Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone

Last updated
Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone
Stratigraphic range: Late Permian
Tropidostoma.png
Tropidostoma microtrema
Type Biozone
Unit ofLower Teekloof Formation, Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group
Underlies Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone
Overlies Pristerognathus Assemblage Zone
Thicknessup to 787.402 feet (240 m)
Location
Region Northern, Western & Eastern Cape
CountryFlag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Extent Karoo Basin
Type section
Named for Tropidostoma microtrema
Named byKeyster & Smith
Year defined1978-79

The Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod assemblage zone or biozone which correlates to the lower Teekloof Formation, Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group, a fossiliferous and geologically important geological Group of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. [1] The thickest outcrops, reaching approximately 240 metres (790 ft), occur from east of Sutherland through to Beaufort West and Victoria West, to areas south of Graaff-Reinet. Its northernmost exposures occur west/north-west of Colesberg. The Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone is the fourth biozone of the Beaufort Group. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

The name of the biozone refers to Tropidostoma microtrema , a herbivorous dicynodont therapsid. This biozone is characterized by the presence of this species in association with another dicynodont species, Endothiodon uniseries .

History

The first fossils to be found in the Beaufort Group rocks that encompass the current eight biozones were discovered by Andrew Geddes Bain in 1856. [5] However, it was not until 1892 that it was observed that the geological strata of the Beaufort Group could be differentiated based on their fossil taxa. The initial undertaking was done by Harry Govier Seeley who subdivided the Beaufort Group into three biozones, [6] which he named (from oldest to youngest):

These proposed biozones Seeley named were subdivided further by Robert Broom between 1906 and 1909. [7] Broom proposed the following biozones (from oldest to youngest):

The current stratigraphic range of the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone was previously included within the Endothiodon beds ascribed by Broom. Decades later between the 1970s and early 1990s, Keyser and Smith [8] [9] [10] [11] collaborated on several field trips into known outcrop areas in order to re-evaluate the fossil biostratigraphy. After relevant fossil taxa data had been collected, the biozone was renamed the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone due to the discovery that Tropidostoma fossils were only found within the confines of a certain area.

Lithology

The Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone correlates with the lower Teekloof Formation, Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group. This biozone is considered to be early Late Permian in age. The rock composition of this biozone is dominated by mudstones and siltstones, ranging from greenish-grey, grey, and dark reddish brown in colour. [12] The mudstones and siltstones, measuring approximately 3 m thick in most outcrops and exposures, frequently contain calcareous or micritic nodule horizons and rhizocretions. Sheet-type single-storied channel sandstones are also found, the lower portion of the biozone often containing fining upward sequences. Calcium carbonate precipitation crusts and gypsumdesert rose” crystals have been uncovered in the sandstone layers. [13] [14]

The preserved rocks show that the depositional environment of this biozone was formed in a lacustrine and overbank environment, which flowed northwards in long, meandering rivers. This low energy environment is conducive for preferential deposition of finer sediment types which formed the mudstone and siltstone deposits. However, the climate was seasonally dry due to the presence of calcium carbonate precipitation in the sandstones. Coarser clastic material was only deposited during seasonal floods. The meandering rivers flowed from a foreland basin that was being formed from the rising of the Gondwanide mountains in the south. The Gondwanides were the result of crustal uplift that had previously begun to take course due to tectonic activity. The pressure of the growing Gondwanides mountain chain caused the formation of the Karoo Basin where the deposits of the Tropidostoma Assemblage zone, and all other succeeding assemblage zone deposits, were deposited over tens of millions of years. [15] [16]

Paleontology

Vertebrate fossils of the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone are predominantly found in the thick mudstone and siltstone sequences. [17] Fossils are often encrusted within the calcareous or micritic nodules. The biozone is characterized by the presence of Tropidostoma in association with Endothiodon . However, the occurrence of these taxa are fairly rare in this biozone and their presence is characterized together with the more numerous fossils of the dicynodont species Pristerodon and Diictodon . Diictodon fossils are particularly ubiquitous in this biozone with isolated skull and post-cranial material being most commonly found. In the lower deposits, complete fossil skeletons of Diictodon are more commonly found, often in pairs and curled up together. [18] These intriguing paired Diictodon fossils are invariably recovered from the bottom of helical burrow casts, which have been attributed to Diictodon . The helical burrows - a generally accepted feature of the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone - are vertical, spiralling tubes measuring just under 1 m in length. The burrows are found infilled with either fine sandstone or siltstone with calcareous concretions. The burrows were likely infilled during single flood events, suddenly trapping and burying the Diictodon pairs inside alive. [19] This provides an explanation for the near perfect preservation of the Diictodon pairs found in the burrow casts.

