Browsing by Author "Bamford, Marion"

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    Fluctuations in Miocene climate and sea levels along the southwestern South African coast: inferences from biogeochemistry, palynology and sedimentology
    (Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, 2013-12-18) Sciscio, Lara; Neumann, Frank H.; Roberts, Dave; Tsikos, Harilaos; Scott, Louis; Bamford, Marion
    The largest deposit of excellently preserved Mio-Pliocene vertebrate faunas in South Africa is located at the well known Langebaanweg (LBW) site along South Africa’s west coast in the southwestern Cape. This research deals with a core (BH2) drilled at Langebaanweg ‘E’ Quarry, which captures Miocene fluvial deposits that unconformably underlie the Mio-Pliocene deposits. The aim of the study is to constrain fluctuations in climate and ecosystems in the region during the Miocene, using a combination of sedimentology, palynology, and biogeochemistry. The latter is a novel application and includes bulk C and N isotope measurements as well as branched GDGT (glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether) membrane lipid compositions of the organic fraction of the core. The mean annual temperature (MAT) at time of deposition and ambient pH values were calculated using the Methylation index of Branched Tetraethers (MBT) and Cyclization ratio of Branched Tetraethers (CBT) proxies. The core samples analysed spanned a depth interval of 17–33 m and had MATs ranging between 12.4°C and 26.6°C and pH range from 4.4 to 6.4. Furthermore, samples showed a low variance and light d13C distribution (from –25.52‰ to –24.27‰) and overall low C/N ratios. Palynological investigation supplemented earlier similar studies, reaffirming alternating sequences of tropical and subtropical elements including wetland taxa and complementing calculated MAT results. Pollen results from the lowermost subsection indicated a species-rich tropical/subtropical Podocarpus dominated forest with MATs at 16.2°C. The pollen-bearing middle subsection shows initially subhumid conditions, with MATs between 15.4 and 26.6°C, similar to the bottom of the section with high Podocarpaceae percentages, low Restionaceae and aquatics. Above this, local taxa, e.g. Restionaceae and algae increase, and a marine influence is indicated by abundant dinoflagellates. The uppermost subsection from a depth of 7.20–7.60 m shows similar conditions (with little marine influence) to that of the lower part of the middle subsection II. Biochemical and sedimentological data are not available for the uppermost subsection. The results suggest that regional Miocene climate showed high amplitude fluctuations (possibly driven by orbital forcing as seen in marine cores), underscoring the potential of biogeochemistry for unravelling past climates and ecosystems.
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    Fossil tree hollows from a late Permian forest of the Matinde Formation (Tete, Mozambique)
    (Evolutionary Studies Institute, 2018-10-31) Araújo, Ricardo; Nhamutole, Nelson; Macungo, Zanildo; Milisse, Dino; Bamford, Marion
    Fossil tree hollows are seldom described in the literature and can often be elusive to the field paleobotanist. However, these structures may provide unique paleoecological, environmental and tree life history information that are essential for a more complete understanding of ancient forests. A stump from the ‘late Permian’ (Wuchiapingian–Changhsingian) of the Mágoè Fossil Forest in Mozambique (Tete Province) provides a rare example of fossilized tree hollows. These hollows were found near the base of the tree and are subcircular in shape, ranging between ~1.3 and 3.5 cm in diameter. Although thirty-one trees were densely sampled (i.e. no fossil trees were excluded from a given area, in our case ~2650m2) and inspected at the Mágoè Fossil Forest, only one (PPM2017-31) exhibited tree hollows, highlighting the scarcity of these structures in this fossil forest. In modern forests tree hollows are more likely to be found in old trees, likewise PPM2017-31 was among the largest trees found in the sample, suggesting this was an old tree. The subcircular morphology of the tree hollows indicates they resulted from fungal/bacterial activity rather than from a fire.
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    Fossil trees from the basal Triassic Lebung Group at the Makgaba site, west of Mokubilo, Botswana
    (Evolutionary Studies Institute, 2018-03) de Wit, Michael; Bamford, Marion; van Waarden, C
    Fossil wood samples were collected from an area underlain by Karoo Supergroup rocks along the southern edge of Sua Pan in east central Botswana. From the local stratigraphy it suggests that these fossils have been derived from the Mosu sandstones that occurs at the base of the Mosolotsane Formation and which is time-equivalent to the Molteno Formation in South Africa that is of Triassic age. Based on the arrangement of tracheid pits the fossil wood has been identified as Agathoxylon, and most likely Agathoxylon africanum. This species has a Permian to Triassic time range in southern Africa and probably is the first published record of Agathoxylon africanum in Botswana.
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    Late Quaternary Palynological Studies at Lake St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) Effiom, Angela Charles; Neumann, Frank; Bamford, Marion
    Palynological studies were done on lacustrine sediments deposited during the last ~6300 and about ~2000 cal yrs BP in Mkhuze Swamp, which drains into the most northern part of Lake St Lucia located in the Indian Ocean Coastal Belt Biome of KwaZulu-Natal, eastern South Africa. The aim was to reconstruct the past vegetation and to infer past climate fluctuations as well as human disturbances to complement growing evidence from other disciplines about these questions in the area. Following standard palynological methods, samples from two cores Mkhuze River Delta (MKD-1, long core) and Mkhuze swamp (MK24-1, short core) were extracted and analyzed. Palynological results for both cores show a dominance of Poaceae (20-90%) suggesting a strong influence of grassy woodland savanna. Spirostachys pollen dominated the arboreal spectra of the pollen profile in MK24-1, but it dominated the arboreal pollen spectra for the last 2600 cal yrs BP in MKD-1 as Podocarpus pollen dominated the arboreal spectra from 6300-2600 cal yrs BP indicating a change from a forested environment to a more open woodland environment. The results also show that the mid Holocene was humid with high precipitation and high sea level while the late Holocene was warm, dry with Marine influence (more sea water flowing into the lake due to high evaporation and low fresh water supply caused by drought). Similar pollen fluctuations were observed in records from Lakes Eteza and Sibaya also located within the Indian Ocean Coastal Belt Biome. The presence of Pinus pollen at the top of the profiles suggests the onset of European settlement when pines were introduced for timber production. Other published pollen records from the region in the last ~7000 cal BP show a general trend from a mesic forested environment towards an open woodland environment with grasses which is due to climate change.
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    The many branches of the tree; a personal view of Palaeobotany in Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2014-05) Bamford, Marion
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