Palaeontologia africana

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ISSN (print): 0078-8554 ISSN (electronic): 2410-4418 For queries regarding content of Palaeontologia africana collections please contact Jonah Choiniere by email : jonah.choiniere@wits.ac.za or Tel : 011 717 6684

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End date: 2001Subject: search.filters.subject.Plio-Pleistocene

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    Superior cervical vertebrae of a Miocene hominoid and a Plio-Pleistocene hominid from southern Africa
    (Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 2000) Gommery, Dominique
    The Miocene hominoid and Plio-Pleistocene hominid vertebral record is poor. In 1994, a complete atlas of a hominoid was found in breccia at Berg Aukas in Namibia. Its age was estimated to be middle Miocene (13 myr) on the basis of microfauna. This locality yielded the holotype of Otavipithecus namibiensis and the atlas could belong to the same genus. The specimen exhibits clear hominoid traits such as a weakly salient retroglenoid tubercle at the superior articular facet of the lateral mass, and a horizontal transverse process. This morphology of the transverse process is close to that of pygmy chimpanzees, gibbons and African colobines, suggesting that Otavipithecus was arboreal. This confirms the conclusions drawn from other parts of the skeleton. From the size of the atlas, a body weight of 15-20 kg is estimated for the Berg Aukas hominoid, which accords with previous estimates based on its teeth. The second fossil considered in this paper is an axis from Swartkrans, SK 854, dated to nearly 1,8 myr. This axis is compared with another Plio-Pleistocene axis from Ethiopia, AL 333.101. SK 854 shows a morphology different from that of humans and AL 333.101, and also of apes. The South African axis was attributed to Paranthropus by Robinson (1972), and its morphology is probably typical of bipedalism associated with climbing.
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    New evidence of the Giant Hyaena, Pachycrocuta brevirostris (Carnivora, Hyaenidae), from the Gladysvale Cave deposit (Plio-pleistocene, John Nash Nature Reserve, Gauteng, South Africa)
    (Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 2001) Mutter, Raoul J; Berger, Lee R; Schmid, Peter
    A well preserved cranium which represents the most complete skull of Pachycrocuta brevirostris (Carnivora, Hyaenidae) discovered in Africa, and a maxillary fragment from the Gladysvale Cave Deposit (John Nash Nature Reserve, Gauteng, South Africa) are described and compared to other fossil and extant hyaenid specimens from South Africa and Europe. In addition, some aspects of functional morphology in the hyaenid dentition are reconsidered and suggested to be directly related to the palaeoecological role of P. brevirostris.
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    Locomotor and habitat classifications of cercopithecoid postcranial material from Sterkfontein Member 4, Bolt's Farm and Swartkrans Members 1 and 2, South Africa
    (Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 2001) Elton, Sarah
    Much southern African cercopithecoid postcranial material is not associated with craniodental remains. Consequently, this postcranial material cannot be confidently assigned to a particular taxon, with the result that little is known about the locomotor strategies and habitat preferences of specific Plio-Pleistocene cercopithecoids from southern Africa. However, cercopithecoid postcrania can provide important information about habitats that were present at fossil sites, even when the material is not attributed to taxa. In this paper, ecomorphic analysis is used to assign cercopithecoid postcranial material from Sterkfontein Member 4, Bolt's Farm and Swartkrans Members 1 and 2 to one of three habitat/locomotor categories: forest-living arboreal quadrupeds (‘forest arboreal'), open habitat terrestrial quadrupeds (‘open terrestrial') and open habitat cercopithecoids using a mix of arboreal and terrestrial quadrupedalism (‘open mixed'). Cercopithecoids representing all three habitat categories were found in the samples from Sterkfontein Member 4 and Bolt' s Farm, suggesting that monkeys using a range of habitats and locomotor strategies were present at these sites. However, no 'forest arboreal' cercopithecoids were found in the samples from Swartkrans Members 1 and 2, indicating that cercopithecoids at these localities probably depended largely on open habitats. The habitat and locomotor strategy data were also used in combination with locality-based listings of fossil cercopithecoid craniodental remains to suggest possible locomotor strategies for several southern African Plio-Pleistocene cercopithecoid taxa, including Parapapio broomi (possibly 'forest arboreal'), Parapapio jonesi (‘open terrestrial'), Papio robinsoni (‘open terrestrial') and Cercopithecoides williamsi (‘open mixed').
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    Undescribed suid remains from Bolt's Farm and other Transvaal cave deposits
    (Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1993) Cooke, H B S
    Although individual suid specimens from other sites have been described, only Makapansgat has been treated comprehensively, but much new material has come to light in the past three decades. The University of California African Expedition worked several sites of different ages at Bolt's Farm and the material recovered includes a virtually complete, slightly compressed, skull of Phacochoerus modestus (= P. antiquus Broom 1948) from Pit 3, associated with Antidorcas recki, and also several cranial and dental fragments from Pit 14 that belong to the typical Makapansgat Potamochoeroides shawi. Bolt's Farm was the source of a cranial specimen described by Broom as "Notochoerus meadowsi" (= Metridiochoerus andrewsi); other specimens referred to this taxon and described by Shaw as from "Sterkfontein Lime Works" more probably came from Bolt's Farm as well. Broom's cranium and a pair of mandibles have closer resemblances to Metridiochoerus jacksoni of East Africa. Swartkrans has yielded both described and undescribed material referred to Phacochoerus modestus and to Metridiochoerus. Discounting Shaw's material, only one small specimen has come from the Sterkfontein Type Site, a mandible fragment of a juvenile with an incompletely formed third molar in alveolus but it can be matched remarkably closely with a specimen from Makapansgat and there is very little doubt that it belongs to Potamochoeroides shawi. An undescribed third molar from the pink breccia at Makapansgat is comparable with early Notochoerus scotti from East Africa. The status of Notochoerus capensis is reconsidered.
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    Fossil proboscidean remains from Bolt's Farm and other Transvaal cave breccias
    (Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1993) Cooke, H B S
    Proboscidean remains are very rare in the Transvaal cave breccias and the few specimens recovered are generally fragmentary but deserve description because of their potential value in correlation and dating. The best specimen is the back half of a left lower molar from Pit 7 of the University of California African Expedition's work at Bolt's Farm. It was regarded by Maglio as representing Elephas ekorensis but closer examination suggests that there are some more progressive characters and it most likely represents Elephas recki brumpti. The stump of a second molar from Bolt's farm also accords with this taxon. Makapansgat has furnished 14 fragmentary fossils, 6 of them tusk or root remains. Particularly interesting is the occurrence of a pair of cones from a molar of Anancus. The scrappy elephantid material from Makapansgat may be referred tentatively to an early stage of the Elephas recki lineage, as also a mandible fragment from Sterkfontein with the two anterior milk teeth. An anterior milk tooth from Swartkrans Member 3 exhibits broader and higher lamellae than in E. recki and most probably belongs to the more advanced E. iolensis to which most of the Vaal River elephants have been referred.
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    Taxonomic description of fossil wood from Cainozoic Sak River terraces, near Brandvlei, Bushmanland, South Africa
    (Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1993) Bamford, Marion K; de Wit, Michiel C J
    Seven pieces of silicified wood are described from two sites near the Sak River, Bushmanland. The Miocene deposit yielded five specimens which can be assigned to the Dipterocarpaceae, Fagaceae, Myrtaceae, Oleaceae and Rutaceae. Of the two logs recovered from the Plio-Pleistocene deposit, only one was well enough preserved to be assigned to the Polygalaceae. All the woods indicate that the palaeoenvironment in that region was tropical to subtropical based on the wood structure, growth rings and from their modem counterparts.