Other notable fossil material from the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone includes the first appearance of larger gorgonopsid species such as Lycaenops ornatus , Cyonosaurus longiceps , and Gorgonops torvus . [20] It is noted that gorgonopsians take over from the basal therocephalians as the top predators from this biozone through to the end of the Permian period. However, smaller therocephalian species such as Ictidosuchoides longiceps remained present. [21] The cynodont species Procynosuchus delaharpeae has been recovered from the upper sections of this biozone. [22] Dicynodont species diversified greatly in this biozone, a speciation trend that continued with this group until the end of the Permian period. [23] [24] [25] [26] A pareiasaur species, Pareiasaurus serridens , [27] various subspecies of the temnospondyl amphibian Rhinesuchus , [28] [29] [30] the fishes Namaichthys and Atherstonia, and fossil plant material of Glossopteris and Dadoxylon have been found. Finally, vertebrate burrows left by Diictodon as previously discussed, vertebrate trackways left by various therapsid species, and coprolites [31] have been recovered.

Related Research Articles

<i>Robertia</i> Extinct genus of dicynodonts

Robertia is an extinct genus of small herbivorous dicynodonts from the Middle to Late Permian of South Africa, between 260 and 265 million years ago. It is a monospecific genus, consisting of the type-species R. broomiana, which was classified by Lieuwe Dirk Boonstra in 1948 and named in honor of Robert Broom for his study of South African mammal-like reptiles.

<i>Diictodon</i> Extinct genus of dicynodonts

Diictodon is an extinct genus of pylaecephalid dicynodont. These mammal-like synapsids lived during the Late Permian period, approximately 255 million years ago. Fossils have been found in the Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone of the Madumabisa Mudstone of the Luangwa Basin in Zambia and the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone of the Teekloof Formation, Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone of the Abrahamskraal Formation, Dicynodon Assemblage Zone of the Balfour Formation, Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone of the Middleton or Balfour Formation of South Africa and the Guodikeng Formation of China. Roughly half of all Permian vertebrate specimens found in South Africa are those of Diictodon. This small herbivorous animal was one of the most successful synapsids in the Permian period.

Beaufort Group Third of the main subdivisions of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa

The Beaufort Group is the third of the main subdivisions of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. It is composed of a lower Adelaide Subgroup and an upper Tarkastad Subgroup. It follows conformably after the Ecca Group and unconformably underlies the Stormberg Group. Based on stratigraphic position, lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic correlations, palynological analyses, and other means of geological dating, the Beaufort Group rocks are considered to range between Middle Permian (Wordian) to Early Triassic (Anisian) in age.

<i>Dinogorgon</i> Extinct genus of therapsids

Dinogorgon is a genus of gorgonopsid from the Late Permian of South Africa and Tanzania. The generic name Dinogorgon is derived from Greek, meaning "terrible gorgon", while its species name rubidgei is taken from the surname of renowned Karoo paleontologist, Professor Bruce Rubidge, who has contributed to much of the research conducted on therapsids of the Karoo Basin. The type species of the genus is D. rubidgei.

<i>Tapinocephalus</i> Assemblage Zone

The Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod assemblage zone or biozone which correlates to the middle Abrahamskraal Formation, Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group, a fossiliferous and geologically important geological Group of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. The thickest outcrops, reaching approximately 2,000 metres (6,600 ft), occur from Merweville and Leeu-Gamka in its southernmost exposures, from Sutherland through to Beaufort West where outcrops start to only be found in the south-east, north of Oudshoorn and Willowmore, reaching up to areas south of Graaff-Reinet. Its northernmost exposures occur around the towns Fraserburg and Victoria West. The Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone is the second biozone of the Beaufort Group.

<i>Cistecephalus</i> Assemblage Zone

The Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod assemblage zone or biozone found in the Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group, a majorly fossiliferous and geologically important geological group of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. This biozone has outcrops located in the Teekloof Formation north-west of Beaufort West in the Western Cape, in the upper Middleton and lower Balfour Formations respectively from Colesberg of the Northern Cape to east of Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape. The Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone is one of eight biozones found in the Beaufort Group, and is considered to be Late Permian in age.

