Vogelfontein (Prince Albert): Capitanian, South Africa

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Reptilia
Embrithosaurus sp. Watson 1914
Boonstra 1969 2 specimens
Bradysaurus seeleyi Haughton and Boonstra 1929
Boonstra 1969 3 specimens
Bradysaurus baini (Seeley 1892)
Boonstra 1969 1 specimen
Platyoropha broomi n. gen., n. sp. Haughton and Boonstra 1929
1 individual
synonym of Bradysaurus baini
SAM 5002 (type)
Titanosuchidae
Parascapanodon avifontis n. sp. Boonstra 1955
Boonstra 1969 1 specimen
synonym of Titanosuchus ferox
Anteosauridae
Anteosaurus abeli Boonstra 1954
Boonstra 1969 1 specimen
synonym of Anteosaurus magnificus
"skull"
Therocephalia - Pristerognathidae
Scymnosaurus sp. Broom 1903
Boonstra 1969 1 specimen
Amphibia - Temnospondyli - Rhinesuchidae
Rhinesuchus whaitsi Broom 1908
McHugh 2014
SAM-PK-9135, partial postcrainal skeleton
see common names

Geography
Country:South Africa State/province:Western Cape County:Prince Albert
Coordinates: 32.7° South, 21.8° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:59.5° South, 35.2° West
Basis of coordinate:based on nearby landmark
Geographic resolution:small collection
Time
Period:Permian Epoch:Guadalupian
Stage:Capitanian 10 m.y. bin:Permian 4
Key time interval:Capitanian Zone: Tapinocephalus Assemblage
Age range of interval:264.28000 - 259.51000 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Geological group:Beaufort Formation:Abrahamskraal
Stratigraphic resolution:bed
Stratigraphy comments: Kitching (1977, "Distribution of the Karroo Vertebrate Fauna") assigns this locality to the lower Tapinocephalus Zone. This corresponds to the Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone of Rubidge et al. (1995, South African Committee for Stratigraphy, Biostratigraphic Series No. 1).
The Tapinocephalus AZ is Capitanian according to Catuneanu et al. (2005, J. Afr. Earth Sci. 43). Since the locality is west of 24°E it very likely is within the Abrahamskraal Fm. (see Catuneanu et al., 2005 figs. 24, 25).
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology: sandstone
Secondary lithology: claystone
Lithology description: "fining-upward succession of sandstones and purple mudstones containing numerous thin chert bands and rich tetrapod faunas" (general lithology description of the Abrahamskraal Fm. in Catuneanu et al., 2005, J. Afr. Earth Sci. 43).
Environment:"floodplain" Tectonic setting:foreland basin
Geology comments: " [...] deposited mainly by overbank flooding of large meandering rivers of variable sinuosity, draining an extensive alluvial plain [...]" (Catuneanu et al., 2005).
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body
Size of fossils:macrofossils
Articulated whole bodies:none
Collection methods and comments
Reason for describing collection:taxonomic analysis
Collection method comments: SAM = Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town
Metadata
Also known as:Voëlfontein
Database number:93097
Authorizer:J. Mueller, A. Dunhill Enterer:T. Liebrecht, B. Allen
Research group:vertebrate
Created:2010-01-04 05:36:14 Last modified:2010-01-04 07:36:14
Access level:the public Released:2010-01-04 05:36:13
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:
31439. S. H. Haughton and L. D. Boonstra. 1929. Pareiasaurian studies. Part I. - An Attempt at a Classification of the Pareiasauria based on Skull Features. Annals of the South African Museum 28(1):79-87 [J. Mueller/T. Liebrecht/T. Liebrecht]

Secondary references:

67683 L. D. Boonstra. 1969. The fauna of the Tapinocephalus Zone (Beaufort Beds of the Karoo). Annals of the South African Museum 56(1):1-73 [A. Dunhill/B. Allen]
66951 J. B. McHugh. 2014. Paleohistology and histovariability of the Permian stereospondyl Rhinesuchus. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34(1):59-68 [A. Dunhill/B. Allen]