Volume 34 1997

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Cainozoic mammals from coastal Namaqualand, South Africa
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1997) Pickford, Martin; Senut, Brigitte
Fossil mamma ls from various stratigraphic levels in coastal Namaqualand reveal that the littoral marine deposits, hitherto correlated to the Plio-Pleistocene, range in age from Early Miocene to Ple istocene and Holocene. The faunal assemblages, described in stratigraphic orde r, consist predominantly o f large mammals, but most of the faunas also contain marine vertebrates and invertebrates. Faunas of Early Miocene(ca 17 Ma), Middle Miocene(ca 13- 12Ma), Late Miocene(ca 6-5 Ma), Plio-Pleistocene (ca 3-2.5 Ma) and younger age are documented .
First record of a Maastrichtian sauropod dinosaur from Egypt
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1997) Rauhut, Oliver W. M.; Werner, Christa
A left femur of a small sauropod dinosaur was found in the Maastrichtian part of the Ammonite Hill Member of the Dahkla Formation of southwestern Egypt. it represents the first dinosaur remains of certain Maastrichtian age from Egypt and the second record of dinosaurs from this stage within Africa. Moreover, the Egyptian specimen shows similarities to femora of brachiosaurids, possibly extending the temporal range of this family up to the very end of the Mesozoic.
First record of a Paranacystid mitrate from the Bokkeveld Group of South Africa
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1997) Ruta, Marcello
The Upper Eifelian paranacystid mitrate Paranacystis simoneae sp. nov. from the Waboomberg Formation (Bokkeveld Group, We stern Cape Province, South Africa) is described and a revised diagnosis of the Family Paranacystidae is presented. Paranacystis simoneae differs from Paranacystis petrii, the type species of the genus, in possessing a remarkably well-developed right subcentral plate; the latter extends distally with respect to the distal margins of the left and right intermediate lateral marginal plates, and bears a robust, distal triangular process. Other features of Paranacystis simoneae are: the presence of knobs on the proximal three-quarters of the lateral margins of the two proximal lateral marginal plates; the presence of two latero-distal pits, probably associated with the main orifice of the body; and a well-developed styloid process. Paranacystis simoneae extends both the geographical and the stratigraphical range of the genus, and strengthens the links between Malvinokaffric fossil faunas from the central and western parts of Gondwana in the Devonian.
First record of Eunotosaurus (Amniota: Parareptilia) from the Eastern Cape.
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1997) Gow, Chris E.; de Klerk, Billy
Eunotosaurus is a rare tetrapod fossil until recently known only from the Tapinocephaluszone of the main Karoo basin of Cape Province. A single specimen has recently been collected in the Free State (Weiman, pers. com.). This paper describes a new find from the Eastern Cape, where outcrops of Karoo rocks are scarce. The new specimen adds previously unknown morphological detail, particularly about the limbs. Phylogenetic affinities are clearly with the Parareptilia. particularly about the limbs. Phy logene tic affinities are clearly with the Parareptilia.
Further remains of Carnivora (Mammalia) from the Sterkfontein hominid site
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1997) Turner, A.
New specimens of Carnivora from late Pliocene deposits at the Sterkfontein hominid site are described. Proteles is now added to the faunal list and the hyaena Chasmaporthetes nitidula is also identified in the Member 2 assemblage From the Silberberg Grono. With a larger sample, Members 4 and 5 are now seen to have essentially the same large carnivore guild, a mix of extant and extinct taxa. An updated checklist of taxa is provided.
The importance of Nama Group sediments and fossils to the debate about animal origins
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1997) Brain, C. K.
The purpose of this review is to draw attention to the contribution that Nama sediments and fossils have made, and potentially can make, to the ongoing debate about metazoan origins. Two important features of this debate concern the nature and systematic position of the late Proterozoic "Ediacaran" fauna as well as the reasons for the sudden appearance in the fossil record of representatives of almost all known animal phyla, during the Early-Middle Cambrian radiation. An additional vexing question is the reason for the apparent absence of preserved representatives of ancestral metazoan lineages in Proterozoic sediments, despite the fact that molecular evidence shows that such lineages had a long his tory, prior to Cambrian times. Nama fossils and their enclosing sediments have made crucial contributions to this debate and will surely continue to do so in the future.