<i>Daptocephalus</i> Assemblage Zone

The Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod assemblage zone or biozone found in the Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group, a majorly fossiliferous and geologically important geological Group of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. This biozone has outcrops located in the upper Teekloof Formation west of 24°E, the majority of the Balfour Formation east of 24°E, and the Normandien Formation in the north. It has numerous localities which are spread out from Colesberg in the Northern Cape, Graaff-Reniet to Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, and from Bloemfontein to Harrismith in the Free State. The Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone is one of eight biozones found in the Beaufort Group and is considered Late Permian (Lopingian) in age. Its contact with the overlying Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone marks the Permian-Triassic boundary.

<i>Lystrosaurus</i> Assemblage Zone

The Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod assemblage zone or biozone which correlates to the upper Adelaide and lower Tarkastad Subgroups of the Beaufort Group, a fossiliferous and geologically important geological Group of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. This biozone has outcrops in the south central Eastern Cape and in the southern and northeastern Free State. The Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone is one of eight biozones found in the Beaufort Group, and is considered to be Early Triassic in age.

<i>Cynognathus</i> Assemblage Zone Biozone which correlates to the Burgersdorp Formation of the Beaufort Group

The Cynognathus Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod biozone utilized in the Karoo Basin of South Africa. It is equivalent to the Burgersdorp Formation, the youngest lithostratigraphic formation in the Beaufort Group, which is part of the fossiliferous and geologically important Karoo Supergroup. The Cynognathus Assemblage Zone is the youngest of the eight biozones found in the Beaufort Group, and is considered to be late Early Triassic (Olenekian) to early Middle Triassic (Anisian) in age. The name of the biozone refers to Cynognathus crateronotus, a large and carnivorous cynodont therapsid which occurs throughout the entire biozone.

<i>Pristerognathus</i> Assemblage Zone

The Pristerognathus Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod assemblage zone or biozone which correlates to the upper Abrahamskraal Formation and lowermost Teekloof Formation, Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group, a fossiliferous and geologically important geological Group of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. The thickest outcrops, reaching not more than 300 metres (980 ft), occur just east of Sutherland through to Beaufort West in the south and Victoria West in the north. Exposures are also found west of Colesberg and south of Graaff-Reinet. The Pristerognathus Assemblage Zone is the third biozone of the Beaufort Group.

<i>Eodicynodon</i> Assemblage Zone

The Eodicynodon Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod assemblage zone or biozone which correlates to the Abrahamskraal Formation, Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group, a fossiliferous and geologically important geological Group of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. The thickest outcrops, reaching approximately 620 metres (2,030 ft), occur south-east of Sutherland, north of Prince Albert, and south-east of Beaufort West. The Eodicynodon Assemblage Zone is the lowermost biozone of the Beaufort Group.

Brachyprosopus is an extinct genus of dicynodont therapsid from the middle Permian Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone in the Abrahamskraal Formation belonging to the Beaufort Group of the Karoo Basin, South Africa.

<i>Tropidostoma</i> Extinct genus of dicynodonts

Tropidostoma is a medium-sized herbivorous oudenodontid dicynodont therapsid that lived during the Late Permian (Lopingian) period in South Africa. The first Tropidostoma fossil was described by Harry Govier Seeley in 1889. Later two subspecies were identified. Tropidostoma fossils are an index fossil in a biozone of the Karoo Basin known as the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone. This biozone is characterized by the presence of this species in association with another dicynodont species, Endothiodon uniseries.

Pylaecephalidae Extinct family of dicynodonts

Pylaecephalidae is a family of dicynodont therapsids that includes Diictodon, Robertia, and Prosictodon from the Permian of South Africa. Pylaecephalids were small burrowing dicynodonts with long tusks. The family was first named in 1934 and was redefined in 2009. Diictodontidae and Robertiidae are considered junior synonyms of Pylaecephalidae.

Abrahamskraal Formation Geological formation of the Beaufort Group in South Africa

The Abrahamskraal Formation is a geological formation and is found in numerous localities in the Northern Cape, Western Cape, and the Eastern Cape of South Africa. It is the lowermost formation of the Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group, a major geological group that forms part of the greater Karoo Supergroup. It represents the first fully terrestrial geological deposits of the Karoo Basin. Outcrops of the Abrahamskraal Formation are found from the small town Middelpos in its westernmost localities, then around Sutherland, the Moordenaarskaroo north of Laingsburg, Williston, Fraserburg, Leeu-Gamka, Loxton, and Victoria West in the Western Cape and Northern Cape. In the Eastern Cape outcrops are known from Rietbron, north of Klipplaat and Grahamstown, and also southwest of East London.

