Harrismith Commonage: Induan - Olenekian, South Africa

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Reptilia
Kitching 1977 1 individual
UMZC T950
Reptilia - Proterosuchidae
Haughton 1924 1 individual
TM 201, skull
Reptilia - Prolacertidae
Prolacerta broomi n. gen., n. sp. Parrington 1935
Modesto and Sues 2004 2 individuals
UMZC 2003.40 (holotype), partial skull. BP/1/2675, skull and postcranial skeleton.
Reptilia
Kitching 1977
Reptilia - Procolophonidae
Kitching 1977
Anomodontia - Lystrosauridae
Kitching 1977
Van Hoepen 1916
TM 28 (holotype), skull
Cosgriff et al. 1982
UCMP 124858
Van Hoepen 1915
TM R44 (holotype), skull and partial skeleton; TM R47, skull
Kitching 1977
AMNH FARB 5581, a badly weathered partial skull
Kitching 1977
Van Hoepen 1916
TM 15 (holotype), skull
Van Hoepen 1915
TM 19 (holotype), skull
Kitching 1977
Van Hoepen 1916
TM 16 (holotype), skull
Van Hoepen 1916
TM 17 (holotype), skull
Van Hoepen 1916
TM 18 (holotype), skull
Anomodontia
Cluver 1974 10 individuals
SAM 3526, 3526a (holotype), two skulls. At least 8 additional skulls
unclassified
30 individuals
"about 30 skulls of Thrinaxodon (very frequently with skeletal remains attached)"
Kitching 1977
Broom 1937 1 specimen
Kitching 1977
NMQR 860, UMZC T819, UMZC T823, SAM-PK-K1119, TM 83
Platycranion elegans n. gen., n. sp. van Hoepen 1916
Abdala 2007 2 individuals
TM 25 (holotype), skull; NMQR 1633, partial skull
Platycraniellus elegans (van Hoepen 1916)
Kitching 1977
Therocephalia - Ericiolacertidae
Ericiolacerta parva n. gen., n. sp. Watson 1931
Kitching 1977
Therocephalia - Scaloposauridae
Kitching 1977
Crompton 1955
Skull (uncatalogued)
Amphibia - Temnospondyli - Rhinesuchidae
Broom 1930 1 individual
TM 184, partial skull (holotype)
Amphibia - Temnospondyli - Lydekkerinidae
Parrington 1948 1 individual
UMZC, partial skull
Kitching 1977
Broom 1930 1 individual
MGM 4285, skull
Parrington 1948 1 individual
UMZC T.214, skull
Broom 1930 1 individual
TM 168, partial skull (holotype)
see common names

Geography
Country:South Africa State/province:Free State County:Maluti-A-Phofung
Coordinates: 28.3° South, 29.1° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:50.8° South, 4.6° West (Wright 2013)
Basis of coordinate:based on nearby landmark
Geographic resolution:local area
Time
Period: Triassic Epoch: Early Triassic
Stage: Induan - Olenekian 10 m.y. bin: Triassic 1
Key time interval: Induan - Olenekian Zone:  Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone
Age range of interval: 251.902 - 246.7 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Geological group:Beaufort Formation:Normandien Member:Harrismith
Stratigraphic resolution:member
Stratigraphy comments: "levels corresponding to the Harrismith Member of the Normandien Formation (Rubidge et al. 1995), which record a fauna biostratigraphically known as the Lystrosaurus AZ, Induan–early Olenekian in age." (Abdala 2007)
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology: not reported
Environment:terrestrial indet. Tectonic setting:foreland basin
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body
Degree of concentration:concentrated
Size of fossils:macrofossils
Associated major elements:many
Temporal resolution:snapshot
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:selective quarrying,surface (in situ),field collection,survey of museum collection
Reason for describing collection:taxonomic analysis
Museum repositories:BPI
Collection method comments: TM: Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, formerly Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa
MGM: McGregor Museum, Kimberley, Cape Province, South Africa
Metadata
Also known as:"Old Brickfield" Donga
Database number:88282
Authorizer:J. Mueller, A. Dunhill, R. Butler Enterer:T. Liebrecht, R. Butler, B. Allen, J. Benito Moreno
Modifier:R. Butler Research group:vertebrate
Created:2009-04-06 08:29:16 Last modified:2025-02-22 15:12:02
Access level:the public Released:2009-04-06 08:29:16
Creative Commons license:CC0
Reference information

Primary reference:
29626. E. H. Colbert and J. W. Kitching. 1977. Triassic Cynodont Reptiles From Antarctica. American Museum Novitates 2611:1-30 [J. Mueller/T. Liebrecht]

Secondary references:

34017 F. Abdala. 2007. Redescription of Platycraniellus elegans (Therapsida, Cynodontia) from the Lower Triassic. Palaeontology 50:591-618 [R. Butler/R. Butler]
46530 R. Broom. 1930. Notes on some labyrinthodonts in the Transvaal Museum. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 14:1-10 [R. Butler/R. Butler]
55690 R. Broom. 1937. A further contribution to our knowledge of the fossil reptiles of the Karroo. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 107(3):299-318 [R. Butler/R. Butler]
35270 M. A. Cluver. 1974. The cranial morphology of the Lower Triassic dicynodont Myosaurus gracilis. Annals of the South African Museum 66:35-54 [R. Butler/R. Butler]
75385% 30000J. W. Cosgriff, W. R. Hammer, and W. J. Ryan. 1982. The Pangaean reptile, Lystrosaurus maccaigi, in the Lower Triassic of Antarctica. Journal of Paleontology 56(2):371-385 [J. Alroy/R. Whatley/R. Whatley]
66988 A. W. Crompton. 1955. V Scaloposaurus hoffmanni sp. nov. Navorsinge van die Nasionale Museum [Researches of the National Museum] 1(7):172-176 [A. Dunhill/B. Allen]
60752 M. D. Ezcurra and R. J. Butler. 2015. Taxonomy of the proterosuchid archosauriforms (Diapsida: Archosauromorpha) from the earliest Triassic of South Africa, and implications for the early archosauriform radiation. Palaeontology 58(1):141-170 [R. Butler/R. Butler]
37664 S. H. Haughton. 1924. On a new type of thecodont from the middle Beaufort Beds. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 11(1):93-97 [R. Butler/R. Butler/R. Butler]
27216 J. W. Kitching. 1977. The distribution of the Karroo vertebrate fauna. Memoirs of the Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research 1:1-131 [H. Sims/J. Camp]
35276 S. P. Modesto and H.-D. Sues. 2004. The skull of the Early Triassic archosauromorph reptile Prolacerta broomi and its phylogenetic significance. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 140:335-351 [R. Butler/R. Butler]
46540 F. R. Parrington. 1948. Labyrinthodonts from South Africa. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 118:426-445 [R. Butler/R. Butler]
27201 E. C. N. Van Hoepen. 1915. Contributions to the knowledge of the reptiles of the Karroo Formation. 3. The skull and other remains of Lystrosaurus putterilli, n. sp. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 5:214-216 [H. Sims/J. Camp/M. Carrano]
27225 E. C. N. Van Hoepen. 1916. Preliminary description of some new lystrosauri. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 5:214-216 [H. Sims/J. Camp/M. Carrano]