Corrigendum: Shark–seal interaction off South Africa’s west coast during the early Pliocene (5 Ma)

A species name was erroneously reported:Carcharias tarsus SHOULD BE Carcharias taurus The error appears on Page 4 in the first paragraph of the Discussion, lines 3 and 5

Morphological and functional analysis of the postcranial anatomy of two dicynodont morphotypes from the cynognathus assemblage zone of South Africa and their taxonomic implications

Student Number : 9202936M - PhD thesis - School of Geoscience - Faculty of ScienceKannemeyeria simocephalus is probably the best known Middle Triassic dicynodont from South Africa and has been the standard against which other Triassic dicynodonts are compared. In the past studies have concentrated on the cranial morphology of K. simocephalus and how this affected Triassic dicynodont taxonomy and phylogeny. There has been little work on the postcranial anatomy of K. simocephalus, which remains poorly understood. This current study undertook a detailed descriptive analysis of the postcranial anatomy of K. simocephalus that lead to the identification of diagnostic characters of the postcranial skeleton. During the course of the analysis of the postcranial anatomy of K. simocephalus it was noted that material previously assigned to this taxon was significantly different from that recognised as K. simocephalus. Unfortunately, this material consists only of postcranial material and it is therefore referred to as Morphotype B rather than a new species of Kannemeyeria or as a new taxon from the Cynognathus Assemblage Zone (subzone B). A phylogenetic analysis was performed which included K. simocephalus and Morphotype B, and used cranial and postcranial characters. The preliminary phylogenetic results show that there are possibly two taxa of medium to large dicynodonts in the Cynognathus Assemblage Zone (subzone B); one a kannemeyeriid and the second a stahleckeriid. It has also evident that more attention needs to be paid to the study of the postcranial anatomy of Triassic dicynodonts, especially those from Africa and Asia

Pathologies in the Early Pliocene phocid seals from Langebaanweg, South Africa

Abundant vertebrate fossils have been recorded from the Early Pliocene locality, Langebaanweg, South Africa. This study documents the pathologies evident in the 5 million-year-old fossil phocid seal assemblage. Careful anatomical assessment of the remains revealed that 0.73% showed evidence of disease and/or trauma. The majority of the ailments were forms of osteoarthritis, although periodontitis and osteomyelitis were also evident. Some bones also showed healed fractures, suggesting that the individuals survived the traumatic event. Two cases of dental pathologies were also noted

Langebaanweg's sabertooth guild reveals an African Pliocene evolutionary hotspot for sabertooths (Carnivora; Felidae)

Here, we describe and revise craniodental material from Langebaanweg 'E' Quarry (South Africa, early Pliocene, ∼5.2 Ma), which represents one of the largest and best-preserved collections of sabertooth felids from Mio-Pliocene deposits of Africa. Four taxa, including two new species, are recognized: Lokotunjailurus chinsamyae sp. nov., Adeilosmilus aff. kabir, Yoshi obscura, and Dinofelis werdelini sp. nov. The felid guild composition analyzed herein suggests the presence of a mosaic environment with open components in the region, and shows a potential relationship with that of Yuanmou, suggesting a similar environment and/or dispersal route/event. The reassessment of the rich early Pliocene felids from Langebaanweg is a step toward understanding the transition and evolution of the felids in the southern hemisphere during the late Miocene to early Pliocene

Pathologies in the Early Pliocene phocid seals from Langebaanweg South Africa

Abundant vertebrate fossils have been recorded from the Early Pliocene locality, Langebaanweg, South Africa. This study documents the pathologies evident in the 5 millionyear-old fossil phocid seal assemblage. Careful anatomical assessment of the remains revealed that 0.73% showed evidence of disease and/or trauma. The majority of the ailments were forms of osteoarthritis, although periodontitis and osteomyelitis were also evident. Some bones also showed healed fractures, suggesting that the individuals survived the traumatic event. Two cases of dental pathologies were also noted

Microanatomy and histology of bone pathologies of extant and extinct phocid seals