<i>Bulbasaurus</i> Extinct genus of dicynodonts

Bulbasaurus is an extinct genus of dicynodont that is known from the Lopingian epoch of the Late Permian period of what is now South Africa, containing the type and only species B. phylloxyron. It was formerly considered as belonging to Tropidostoma; however, due to numerous differences from Tropidostoma in terms of skull morphology and size, it has been reclassified the earliest known member of the family Geikiidae, and the only member of the group known from the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone. Within the Geikiidae, it has been placed close to Aulacocephalodon, although a more basal position is not implausible.

<i>Leucocephalus</i> Extinct genus of therapsids

Leucocephalus is a genus of biarmosuchian belonging to the family Burnetiidae dating to the Wuchiapingian. It was found in the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone of the Main Karoo Basin of South Africa. It is a monotypic taxon which contains one only species, Leucocephalus wewersi. The genus name Leucocephalus is derived from Greek. Leucos, meaning white; kephalos, meaning skull, as the Leucocephalus skull discovered was unusually pale. The species epithet wewersi comes from the farm employee who found the skull, Klaus ‘Klaasie’ Wewers.

Balfour Formation Geological formation in the Beaufort Group of South Africa

The Balfour Formation is a geological formation that is found in the Beaufort Group, a major geological group that forms part of the greater Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. The Balfour Formation is the uppermost formation of the Adelaide Subgroup which contains all the Late Permian-aged biozones of the Beaufort Group. Outcrops and exposures of the Balfour Formation are found from east of 24 degrees in the highest mountainous escarpments between Beaufort West and Fraserburg, but most notably in the Winterberg and Sneeuberg mountain ranges near Cradock, the Baviaanskloof river valley, Graaff-Reniet and Nieu Bethesda in the Eastern Cape, and in the southern Free State province.

Katberg Formation Geological formation in the Beaufort Group of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa

The Katberg Formation is a geological formation that is found in the Beaufort Group, a major geological group that forms part of the greater Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. The Katberg Formation is the lowermost geological formation of the Tarkastad Subgroup which contains the Lower to Middle Triassic-aged rocks of the Beaufort Group. Outcrops and exposures of the Katberg Formation are found east of 24 degrees on wards and north of Graaff-Reniet, Nieu Bethesda, Cradock, Fort Beaufort, Queensdown, and East London in the south, and ranges as far north as Harrismith in deposits that form a ring around the Drakensberg mountain ranges.

Teekloof Formation Late Permian geological formation that forms part of the Beaufort Group of South Africa

The Teekloof Formation is a geological formation that forms part of the Beaufort Group, one of the five geological groups that comprises the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. The Teekloof Formation is the uppermost formation of Adelaide Subgroup deposits West of 24ºE and contains Middle to Late Permian-aged deposits and four biozones of the Beaufort Group. It overlies the Abrahamskraal Formation. The Teekloof Formation does not underlie other units other than the younger Karoo dolerites and sills that relate to the emplacement of the Early Jurassic Drakensberg Group to the east. Outcrops and exposures of the Teekloof Formation range from Sutherland through the mountain escarpments between Fraserburg and Beaufort West. The northernmost localities of the Teekloof Formation are found by Loxton, Victoria West and Richmond.

