on the accuracy with which each specimen couid be piaced stratigraphicaiiy (Tabie 1). 1 000 Extensive fieldwori< aiiowed refinement of the stratigraphie provenance 2000 p ot aii specimens of Eunotosaurus whose stratigraphie position, as caieuiated from the geoiogieai maps, eouid potentiaiiy form one of the extremes of the stratigraphie range of the genus. 500 For the purposes of this study, because ot the heterogeneous nature of the stratigraphy, the basin was divided into four regions: the 1500 northwestern, southwestern, centrai and southeastern Karoo (Figure 2). Stratigraphie seetions were either measured by the authors or tai<en from the iiterature^"^^ and drawn up for eaeh region, atter whieh eaeh section
Recommended publications
  • A New Mid-Permian Burnetiamorph Therapsid from the Main Karoo Basin of South Africa and a Phylogenetic Review of Burnetiamorpha

    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.
  • The Endoskeletal Origin of the Turtle Carapace

    The Endoskeletal Origin of the Turtle Carapace

    ARTICLE Received 7 Dec 2012 | Accepted 3 Jun 2013 | Published 9 Jul 2013 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3107 OPEN The endoskeletal origin of the turtle carapace Tatsuya Hirasawa1, Hiroshi Nagashima2 & Shigeru Kuratani1 The turtle body plan, with its solid shell, deviates radically from those of other tetrapods. The dorsal part of the turtle shell, or the carapace, consists mainly of costal and neural bony plates, which are continuous with the underlying thoracic ribs and vertebrae, respectively. Because of their superficial position, the evolutionary origins of these costo-neural elements have long remained elusive. Here we show, through comparative morphological and embryological analyses, that the major part of the carapace is derived purely from endos- keletal ribs. We examine turtle embryos and find that the costal and neural plates develop not within the dermis, but within deeper connective tissue where the rib and intercostal muscle anlagen develop. We also examine the fossils of an outgroup of turtles to confirm that the structure equivalent to the turtle carapace developed independently of the true osteoderm. Our results highlight the hitherto unravelled evolutionary course of the turtle shell. 1 Laboratory for Evolutionary Morphology, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe 650-0047, Japan. 2 Division of Gross Anatomy and Morphogenesis, Department of Regenerative and Transplant Medicine, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8510, Japan. Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to T.H. (email: [email protected]). NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | 4:2107 | DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3107 | www.nature.com/naturecommunications 1 & 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved. ARTICLE NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3107 wo types of skeletal systems are recognized in vertebrates, exoskeletal components into the costal and neural plates (Fig.
  • The Origin and Early Evolution of Dinosaurs

    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’’.
  • Universidad Nacional Del Comahue Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche

    Universidad Nacional Del Comahue Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche

    Universidad Nacional del Comahue Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche Título de la Tesis Microanatomía y osteohistología del caparazón de los Testudinata del Mesozoico y Cenozoico de Argentina: Aspectos sistemáticos y paleoecológicos implicados Trabajo de Tesis para optar al Título de Doctor en Biología Tesista: Lic. en Ciencias Biológicas Juan Marcos Jannello Director: Dr. Ignacio A. Cerda Co-director: Dr. Marcelo S. de la Fuente 2018 Tesis Doctoral UNCo J. Marcos Jannello 2018 Resumen Las inusuales estructuras óseas observadas entre los vertebrados, como el cuello largo de la jirafa o el cráneo en forma de T del tiburón martillo, han interesado a los científicos desde hace mucho tiempo. Uno de estos casos es el clado Testudinata el cual representa uno de los grupos más fascinantes y enigmáticos conocidos entre de los amniotas. Su inconfundible plan corporal, que ha persistido desde el Triásico tardío hasta la actualidad, se caracteriza por la presencia del caparazón, el cual encierra a las cinturas, tanto pectoral como pélvica, dentro de la caja torácica desarrollada. Esta estructura les ha permitido a las tortugas adaptarse con éxito a diversos ambientes (por ejemplo, terrestres, acuáticos continentales, marinos costeros e incluso marinos pelágicos). Su capacidad para habitar diferentes nichos ecológicos, su importante diversidad taxonómica y su plan corporal particular hacen de los Testudinata un modelo de estudio muy atrayente dentro de los vertebrados. Una disciplina que ha demostrado ser una herramienta muy importante para abordar varios temas relacionados al caparazón de las tortugas, es la paleohistología. Esta disciplina se ha involucrado en temas diversos tales como el origen del caparazón, el origen del desarrollo y mantenimiento de la ornamentación, la paleoecología y la sistemática.
  • Tiago Rodrigues Simões

