Palaeontologia africana
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ISSN (print): 0078-8554
ISSN (electronic): 2410-4418
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Item Superior cervical vertebrae of a Miocene hominoid and a Plio-Pleistocene hominid from southern Africa(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 2000) Gommery, DominiqueThe 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.Item The Neogene rhinoceroses of Namibia(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 2000) Guerin, ClaudeSince 1991 the Namibia Palaeontology Expedition has excavated four Miocene sites in the Sperrgebiet, three of which (Arrisdrift, Fiskus and Auchas Mine) are new. Only the material from Arrisdrift and a single bone from Langental are specifically determinable. All but one of the 81 rhinocerotid fossils from Arrisdrift constitute a homogeneous sample pertaining to a very large species of cursorial rhino. The exception is an isolated magnum which suggests a small to medium-sized short legged form, perhaps Chilotheridium pattersoni. A magnum from Langental probably represents Brachypotherium heinzelini. The large form from Arrisdrift seems to be the largest of the Miocene African Rhinos; the size and proportions of the metapodials and the other limb bones suggest an analogy with Diceros gr. pachygnathus-neumayri of the Upper Miocene of the Near East; the type of construction of the upper cheek teeth, namely die fourth premolar, is of Dicerotine type and presents, as do the dimensions, close resemblances with Diceros douariensis of the Upper Miocene of North Africa and Italy; the mandible shows analogies with the Dicerotines, especially the apparently short symphysis. This Rhino is Diceros australis nov. sp., so far the oldest known species of the subfamily.Item New Viverrinae (Carnivora: Mammalia) from the basal Middle Miocene of Arrisdrift, Namibia(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 2001) Morales, Jorge; Pickford, Martin; Soria, Dolores; Fraile, SusanA new genus and species of viverrid of modern type, Orangic!is gariepensis, is described from the basal Middle Miocene locality of Arrisdrift in southern Namibia. It is the earliest known representative of the subfamily Viverrinae from Africa. Detailed examination of the mongoose-like carnivores of the early Miocene of Africa, hitherto all assigned to the family Viverridae, reveals that none of them are related to this group.Item Carboniferous pycnoxylic woods from the Dwyka Group of southern Namibia(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 2001) Bangert, Berthold; Bamford, Marion KGlacial deposits of the Dwyka Group between Keetmanshoop and Mariental in southern Namibia have been reinvestigated for palaeontological remains and associated tuff horizons in an attempt to accurately date the deposits. SHRIMP-based dating of juvenile zircons from these tuff horizons provide ages which cumulate in the latest Carboniferous (Gzelian). The pycnoxylic woods Megaporoxylon scherziKrausel and Megaporoxylon kaokense Krausel are described in detail for the first time and are compared with similar permineralised woods from Gondwana. Based on previous fossil wood studies covering the rocks of the main Karoo Basin, these species occur only in the Dwyka and lower Ecca Groups in southern Africa and do not extend to the upper Ecca Group.Item A review of the Stormberg Group and Drakensberg volcanics in southern Africa(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, 1984) Visser, J. N. J.The Molteno Sandstone, Red Beds and Cave Sandstone comprising the Stormberg Group (siliciclastics) in South Africa and their correlatives, based on lithology, depositio- nal environments and tectonic cycles, in Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia are described. The Drakensberg Volcanics with radiometric ages of 114 My to 194 My cap the sedimen- tary sequence. A major unconformity separates the Stormberg sedimentary rocks from the lower Karoo strata. Four Late Triassic depositional basins which were tectonically controlled are recognised. The Molteno Sandstone and Red Beds filling these basins represent braided and meandering stream deposits respectively. The Cave Sandstone covering the fluvial deposits formed as desert sand sheets reworked by westerly winds. Deposition was ended by the outpouring of the Drakensberg Volcanics.Item Dicynodont postcrania from the Triassic of Namibia and their implication for the systematics of Kannemeyeriiforme dicynodonts(Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, University of the Witwatersrand, 2009-12) Govender, Romala; Yates, AdamRecent years have seen a renewed interest in the postcranial anatomy of Triassic dicynodonts from Africa. This study investigates the previously undescribed dicynodont postcrania from the Omingonde Formation of Namibia. Two valid dicynodont species, based upon crania, are known from this formation: Dolichuranus primaevus and Kannemeyeria lophorhinus. Dolichuranus displays a primitive generalized cranial anatomy that has made it difficult to place in Triassic dicynodont phylogeny. Some of the postcranial specimens can be positively identified as D. primaevus on the basis that they were associated with skulls of this species. Two scapula morphologies can be distinguished among the postcranial specimens that are not positively associated with diagnostic cranial remains. One of these shares similarities with the scapula of Kannemeyeria simocephalus from South Africa and is provisionally referred to K. lophorhinus. The other displays unusual characters such as the absence of an acromion and a tubercle on the lateral surface of the scapula at the level where the acromion would be expected. Inclusion of the new postcranial data in a cladistic analysis of Triassic dicynodonts resolves the position of D. primaevus as a member of Sinokannemeyeriidae. It also causes an enigmatic unnamed postcranial taxon from equivalently aged beds in South Africa to fall within the Sinokannemeyeriidae. These results highlight the importance of including postcranial data in analyses of Triassic dicynodont relationships.