References

  1. Rubidge, B. S. (ed.) 1995b. Biostratigraphy of the Beaufort Group (Karoo Supergroup). South African Committee of Stratigraphy. Biostratigraphic Series 1. Pretoria, Council for Geoscience.
  2. Hancox, P.J; Rubidge, B.S (2001-01-01). "Breakthroughs in the biodiversity, biogeography, biostratigraphy, and basin analysis of the Beaufort group". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 33 (3–4): 563–577. Bibcode:2001JAfES..33..563H. doi:10.1016/S0899-5362(01)00081-1. ISSN   1464-343X.
  3. Rubidge, Bruce S.; Day, Michael O.; Barbolini, Natasha; Hancox, P. John; Choiniere, Jonah N.; Bamford, Marion K.; Viglietti, Pia A.; McPhee, Blair W.; Jirah, Sifelani (2016), "Advances in Nonmarine Karoo Biostratigraphy: Significance for Understanding Basin Development", Origin and Evolution of the Cape Mountains and Karoo Basin, Springer International Publishing, pp. 141–149, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-40859-0_14, ISBN   9783319408583
  4. van der Walt, Merrill; Day, Michael; Rubidge, Bruce; Cooper, Antony; Netterberg, Inge (2010-12-31). "A new GIS-based biozone map of the Beaufort Group (Karoo Supergroup), South Africa". Palaeontologia Africana. 45: 1–6.
  5. Bain, Andrew Geddes (1845-02-01). "On the Discovery of the Fossil Remains of Bidental and other Reptiles in South Africa". Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society. 1 (1): 317–318. doi:10.1144/GSL.JGS.1845.001.01.72. hdl:2027/uc1.c034667778. ISSN   0370-291X. S2CID   128602890.
  6. Seeley, H. G. (1895). "Researches on the Structure, Organization, and Classification of the Fossil Reptilia. Part IX., Section 4. On the Gomphodontia". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B. 186: 1–57. doi: 10.1098/rstb.1895.0001 . JSTOR   91793.
  7. Broom, R. (January 1906). "V.—On the Permian and Triassic Faunas of South Africa". Geological Magazine. 3 (1): 29–30. Bibcode:1906GeoM....3...29B. doi:10.1017/S001675680012271X. ISSN   1469-5081. S2CID   129265956.
  8. W., Keyser, A. (1973). "A RE-EVALUATION OF THE GENUS TROPIDOSTOMA SEELEY". Palaeontologia Africana. ISSN   0078-8554.
  9. Keyser, A.W. and Smith, R.M.H., 1978. Vertebrate biozonation of the Beaufort Group with special reference to the western Karoo Basin. Geological Survey, Department of Mineral And Energy Affairs, Republic of South Africa.
  10. Keyser, A.W., 1979. A review of the biostratigraphy of the Beaufort Group in the Karoo Basin of South Africa. Geocongress, Geological Society of South Africa, 2, pp.13-31.
  11. Smith, Roger M. H. (1993). "Vertebrate Taphonomy of Late Permian Floodplain Deposits in the Southwestern Karoo Basin of South Africa". PALAIOS. 8 (1): 45–67. Bibcode:1993Palai...8...45S. doi:10.2307/3515221. JSTOR   3515221.
  12. Rubidge, B. S. (ed.) 1995b. Biostratigraphy of the Beaufort Group (Karoo Supergroup). South African Committee of Stratigraphy. Biostratigraphic Series 1. Pretoria, Council for Geoscience.
  13. Smith, Roger M.H. (1987-01-01). "Helical burrow casts of therapsid origin from the Beaufort Group (Permian) of South Africa". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 60: 155–169. Bibcode:1987PPP....60..155S. doi:10.1016/0031-0182(87)90030-7. ISSN   0031-0182.
  14. Viglietti, Pia A.; Smith, Roger M.H.; Angielczyk, Kenneth D.; Kammerer, Christian F.; Fröbisch, Jörg; Rubidge, Bruce S. (2016-01-01). "The Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone (Lopingian), South Africa: A proposed biostratigraphy based on a new compilation of stratigraphic ranges". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 113: 153–164. Bibcode:2016JAfES.113..153V. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2015.10.011. ISSN   1464-343X.
  15. Hancox, P.J; Rubidge, B.S (2001-01-01). "Breakthroughs in the biodiversity, biogeography, biostratigraphy, and basin analysis of the Beaufort group". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 33 (3–4): 563–577. Bibcode:2001JAfES..33..563H. doi:10.1016/S0899-5362(01)00081-1. ISSN   1464-343X.
  16. Rubidge, Bruce S.; Day, Michael O.; Barbolini, Natasha; Hancox, P. John; Choiniere, Jonah N.; Bamford, Marion K.; Viglietti, Pia A.; McPhee, Blair W.; Jirah, Sifelani (2016), "Advances in Nonmarine Karoo Biostratigraphy: Significance for Understanding Basin Development", Origin and Evolution of the Cape Mountains and Karoo Basin, Springer International Publishing, pp. 141–149, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-40859-0_14, ISBN   9783319408583
