Volume 08 August 1963
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Item Palaeontologia africana Volume 8(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1963-08)Item On Bauria cynops Broom(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1963-08-01) Brink, A. S.Descriptions of this genus and species, the type of an infraorder, have thus far been based on three individuals. The type in the South African Museum, Cape Town is a complete skull, but somewhat unsatisfactorily preserved and cleaned. The second specimen in the American Museum of Natural History, New York, is a good skull with a portion of the skeleton, but the skull has been damaged in the course of preparation. The third specimen is in the Bernard Price Institute. It is an exceptionally fine specimen, but was only superficially cleaned when described. This specimen also includes a portion of the skeleton. Two additional complete skulls, one somewhat crushed, have since been added to the Bernard Price Institute's collection. This paper describes Bauria cynops Broom on information derived from all five specimens. Illustrations are based on the three specimens in this Institute. Attention is also given to the position of this infraorder relative to other related groups.Item A new skull of the procynosuchid Cynodont Leavachia duvenhagei Broom(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1963-08-01) Brink, A. S.This paper describes one of the most excellent, complete, virtually undamaged and undistorted skulls of a Karroo therapsid yet found. It is of exactly the same size as the type specimen of Leavachia duvenhagei Broom, housed in the Rubidge Collection. Nearly every detail of the structure of the skull can be traced, except structures on the inside of the cranial cavities and details obscured by the lower jaw which is in good occlusion. It is the third specimen of this species on record and this description renders it the best known specimen of all procynosuchid species. It is pointed out that the genera Leavachia and Procynosuchus are not readily distinguishable, but this may be due to lack of knowledge of the latter genus.Item Two Cynodonts from the Ntawere formation in the Luangwa valley of Northern Rhodesia(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1963-08-01) Brink, A. S.Two Cynodonts, Diademodon rhodesiensis sp. nov. and Luangwa drysdalli gen. et sp. nov., are described in this paper. In structure both forms indicate that the Ntawere Formation in the upper Luangwa valley of Northern Rhodesia from which they were collected can be regarded as very late Cynognathus-zone, perhaps mostly Molteno, compared with the South African succession, or of the same age as the Manda Beds of the more nearby Ruhuhu valley of Tanganyika. The Diademodon specimen is very similar to its South African relatives, but in some details it is more advanced. The new genus Luangwa has its closest ally in the Ruhuhu form Scalenodon.Item Notes on some new Diademodon specimens in the collection of the Bernard Price Institute(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1963-08-01) Brink, A. S.Seven Diademodon specimens are dealt with and all are reasonably adequately figured. These comprise a large D. mastacus specimen already featured in publication; a complete skull of D. grossarthi; an interesting snout of D.haunhtoni; and four immature D.browni specimens of various ages and sizes. The latter form part of about eight similar individuals found in an area some two yards square and could be the litter of a single Diademodon family. Attention is focused on the snouts and the peculiar nature of the external nares.Item Note on the distribution of fossil Reptilia of Karroo age(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1963-08-01) Haughton, S. H.Reviews briefly the geographical and stratigraphical distribution of reptilia of Karroo age, both within and beyond the confines of the southern hemishpere. Draws attention to the need for further environmental and population studies.Item Notes on some fossil pockets and bone beds in the Cynognathus- zone in the Burghersdorp and Lady Frere districts(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1963-08-01) Kitching, J. W.Most palaeontological field workers are familiar with the blue to green shales and maroon to red mudstones, as well as the fine-grained greenish-blue sandstones, of the Cynognathus-zone, all these colours contributing to its general patchy appearance. Heights within the zone can unfortunately not be determined reliably with the assistance of particular colour sequences, but a conspicuous and persistent sandstone horizon marks the middle level of the zone. Our knowledge of the manner in which fossils occur both above and below this horizon is not satisfactory.Item A fossil Orycteropus from the Limeworks quarry, Makapansgat, Potgietersrus(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1963-08-01) Kitching, J. W.The family Orycteropodidae (Grey 1821) comprises the antbears of the Old World and is known from fossil evidence to have existed in Europe, Asia and Madagascar, but the living species, confined to one single genus, now occur only on the continent of Africa..Item Note sur une nouvelle espece de Scaloposauridae(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1963-08-01) Sigogneau, D.This paper describes the skull and part of the skeleton of a new species of Scaloposaurid, referred to the genus Tetracynodon Broom and Robinson (1948), the affinities of which are briefly discussed.