    Tiago Rodrigues Simões

    Diapsid Phylogeny and the Origin and Early Evolution of Squamates by Tiago Rodrigues Simões A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta © Tiago Rodrigues Simões, 2018 ABSTRACT Squamate reptiles comprise over 10,000 living species and hundreds of fossil species of lizards, snakes and amphisbaenians, with their origins dating back at least as far back as the Middle Jurassic. Despite this enormous diversity and a long evolutionary history, numerous fundamental questions remain to be answered regarding the early evolution and origin of this major clade of tetrapods. Such long-standing issues include identifying the oldest fossil squamate, when exactly did squamates originate, and why morphological and molecular analyses of squamate evolution have strong disagreements on fundamental aspects of the squamate tree of life. Additionally, despite much debate, there is no existing consensus over the composition of the Lepidosauromorpha (the clade that includes squamates and their sister taxon, the Rhynchocephalia), making the squamate origin problem part of a broader and more complex reptile phylogeny issue. In this thesis, I provide a series of taxonomic, phylogenetic, biogeographic and morpho-functional contributions to shed light on these problems. I describe a new taxon that overwhelms previous hypothesis of iguanian biogeography and evolution in Gondwana (Gueragama sulamericana). I re-describe and assess the functional morphology of some of the oldest known articulated lizards in the world (Eichstaettisaurus schroederi and Ardeosaurus digitatellus), providing clues to the ancestry of geckoes, and the early evolution of their scansorial behaviour.
  • The Role of Fossils in Interpreting the Development of the Karoo Basin

    The Role of Fossils in Interpreting the Development of the Karoo Basin

    Palaeon!. afr., 33,41-54 (1997) THE ROLE OF FOSSILS IN INTERPRETING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE KAROO BASIN by P. J. Hancox· & B. S. Rubidge2 IGeology Department, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa 2Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa ABSTRACT The Permo-Carboniferous to Jurassic aged rocks oft1:J.e main Karoo Basin ofSouth Africa are world renowned for the wealth of synapsid reptile and early dinosaur fossils, which have allowed a ten-fold biostratigraphic subdivision ofthe Karoo Supergroup to be erected. The role offossils in interpreting the development of the Karoo Basin is not, however, restricted to biostratigraphic studies. Recent integrated sedimentological and palaeontological studies have helped in more precisely defming a number of problematical formational contacts within the Karoo Supergroup, as well as enhancing palaeoenvironmental reconstructions, and basin development models. KEYWORDS: Karoo Basin, Biostratigraphy, Palaeoenvironment, Basin Development. INTRODUCTION Invertebrate remains are important as indicators of The main Karoo Basin of South Africa preserves a facies genesis, including water temperature and salinity, retro-arc foreland basin fill (Cole 1992) deposited in as age indicators, and for their biostratigraphic potential. front of the actively rising Cape Fold Belt (CFB) in Fossil fish are relatively rare in the Karoo Supergroup, southwestern Gondwana. It is the deepest and but where present are useful indicators of gross stratigraphically most complete of several depositories palaeoenvironments (e.g. Keyser 1966) and also have of Permo-Carboniferous to Jurassic age in southern biostratigraphic potential (Jubb 1973; Bender et al. Africa and reflects changing depositional environments 1991).
  • A New Late Permian Burnetiamorph from Zambia Confirms Exceptional