Insect faunas of South Africa from the upper Permian and the Permian/ Triassic boundary
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1997) van Dijk
Those sites in South Africa where more than one insect fossil specimen has been found have been interpreted as younger than Middle Triassic or as Late Permian. One site which has yielded a number of specimens and is apparently near the Permian/Triassic boundary is a quarry in the town of Bulwer KwaZulu- Natal. There are six sites with more than one insect specimen which are stratigraphically lower than Bulwer, namely Escourt (a new site), Far End, Mooi River (National Road), Mount West, Balgowan and Lidgetton. According to the 1984 1 : 1 000 000 Geological Map of Southern Africa Bulwer is situated in the Tarkastad Subgroup of the Beaufort Group near its lower boundary; the Tarkastad has been considered as Triassic. the remaining sites, except Balgowan and Lidgetton, fall in the Estcourt Formation of the Beaufort Group, a do all the sites with single Late Permian specimens except for one similarly aged specimen from the more easterly Emakwezeni formation. The stratigraphically lowest sites are Lidgetton and slightly younger Balgowan; both are mapped as Volksrust Formation of the Ecca Group. An analys is is made of vertical distribution of taxa, with those of Lidgetton and Balgowan grouped together as a lower unit, of Bulwer as upper unit, and of the Estcourt formation sites and Emakwezini site as a middle unit. No obvious break between the three units has been noted.
Insect faunas of South Africa from the upper permian and the Permian/Triassic boundary
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1997) van Dijk, D. E.
Those sites in South Africa where more than one insect fossil specimen has been found have been interpreted as younger than Middle Triassic or as Late Permian. One site which has yielded a number of specimens and is apparently near the Permian/Triassic boundary is a quarry in the town of Bulwer KwaZulu-Natai. There are six sites with more than one insect specimen which are stratigraphically lower than Bulwer, namely Escourt (a new site), Far End, Mooi River (National Road), Mount West, Balgowan and Lidgetton. According to the 1984 1: 1 000 000 Geological Map of South em Africa Bulwer is situated in the Tarkastad Subgroup of the Beaufort Group near its lower boundary; the Tarkastad has been considered as Triassic. The remaining sites, except Balgowan and Lidgetton, fall in the Estcourt Formation of the Beaufort Group, as do all the sites with single Late Permian specimens except for one similarly aged specimen from the more easterly Emakwezeni Formation. The stratigraphically lowest sites are Lidgetton and slightly younger Balgowan; both are mapped as VoIksrust Formation of the Ecca Group. An analysis is made of vertical distribution of taxa, with those of Lidgetton and Balgowan grouped together as a lower unit, of Bulwer as upper unit, and of the Estcourt Formation sites and Emakwezini site as a middle unit. No obvious break between the three units has been noted.
New fossils of Alcelaphini and Caprinae (Bovidae: Mammalia) from Awash, Ethiopia, and phylogenetic analysis of Alcelaphini
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1997) Vrba, E. S.
Alcelaphine antelopes comprise one of the most species-rich groups among the mammalian assemblages from the Middle Awash, Ethiopia, and in Africa as a whole. I describe a new genus and species Awashia suwai from Matabaietu 3, and other new alcelaphine species, Damaliscus ademassui from Gamedah I and Beatragus whitei from Matabaietu 3-5, all dated ca. 2.5 m.y. (millions of years). Other new a lcelaphine fossils from Middle Awash include an Early Pliocene species allied to Damalops, Late Pliocene records of Parmularius c f.pandatus and Beat rag us amiquus, and Middle Pleistocene records of Megalotragus kattwinkeli, P. angusticornis, Damaliscus niro, Connochaetes taurinus olduvaiensis, Numidocapra crassicornis, and Alcelaphus buselaphus. My comparisons of these fossils with all other known fossil and Recent Alcelaphini inc ludes a cladistic analysis . The results suggest that during or before the Miocene-Pliocene transition two alcelaphine subtribes dive rged for which I suggest the names Alcelaphina and Damaliscina. Alcelaphina consists of two ancient subclades: ( I) the s is te r-group of Damalacra neanica and Beatragus known since 5.0-4.5 m.y. ago, and (2) a large c lade first recorded 4.4 m.y. ago (genera Damalops, Numidocapra, Alce/aphus, Rabaticeras, Megalotragus, Oreonagor, and Connochaetes) that had a high diversification rate since 3 m.y. ago. The earliest record of Damaliscina is the form that Gentry ( 1980) named Damalacra acalla, which emerges as the hypothetical direct ancestor of the Early-Middle Plioce ne split into Parmularius and the Damaliscus group. The placement of the new genus Awashia remains problematic. A new ov ibovine genus and spec ies, Nitidarcus asfawi, and a new caprine genu and species, Bouria anngettyae, both from Bouri I, are also described. I discuss some evolutionary and biogeographic implications of the new fossils from Middle Awash.
