Volume 11 1968

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Browsing Volume 11 1968 by Author "Findlay, G. H."

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    ON THE SCALOPOSAURID SKULL OF OLIVIERIA PARRINGTONI, BRINK WITH A NOTE ON THE ORIGIN OF HAIR
    (BERNARD PRICE INSTITUTE FOR PALAEONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH, 1968) Findlay, G. H.
    The writer undertook an examination of the type specimen of Olivieria because it seemed well suited to a study of the sensory nerve supply of the muzzle. Ever since Watson (1931) suggested that one might gauge the sensitivity, suppleness and therefore the possible hairiness of the muzzle by studying the size, numbers and position of the sensory nerve foramina in the fossil skull, it has seemed likely to point, albeit indirectly, to the origin of hair in the pre-mammalian stem. Such an abundance of nerves supplying the muzzle in scaloposaurid and bauriamorph reptiles would hardly be needed for scaly and inelastic cheeks. More probably, as Brink (1956) has emphasized, a mammalian type of tactile hair with soft cheeks had already come into being in these animals.
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    On the scaloposaurid skull of Olivieria parringtoni, Brink with a note on the origin of hair
    (Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1968) Findlay, G. H.
    Olivieria parringtoni was described by Brink in 1965 as a new genus and species. It stands closest, among the scaloposaurids, to Ictidosuchops intermedius (Broom). In general shape and size, their skulls are virtually indistinguishable from one another, but Olivieria comes from the top of the Lystrosaurus-zone (early Triassic) while the type-locality of I. intermedius is the Cistecephalus-zone (Upper Permian). Differences in dentition and differences in detailed skull moulding had argued for the creation of the new genus.
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    On the structure of the skin in Uranocentrodon (rhinesuchus) senekalensis, Van Hoepen
    (Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1968) Findlay, G. H.
    In the famous collection of fossil remains of the labyrinthodont Uranocentrodon, housed since 1911 in the Transvaal Museum, the bony skin armour from the ventral surface of the body of at least six individuals has been preserved. In spite of this lavish quantity of material only a few notes on the osseous skin structure were included in van Hoepen' s (1915) description, and all later papers have passed it by almost completely.
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    ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE SKIN IN URANOCENTRODON (RHINESUCHUS) SENEKALENSIS, VAN HOEPEN
    (BERNARD PRICE INSTITUTE FOR PALAEONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH, 1968) Findlay, G. H.
    The structural and functional features of the dermal armour of the ventral body surface of Uranocentrodon are discussed, chiefly based on one specimen acquired by the Transvaal Museum after the first examples had been described.