    A New Late Permian Burnetiamorph from Zambia Confirms Exceptional

    fevo-09-685244 June 19, 2021 Time: 17:19 # 1 ORIGINAL RESEARCH published: 24 June 2021 doi: 10.3389/fevo.2021.685244 A New Late Permian Burnetiamorph From Zambia Confirms Exceptional Levels of Endemism in Burnetiamorpha (Therapsida: Biarmosuchia) and an Updated Paleoenvironmental Interpretation of the Upper Madumabisa Mudstone Formation Edited by: 1 † 2 3,4† Mark Joseph MacDougall, Christian A. Sidor * , Neil J. Tabor and Roger M. H. Smith Museum of Natural History Berlin 1 Burke Museum and Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States, 2 Roy M. Huffington (MfN), Germany Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, United States, 3 Evolutionary Studies Institute, Reviewed by: University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, 4 Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town, South Africa Sean P. Modesto, Cape Breton University, Canada Michael Oliver Day, A new burnetiamorph therapsid, Isengops luangwensis, gen. et sp. nov., is described Natural History Museum, on the basis of a partial skull from the upper Madumabisa Mudstone Formation of the United Kingdom Luangwa Basin of northeastern Zambia. Isengops is diagnosed by reduced palatal *Correspondence: Christian A. Sidor dentition, a ridge-like palatine-pterygoid boss, a palatal exposure of the jugal that [email protected] extends far anteriorly, a tall trigonal pyramid-shaped supraorbital boss, and a recess †ORCID: along the dorsal margin of the lateral temporal fenestra. The upper Madumabisa Christian A. Sidor Mudstone Formation was deposited in a rift basin with lithofacies characterized orcid.org/0000-0003-0742-4829 Roger M. H. Smith by unchannelized flow, periods of subaerial desiccation and non-deposition, and orcid.org/0000-0001-6806-1983 pedogenesis, and can be biostratigraphically tied to the upper Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone of South Africa, suggesting a Wuchiapingian age.
  • Physical and Environmental Drivers of Paleozoic Tetrapod Dispersal Across Pangaea

    Physical and Environmental Drivers of Paleozoic Tetrapod Dispersal Across Pangaea

    ARTICLE https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-07623-x OPEN Physical and environmental drivers of Paleozoic tetrapod dispersal across Pangaea Neil Brocklehurst1,2, Emma M. Dunne3, Daniel D. Cashmore3 &Jӧrg Frӧbisch2,4 The Carboniferous and Permian were crucial intervals in the establishment of terrestrial ecosystems, which occurred alongside substantial environmental and climate changes throughout the globe, as well as the final assembly of the supercontinent of Pangaea. The fl 1234567890():,; in uence of these changes on tetrapod biogeography is highly contentious, with some authors suggesting a cosmopolitan fauna resulting from a lack of barriers, and some iden- tifying provincialism. Here we carry out a detailed historical biogeographic analysis of late Paleozoic tetrapods to study the patterns of dispersal and vicariance. A likelihood-based approach to infer ancestral areas is combined with stochastic mapping to assess rates of vicariance and dispersal. Both the late Carboniferous and the end-Guadalupian are char- acterised by a decrease in dispersal and a vicariance peak in amniotes and amphibians. The first of these shifts is attributed to orogenic activity, the second to increasing climate heterogeneity. 1 Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3AN, UK. 2 Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany. 3 School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK. 4 Institut
  • Taphonomy As an Aid to African Palaeontology*

    Taphonomy As an Aid to African Palaeontology*

    Palaeont. afr., 24 (1981 ) PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: TAPHONOMY AS AN AID TO AFRICAN PALAEONTOLOGY* by C.K. Brain Transvaal Museum, P.O. Box 413, Pretoria 0001 SUMMARY Palaeontology has its roots in both the earth and life sciences. Its usefulness to geology comes from the light which the understanding of fossils may throw on the stratigraphic re­ lationships of sediments, or the presence of economic deposits such as coal or oil. In biology, the study of fossils has the same objectives as does the study of living animals or plants and such objectives are generally reached in a series of steps which may be set out as follows: STEP I. Discovering what forms of life are, or were, to be found in a particular place at a particular time. Each form is allocated a name and is fitted into a system of classification. These contributions are made by the taxonomist or the systematist. STEP 2. Gaining afuller understanding ofeach described taxon as a living entity. Here the input is from the anatomist, developmental biologist, genetIcIst, physi­ ologist or ethologist and the information gained is likely to modify earlier decisions taken on the systematic position of the forms involved. STEP 3. Understanding the position ofeach form in the living community or ecosystem. This step is usually taken by a population biologist or ecologist. Hopefully, any competent neo- or palaeobiologist (I use the latter term deliberately in this context in preference to "palaeontologist") should be able to contribute to more than one of the steps outlined above. Although the taxonomic and systematic steps have traditionally been taken in museums or related institutions, it is encouraging to see that some of the steps subsequent to these very basic classificatory ones are now also being taken by museum biol­ ogists.
  • Proceedings of the 18Th Biennial Conference of the Palaeontological Society of Southern Africa Johannesburg, 11–14 July 2014