  17. Rubidge, B. S. (ed.) 1995b. Biostratigraphy of the Beaufort Group (Karoo Supergroup). South African Committee of Stratigraphy. Biostratigraphic Series 1. Pretoria, Council for Geoscience.
  18. Smith, Roger M.H. (1987-01-01). "Helical burrow casts of therapsid origin from the Beaufort Group (Permian) of South Africa". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 60: 155–169. Bibcode:1987PPP....60..155S. doi:10.1016/0031-0182(87)90030-7. ISSN   0031-0182.
  19. Smith, Roger M. H. (1993). "Vertebrate Taphonomy of Late Permian Floodplain Deposits in the Southwestern Karoo Basin of South Africa". PALAIOS. 8 (1): 45–67. Bibcode:1993Palai...8...45S. doi:10.2307/3515221. JSTOR   3515221.
  20. Sidor, Christian A.; Smith, Roger M. H. (2007-06-12). "A second burnetiamorph therapsid from the Permian Teekloof Formation of South Africa and its associated fauna". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27 (2): 420–430. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[420:asbtft]2.0.co;2. ISSN   0272-4634. S2CID   86173425.
  21. ABDALA, FERNANDO; RUBIDGE, BRUCE S.; van den HEEVER, JURI (2008-07-01). "The Oldest Therocephalians (Therapsida, Eutheriodontia) and the Early Diversification of Therapsida". Palaeontology. 51 (4): 1011–1024. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2008.00784.x . ISSN   0031-0239.
  22. Botha-Brink, Jennifer; Abdala, Fernando (2008-04-01). "A new cynodont record from the tropidostoma assemblage zone of the beaufort group: Implications for the early evolution of cynodonts in South Africa". 43: 1–6.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  23. BOTHA, J.; ANGIELCZYK, K. D. (2007-09-01). "An Integrative Approach to Distinguishing the Late Permian Dicynodont Species Oudenodon Bainii and Tropidostoma Microtrema (Therapsida: Anomodontia)". Palaeontology. 50 (5): 1175–1209. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2007.00697.x . ISSN   0031-0239.
  24. Fröbisch, Jörg; Reisz, Robert R. (2008-09-12). "A new species ofEmydops(Synapsida, Anomodontia) and a discussion of dental variability and pathology in dicynodonts". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 28 (3): 770–787. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2008)28[770:ansoes]2.0.co;2. ISSN   0272-4634. S2CID   85594758.
  25. Kammerer, Christian F.; Angielczyk, Kenneth D.; Fröbisch, Jörg (2011-12-14). "A comprehensive taxonomic revision ofDicynodon(Therapsida, Anomodontia) and its implications for dicynodont phylogeny, biogeography, and biostratigraphy". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 31 (sup1): 1–158. doi:10.1080/02724634.2011.627074. ISSN   0272-4634. S2CID   84987497.
  26. Kammerer, Christian F.; Smith, Roger M.H. (2017-01-31). "An early geikiid dicynodont from theTropidostomaAssemblage Zone (late Permian) of South Africa". PeerJ. 5: e2913. doi:10.7717/peerj.2913. ISSN   2167-8359. PMC   5289114 . PMID   28168104.
  27. LAURIN, MICHEL; REISZ, ROBERT R. (1995-02-01). "A reevaluation of early amniote phylogeny". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 113 (2): 165–223. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1995.tb00932.x. ISSN   0024-4082.
  28. Kitching, J.W. (1978-01-01). "The stratigraphic distribution and occurrence of South African fossil Amphibia in the Beaufort Beds". Palaeontologia Africana. 21: 101–112.
  29. Damiani, Ross J. (2004-01-01). "Temnospondyls from the Beaufort Group (Karoo Basin) of South Africa and Their Biostratigraphy". Gondwana Research. 7 (1): 165–173. Bibcode:2004GondR...7..165D. doi:10.1016/S1342-937X(05)70315-4. ISSN   1342-937X.
  30. Marsicano, Claudia A.; Latimer, Elizabeth; Rubidge, Bruce; Smith, Roger M.H. (2017-05-29). "The Rhinesuchidae and early history of the Stereospondyli (Amphibia: Temnospondyli) at the end of the Palaeozoic". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 181 (2). doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlw032. ISSN   0024-4082.
  31. Smith, Roger M.H.; Botha-Brink, Jennifer (2011-12-01). "Morphology and composition of bone-bearing coprolites from the Late Permian Beaufort Group, Karoo Basin, South Africa". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 312 (1–2): 40–53. Bibcode:2011PPP...312...40S. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.09.006. ISSN   0031-0182.

See also