Volume 17 1974

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    Palaeontologia africana Volume 17
    (Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1974)
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    UPPER TRIASSIC INSECTS FROM THE MOLTENO "FORMATION", SOUTH AFRICA.
    (BERNARD PRICE INSTITUTE FOR PALAEONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH, 1974) Riek, E. F.
    Insects are recorded from eight plant fossil localities in the Molteno "Formation", but only heavily sclerotized species (Blattodea and Coleoptera) have been obtained from six of them. A small mecopteron was found at another locality, and only at Birds River, near Dordrecht, has a more diverse fauna, with representatives of the Orthoptera, ?Mantodea, Blattodea, Homoptera and Megaloptera, been obtained. The known fauna is closely comparable with the Triassic faunas of Australia. Thirteen species, nine of which are described as new, are recorded from the Molteno. Six of the new species, and one described species, are referred to Hagla, Mesorthopteron, Triassoblatta, Dysmorphoptiloides and Ademosyne, genera represented in or previously restricted to the Australian Triassic faunas. The new monotypic genera, Prosbolomorpha (type species clara: Homoptera) and Afristella (type species delicatula: Mecoptera), are similar to genera recorded from the Triassic of Australia. Euchauliodes distinctus, gen. et sp. nov., is the earliest known Corydaloidean wing (Megaloptera); it is referred to a new family.
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    A FOSSIL INSECT FROM THE DWYKA SERIES OF RHODESIA
    (BERNARD PRICE INSTITUTE FOR PALAEONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH, 1974) Riek, E. F.
    Hadenlomoides dwykensis, gen. et sp. nov. (Paraplecoptera: Hadentomidael is the oldest recorded insect in the southern hemisphere. It is similar to Hadenlomum americanum from the Upper Carboniferous of North America. The close relationship between these two species tends to support the view that at least part of the Dwyka Series extends below the Permian into the Upper Carboniferous.
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    A NEW SPECIMEN OF PROMOSCHORHYNCHUS PLATYRHINUS BRINK 1954 (MOSCHORHINIDAE) FROM THE DAPTOCEPHALUS-ZONE (UPPER PERMIAN) OF SOUTH AFRICA
    (BERNARD PRICE INSTITUTE FOR PALAEONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH, 1974) Mendrez, Christiane Helene
    The morphology of the skull of Promoschorhynchus platyrhinus (Moschorhinidae) from the Daptocephalus-zone (Upper Permian) of South Africa) is described with special reference to the palate and posterior part of the skull. Promoschorhynchus is compared with Moschorhinus and considered to be a vaild genus mainly differing from Moschorhinus in retaining a longer snout, and in possessing a more primitive morphology of the palatal plates of the premaxillae and vomers. Promoschorhynchus also differs from Moschorhinus in having developed a sharp crista choanalis and a fairly broad epipterygoid. The composition of the South African Moschorhinidae is briefly discussed and is considered temporarily as consisting of five genera: M oJchorhinUJ (.1 = TigriJuchuJ). CerdoPJ, PromoJchorhynchUJ and Hewittia. TigriJuchUJ and MOJchorhinuJ are probably synonyms.
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    SEED-BEARING GLOSSOPTERIS LEAVES
    (BERNARD PRICE INSTITUTE FOR PALAEONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH, 1974) Kovacs-Endrody, E.
    Seeds are commonly known elements of Glossopteris floras. The connection of these seeds to any definite elements in the floras and their systematic position with it has always been uncertain, and they are usually referred to as a group "incertae sedis". Several of these seeds have been described and placed in the genera Cardiocarpus Brongniart, Cordiocarpus Geinitz and Samaropsis Goeppert, specially erected for them. Arber (1905, p . 206) noticed the common occurrence of seeds with Glossopteris leaves, and refers to them without any further conclusion as "A few seeds .. . in association with fronds of Glossopteris broumiana. The seeds are possibly referable to Cardiocarpus".
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    EVOLUTIONARY TRENDS IN TRIASSIC DICYNODONTIA
    (1974) Keyser, A. W.
    Triassic Dicynodontia differ from most of their Permian ancestors in a number of specialisations that reach extremes in the Upper Triassic. These are ( 1) increase in total body size, (2) increase in the relative length of the snout and secondary palate by backward growth of the premaxilla, (3) reduction in the length of the fenestra medio-palatinalis combined with posterior migration out of the choanal depression, (4) shortening and dorsal expansion of the intertemporal region, (5 ) fusion of elements in the front part of the brain-case, (6) posterior migration of the reflected lamina of the mandible, (7) disappearance of the quadrate foramen and the development of a process of the quadrate that extends along the quadrate ramus of the pterygoid. It is thought that the occurrence of the last feature in Dinodontosaurus platygnathw Cox and Jacheleria colorata Bonaparte warrants the transfer of the species platygnathus to the genus Jacheleria and the erection of a new subfamily, Jachelerinae nov. It is concluded that the specialisations of the Triassic forms can be attributed to adaptation to a Dicroidium-dominated flora.
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    CAPITOSAURID AMPHIBIANS FROM THE UPPER LUANGWA VALLEY, ZAMBIA
    (BERNARD PRICE INSTITUTE FOR PALAEONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH, 1974) Chernin, Sharon
    The purpose of this paper is to describe two capitosaur skulls from the Luangwa valley, Zambia. A tentative decision is made assigning the material to Parotosaurus pronus (Howie, 1969). The stratigraphy of the locality in which the material was found and that of the type species is discussed. A possible mechanism for opening the mouth of capitosaurs is put forward, with the qualification of its success depending on the animals being neutrally buoyant.