    Proceedings of the 18Th Biennial Conference of the Palaeontological Society of Southern Africa Johannesburg, 11–14 July 2014

    Proceedings of the 18th Biennial Conference of the Palaeontological Society of Southern Africa Johannesburg, 11–14 July 2014 Table of Contents Letter of Welcome· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 63 Programme · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 64 · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 66 Hand, K.P., Bringing Two Worlds Together: How Earth’s Past and Present Help Us Search for Life on Other Planets · · · · · · · 66 · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 67 Erwin, D.H., Major Evolutionary Transitions in Early Life: A Public Goods Approach · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 67 Lelliott, A.D., A Survey of Visitors’ Experiences of Human Origins at the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa· · · · · · · · · · · · · · 68 Looy, C., The End-Permian Biotic Crisis: Why Plants Matter · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 69 Reed, K., Hominin Evolution and Habitat: The Importance of Analytical Scale · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
  • Stratigraphy, Sedimentary Facies and Diagenesis of the Ecca Group, Karoo Supergroup in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

    Stratigraphy, Sedimentary Facies and Diagenesis of the Ecca Group, Karoo Supergroup in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

    STRATIGRAPHY, SEDIMENTARY FACIES AND DIAGENESIS OF THE ECCA GROUP, KAROO SUPERGROUP IN THE EASTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA By Nonhlanhla Nyathi Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science In Geology FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY OF FORT HARE SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR K. LIU CO-SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR O. GWAVAVA APRIL 2014 DECLARATION I, Nonhlanhla Nyathi, hereby declare that the research described in this dissertation was carried out in the field and under the auspices of the Department of Geology, University of Fort Hare, under the supervision of Professor K. Liu and Prof. O. Gwavava. This dissertation and the accompanying photographs represent original work by the author, and have not been submitted, in whole or in part, to any other university for the purpose of a higher degree. Where reference has been made to the work of others, it has been dully acknowledged in the text. N. NYATHI Date signed: 12/04/2014 Place signed: Alice ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author is indebted to Professor K. Liu for his guidance, knowledge on all aspects of the project, constant supervision and help in doing field wok. Professor O. Gwavava is much appreciated for being my co-supervisor and helping me obtain financial support from the Goven Mbeki Research Development Centre. I am deeply grateful for the emotional support and encouragement from my parents and family. I express my profound gratitude to Mr Edwin Mutototwa and Mr Eric Madifor always taking time to read through my dissertation. The Rhodes University Geology laboratory technicians are thanked for their assistance in the making of thin sections.
  • Comparing Middle Permian and Early Triassic Environments: Mud Aggregates As a Proxy for Climate Change in the Karoo Basin, South Africa

    Comparing Middle Permian and Early Triassic Environments: Mud Aggregates As a Proxy for Climate Change in the Karoo Basin, South Africa

    Colby College Digital Commons @ Colby Honors Theses Student Research 2011 Comparing Middle Permian and Early Triassic Environments: Mud Aggregates as a Proxy for Climate Change in the Karoo Basin, South Africa Bryce Pludow Colby College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/honorstheses Part of the Geology Commons Colby College theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed or downloaded from this site for the purposes of research and scholarship. Reproduction or distribution for commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission of the author. Recommended Citation Pludow, Bryce, "Comparing Middle Permian and Early Triassic Environments: Mud Aggregates as a Proxy for Climate Change in the Karoo Basin, South Africa" (2011). Honors Theses. Paper 622. https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/honorstheses/622 This Honors Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research at Digital Commons @ Colby. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Colby. COMPARING MIDDLE PERMIAN AND EARLY TRIASSIC ENVIRONMENTS: MUD AGGREGATES AS A PROXY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE KAROO BASIN, SOUTH AFRICA B. Amelia Pludow „11 A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the Geology Department of Colby College in Fulfillment of the Requirements for Honors in Geology Waterville, Maine May, 2011 COMPARING MIDDLE PERMIAN AND EARLY TRIASSIC ENVIRONMENTS: MUD AGGREGATES AS A PROXY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE KAROO BASIN, SOUTH AFRICA Except where reference is made to the work of others, the work described in this thesis is my own or was done in collaboration with my advisory committee B.