This study investigates three presumed fractured phocid seal bones: An isolated metapodial and an ulna belonging to different individuals of the extinct phocid, Homiphoca capensis, from Langebaanweg and a mandible of a juvenile elephant seal (Mirounga leonina), which was included to assess the validity of the assumption that changes to bones caused by fractures are consistent across extant and extinct members of the same groups. The bones were studied using a multi-method approach, including gross morphology, microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) and histology. Micro-CT showed that the metapodial was not fractured and information drawn from other analyses suggested that the pathology was an osteosarcoma. Histology of normal and fractured regions of the mandible and ulna permitted an estimate about the fracture healing stage, and showed the bone tissue at the fracture sites to be histologically similar. A birth line found on the lateral surface of the elephant seal mandible emphasised its young age and marked the first example of a birth line in a bone of a semi-aquatic mammal. A large scope of information was obtained using this multi-method approach, which could permit insight into the life events and lifestyles of modern and extinct individuals, such as H. capensis.NRF-DST Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences to Megan Rose Woolley, NRF African Origins Programme (AOP) Grant awarded to Prof A Chinsamy-Turan (Grant No. 117716) NRF African Origins Programme (AOP) Grant awarded to Dr R Govender (Grant No. 98834).https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ghbi202020-11-12hj2020Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog

Corrigendum: Shark–seal interaction off South Africa’s west coast during the early Pliocene (5 Ma)

Original article: https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2021/8837 A species name was erroneously reported:Carcharias tarsus SHOULD BE Carcharias taurus The error appears on Page 4 in the first paragraph of the Discussion, lines 3 and 5

Shark–Cetacean trophic interaction, Duinefontein, Koeberg, (5 Ma), South Africa

This study forms part of a larger project to reconstruct the Mio-Pliocene marine palaeoenvironment along South Africa’s west coast. It documents the shark–cetacean trophic interaction during the Zanclean (5 Ma) at Duinefontein (Koeberg). The damage described on the fragmentary cetacean bones was compared with similar damage observed on fossils from Langebaanweg, a Mio-Pliocene site on the west coast of South Africa, and data present in the literature. This comparison showed that the damage was the result of shark bites. The state of preservation makes it difficult to determine if the shark bite marks were the cause of death or as a result of scavenging. The presence of the bite marks on the bone would, however, indicate some degree of skeletonisation. Bite marks on some cranial fragments would suggest that the cetacean’s body was in an inverted position typical of a floating carcass. The preservation of the material suggests that the bones were exposed to wave action resulting in their fragmentation as well as abrasion, polishing and rolling. It also suggests that the cetacean skeletons were exposed for a long time prior to burial. The morphology of the bites suggests that the damage was inflicted by sharks with serrated and unserrated teeth. Shark teeth collected from the deposit include megalodon (Carcharodon megalodon), white (Carcharodon carcharias) as well as mako (Isurus sp. and Cosmopolitodus hastalis) sharks, making these sharks the most likely predators/scavengers

Shark–seal interaction off South Africa’s west coast during the early Pliocene (5 Ma) (with corrigendum)

A study of the Mio-Pliocene marine palaeoenvironment on South Africa’s west coast revealed aspects of the biology and behaviour of fossil marine mammals. Close examination showed that seals from Langebaanweg suffered from pathologies and bore marks of marine carnivore activity. This study adds to our knowledge of shark feeding behaviour in the geological past and is one of a few studies of sharks feeding on seals in the fossil record. Two incomplete seal humeri with shark tooth marks are the first documented evidence from South Africa’s Mio-Pliocene of such behaviour. These injuries show no healing, which suggests that the animals were most likely scavenged.Significance: Fossil rich deposits at Langebaanweg contribute to the knowledge of South African Mio-Pliocene fossils by placing them in a global context. This study is one of five globally that have documented marine carnivores feeding on seals. This is the first description of white sharks feeding on seals from South Africa’s geological past. This study shows this behaviour was in place on South Africa’s coast as early as 5 million years ago. The injuries show no signs of healing, suggesting the most parsimonious explanation is that white sharks were scavenging seal carcasses