Volume 09 December 1965

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/handle/10539/14648

Browse

Now showing 1 - 11 of 11

Fossil and subfossil primates from the limestone deposits At Taung, Bolt's farm and Witkrans, South Africa
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1965-12) Freedman, Leonard
A very considerable number of Primate specimens was excavated by the University of California African Expedition from the various deposits at Bolt's farm, Taung and Witkrans, South Africa. These specimens are all now housed in the Museum of Paleontology at the University of California, Berkeley, where they were examined by Dr. H. B. S. Cooke in 1957-1958 and then sent to the writer for description. The remaining fauna and the geology of the sites are discussed in an unpublished paper by Cooke. The most important of the new primate specimens are described and classified below. The measurements used are from Freedman (1957); the photographs are oriented on the occlusal plane.
Miospore zones in Karroo sediments of Tanzania
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1965-12) Hart, George F.
Miospore complexes from Karroo rocks of parts of the Songwe-Kiwira Coalfield and Ketewaka-Mchuchuma Coalfield, Tanzania, are described and correlated one with the other. The complexes are assigned to the lower part of the Permian System.
A new giant hyracoid from the Limeworks Quarry, Makapansgat, Potgietersrus
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1965-12) Kitching, J. W.
In this paper a new genus and species of giant hyrax from the Limeworks Quarry, Makapansgat, Potgietersrus, is described. This new hyrax is 1 1/2 times larger than the largest specimen thus far extracted from any Pleistocene deposit in Africa. The name Cigantohyrax maguirei gen. et sp. nov., is proposed.
A new gomphodont cynodont from the Cynognathus zone of South Africa
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1965-12) Brink, A. S.
This paper describes a somewhat peculiar new gomphodont cynodont from Cynognathus-zone beds of the Karroo System of South Africa. It is a fairly good skull, with lower jaw in position, but lacking the anterior portion of the snout. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that while the posterior portion of the dentary is powerfully expanded in true gomphodont style, the zygomatic arch is very weakly developed, unlike the condition in any of its other cynodont contemporaries. It is described as a new genus and species, Cragievarus kitchingi, generically after the locality Cragievar and specifically after its collector, Mr J. W. Kitching.
A new Ictidosuchid (Scaloposauria) from the Lystrosaurus-zone
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1965-12) Brink, A. S.
This paper describes a specimen recently discovered in Lystrosaurus-zone strata in the Bergville district of Natal. While a contemporary of Scaloposaurus, it has retained much of the general structure of the earlier lctidosuchidae of the Cistecephalus-zone and in a few minor respects it shows affinity with the Therocephalia, beyond the characteristics of the infra-order. The specimen consists of a good skull with lower jaw, the whole pectoral girdle with the right fore limb, and a length of anterior vertebral column with ribs; these are figured as preserved. The skull is additionally figured in three views with distortion corrected. The specimen is identified as a new genus and species, belonging to the family lctidosuchidae of the infra-order Scaloposauria, and the name Olivieria parringtoni is proposed.
A new large Bauriamorph from the Cynognathus-zone of South Africa
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1965-12) Brink, A. S.
The specimen forming the subject of this paper is the anterior two-thirds of a very large Bauria skull. It is described as a new species, Bauria robusta. It is pointed out that the skull is perhaps as much as 20 per cent larger than the largest known specimen of Bauria cynops, which in turn is about 15 per cent larger than the average of all other known specimens of the genotype. Many of the measurements are derived from reconstructed figures and if these measurements should prove to be less, the new skull would undoubtedly prove to be proportionally different, in which case its recognition as a new species would be more substantial. The features on which the specimen can at present be recognised as a new species are size, the greater number of cheek teeth (11 as compared with 9 in B. cynops), the weaker canines and the absence of an interpterygoid vacuity.
Notes on some chalicothere remains from Makapansgat
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1965-12) Webb, G. L.
This paper deals with the South African chalicothere remains from Makapansgat, Potgietersrus, with mention of those from Serengeti described by Dietrich. From Makapansgat there are 12 post-cranial remains comprising 2 terminal phalanges, 1 intermediate phalanx, 1 co-ossified phalanx, 1 carpal or tarsal bone, 2 metacarpals, 2 tibiae, 2 innominates and 1 scapula: and 74 cranial remains . This latter figure is made up of 45 isolated teeth, of which 36 are upper teeth and 9 are lower teeth, 7 maxillary fragments and 22 mandibular fragments. The South African form, classified as Metaschizotherium transvaalensis is compared with the American forms Moropus elatus and Moropus petersoni and is found to resemble more closely in size M. elatus . The reasons for retaining the classification of M. transvaalensis are given and discussed. Finally the relationship of the Makapansgat specimens to the osteodontokeratic culture is discussed.
On two new specimens of Lystrosaurus-zone cynodonts
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1965-12) Brink, A. S.
In this paper the skulls of two new specimens of Lystrosaurus-zone cynodonts are described. One is a skull of Notictosaurus luckhoffi Broom, and it is pointed out that the other two species, N. gracilis and N. trigonocephalus, are respectively the young and the adult of the genotype. N. gracilis was described on only one small skull amongst more than three skulls and skeletons intimately associated in one block with the skull and skeleton of the adult, only the skull of which was subsequently described as N. trigonocephalus. At the time of description this block was in different fragments and the authors of the new species were not conscious of their association. The second new specimen is a close ally, but different enough to be recognised as a separate genus. While it cannot satisfactorily be contrasted with Cynosuchoides whaitsi, it is identified and described as belonging to this genus and species. Our knowledge thus far of this form is based on one imperfectly preserved skull.
Palaeontologia africana Volume 9
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1965-12)
The Rubidge Collection of fossil Karroo vertebrates
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1965-12) Haughton, S. H.
Wherever palaeontologists interested in fossils from the strata of the Karroo system discuss the systematics and evolutionary importance of Permian and Triassic vertebrates they perforce have to consider the facts that have been revealed by studies of the hundreds of specimens forming what is known as the "Rubidge Collection".
Zur nomenklatur und verbreitung des genus Dinofelis zdansky, 1924 (Therailurus Piveteau, 1948)
(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1965-12) Mainz, Von Helmut Hemmer
Dinofelis abeli Zdansky 1924 and the species of the genus Therailurus Piveteau 1948 belong to the same genus (Dinofelis). The most primitive species concerning the specialisation of the teeth is Dinofelis diastemata (Astre 1929), the most evolved is Dinofelis piveteaui (Ewer 1955) and by parallel evolution Dinofelis abeli Zdansky 1924. D. diastemata-D. barlowi-D. piveteaui form a connected succession whilst D. abeli takes a more isolated place.