A new species of Psammobates (Reptilia: Testudinidae) from the early Pleistocene of South Africa.
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1997) Broadley, Donald G.
A new species of Psammobates Fitzinger is described from early Pleistocene cave deposits at Sterkfontein in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. It seems to be most closely related to P. oculiferus (Kuhl), which today occurs to the west and north of the type locality, but the proportions of its depressed carapace come closest to Homopusfemoralis Boulenger.
A note on the postcranial skeleton of Milleretta (Amniota: Parareptilia).
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1997) Gow, Chris E.
This description of a partial postcranial skeleton of a mature individual of Milleretta rubidgei shows that it has very broad (laterally expanded) ribs, and growth of limb bones had ceased. Previously the only described postcranial skeleton was that of a young individual in which the ribs are not as broad and the ends of the limb bones were still formed of cartilage.
The oldest Procolophonoid (Amniota: Parareptilia) - New discovery from the lower Beaufort of South Africa.
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1997) Gow, Chris E.; Rubidge, Bruce S.
Until now the earliest recognised procolophonoid (sensu Laurin & Reisz 1995) reptile has been Owenetta, which ranges from the Cistecephalus assemblage zone (Upper Permian) to the Lystrosaurus assemblage zone (Lower Triassic) of the Beaufort Group of South Africa. This paper records the presence of a new even older form from low in the underlying Tapinocephalus assemblage zone.
Palaeontologia africana Volume 34
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1997)
The palynology of tertiary sediments from a palaeochannel in Namaqualand, South Africa.
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1997) de Villiers, S. E.; Cadman, A.
A site in amaqualand, Western Cape Province, has yielded a diverse and well-preserved pa lynoflora. The site consists of a quarry, exposing a palaeochannel containing fluviatile sands, silts and clays with accompanying peat horizons. This paper presents a qualitative account of the pollen and pore assemblages extracted from the peats. Ang iosperms were dominant both in terms of the number of individuals and the recognised types. Identification were made where possible with reference to published illustrations and descriptions. There was a total of 69 palynomorph types, including spores, gymnosperm and angiosperm pollen.
Postcranial morphology and springing adaptations in Pedetidae from Arrisdrift, middle Miocene (Namibia).
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1997) Senut, Brigitte
Arrisdrift, an early Middle Miocene site in the Proto-Orange river deposits of Namibia, was excavated in the mid 1970s by Corvinus and since 1993 by the Namibia Palaeontology Expedition. These excavations resulted in the discovery of several postcranial elements of springhares. Generally, these appear to have been smaller than those of modem Pedetes capensis or P. surdaster, but more robust that those of the extant taxa. The Arrisdrift pedetid was larger than the lower Miocene Namibian species, Parapedetes namaquensis; must smaller and less robust than the lower Miocene East African species, Megapedetes pentadactylus; but larger than Pedetes laeroliensis from the Pliocene site of Laetoli (Tanzani a). The limb proportions, morphology of the proximal femur, distal tibia, astragalus and the calcaneum suggest that the pedetid from Arrisdrift was saltatorial, but to a lesser degree than modern springhares. lt exhibits features probably related to locomotor behaviour which are different from Parapedetes, Megapedetes and Pedetes suggest that they may represent a different genus in accordance with results of research on the cranio-dental remains (Me in & Senut, in prep.)
A reassessment of Eunotosaurus africanus Seeley (Amniota: Parareptilia).
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1997) Gow, Chris E.
This paper provides an almost complete description of the Permian fossil reptile Eunotosaurus for the first time. Taphonomy indicates that these were terrestrial animals; dentition suggests that they preyed on small invertebrates; while the broad, imbricating ribs point to a slow moving animal with a protective, turtle-like carapace. Temporal emargination and the fan-like iliac blade serve to align these animals with Parareptilia, sensu Laurin and Reisz ( 1995). Eunorosaurusand millerettids are sister taxa on the basis of s tapes and rib morphology, and together they constitute the sister taxon to Ankyramopha (Debraga and Reisz 1996), having eight characters in which they are less derived than the latter.
A short history of dinosaurian osteocytes.
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1997) Reid, R. E. H. (Robin)
A recent supposed discovery of dinosaurian osteocytes by Fukuda and Obata ( 1993) ignored earlier records from more than 20 dinosaurs, dating back 150 years. Some of the bodies they identified as osteocytes are also more likely to represent chondrocytes.

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