Geobulletin alpha

The Dicynodon-Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone Boundary May Not Approximate the Marine-Defined Permo-Triassic Extinction Event 

Wow, well this should definitely generate some discussion and a bit of research....  Gastaldo, R. A., Kamo, S. L., Neveling, J., Geissman, J. W., Bamford, M., and C. V. Looy. 2015 Is the vertebrate-defined Permian-Triassic boundary in the Karoo Basin, South Africa, the terrestrial expression of the end-Permian marine event? Geology (Advanced Online). doi: 10.1130/G37040.1 Abstract:

So Happy Together! Broomistega & Thrinaxodon! In Olenekian Triassic South Africa 

Synchrotron imaging reveals odd couple - 250 million years ago, a mammal forerunner and an amphibian shared a burrow. Scientists from South Africa, Australia and France have discovered a world first association while scanning a 250 million year old fossilized burrow from the Karoo Basin of South Africa. The burrow revealed two unrelated vertebrate animals nestled together and

Osteohistology of Some Triassic Archosauromorphs 

Botha-Brink, J., and R. M. H. Smith. 2011. Osteohistology of the Triassic archosauromorphs Prolacerta, Proterosuchus, Euparkeria, and Erythrosuchus from the Karoo Basin of South Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 31:1238-1254. DOI:10.1080/02724634.2011.621797 Abstract - The South African non-archosauriform archosauromorph Prolacerta and the archosauriforms

Osteohistology of Triassic Archosauromorphs 

Jennifer Botha-Brink and Roger M. H. Smith. 2011. "Osteohistology of the Triassic archosauromorphs Prolacerta, Proterosuchus, Euparkeria, and Erythrosuchus from the Karoo Basin of South Africa." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 31(6): 1238-1254 - (Online November 8th) DOI:10.1080/02724634.2011.621797AbstractThe South African non-archosauriform archosauromorph Prolacerta and the archosauriforms Proterosuchus, Erythrosuchus, and Euparkeria were important constituents of the Early to early [...]

SVP 2011 Roundup - Archosauromorph Edition 

Archosauromorphs and General Archosaur Evolution (in order of presentation)Talks"Archosauromorph bone histology reveals early evolution of elevated growth and metabolic rates." Werning, S., Irmis, R., Smith, N., Turner, A., and Padian, K. extant and extinct ornithodirans show high metabolic rates, but not extant crocodyliansstudy of evolution of growth rate in archosauromorphs through an expanded histological database and using much more rigorous methods for collecting datacharacters [...]

Redescription of a Lower Triassic Synapsid and a Reappraissal of Lower Triassic Therocephalian Biostratigraphy 

Botha-Brink, J., and S. P. Modesto. 2011. A new skeleton of the Therocephalian synapsid Olivierosuchus parringtoni from the Lower Triassic South African Karoo Basin. Palaeontology Early View. DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2011.01048.x Abstract - We provide a redescription of the therocephalian therapsid Olivierosuchus parringtoni based on a new specimen recovered from the Lower Triassic

Microfaults in Sedimentary Rock 

Brian Romans has a great field photo of a sedimentary rock from the Karoo Basin of South Africa that has been through some very intense

Friday Field Photo #132: Microfaulted sedimentary rock 

This week’s Friday Field Photo is from Permian strata of the Karoo Basin in South Africa. This outcrop displays some spectacular micro-faulting. The alternating lighter and darker colored layers (sandier and muddier, respectively) highlights the very small offset normal faults. This was part of a rather large chunk of strata (about size of a small car)

No Permian-Triassic Boundary Tetrapod Fauna Preserved in South America 

Modesto, S. P. and J. Botha-Brink. 2010. Problems of correlation of South African and South American tetrapod faunas across the Permian–Triassic boundary. Journal of South African Earth Sciences 57:242-248. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2009.08.004 Abstract - The best record of continental tetrapod faunas crossing the Permo–Triassic boundary (PTB) is found in the Karoo Basin of South Africa.

Natural Gas Shales of the Karoo Basin of South Africa 

Sasol Petroleum, Chesapeake Energy and Statoil ASA might be teaming up to explore for natural gas in the organic-rich shales of the Karoo Basin of South

Friday Field Foto #81: Permian turbidites in the Karoo Basin 

This week’s Friday Field Foto is from a trip to South Africa I went on about a year ago. We went to look at the relatively famous Permian turbidite outcrops in the Karoo basin. The area pictured here is called the Tanqua Karoo, and is a spectacular place to examine a preserved submarine fan (note the

Permian Extinction in the Karoo Basin 

Researchers working in the Karoo Basin of South Africa have new findings associated with the Permian Mass Extinction. According to NSF: “Until this study, it was believed that the event was marked by unique rocks traceable across southern hemisphere continents. This research calls into question whether the extinction event is actually constrained in