Bless, M.J.M.

Theron, J.N.

Open Marine Archive

described here. 
All the indicate that 
RESEARCH LETTERS 457 
and are overlain nearshore 
the destructive of the 
of the delta top. Palaeo-
fossil taxa present at Pass 
indicates that the delta 
with the shelf r·ornmmm 
is well rerlre!;ented 
present in the lower parts of the 
sequence.8 
the ostracode described here was found 
near the transition from the lower, more half of the 
Formation to the upper, more 
above the basal contact with the Table Mountain It was 
cri:noids. This distinctive fauna 
Emsian to Eifelian in age.9 
The ostracode consists of a 
of a 
marine fossil 
and 
10 Remnants of a or vel urn, are visible on the 
left side of the as illustrated in 2 of a 
The left lobe has been erased 
the side 
size of the ostracode Sl)(~cim•:n as well 
as its and ornamentation suggest 
with the Ludlovian to Emsian genus 
have 
The Late Silurian 
of the central 
seems indicative of a subtidal environment at or near wave 
base.12 the 
into western and central 
the genus frP<m•>.nti'V 
stones, bivalves, 
cri:noids. association is characteristic of a hH!h-enen:v 
shallow-marine environment above wave base 
!3Le 
458 RESEARCH LETTERS 
stones of the North African Sahara points to 'paralic' condi-
tions (in the nearshore marine environment). A comparable 
shallow-marine 'restricted' environment, nearshore above wave 
base, may be tentatively implied for the new material from the 
Gydo Formation. 
The Ludlovian through Emsian ostracode assemblages with 
Zygobeyrichia occupied a relatively small area between the 
palaeoequator and palaeolatitude 40°S, according to palaeo-
geographic maps.15 Between these palaeolatitudes they only 
occurred along the southern and south-eastern shore of Laura-
sia and the northern shore of Gondwana.12 South Africa was 
situated between palaeolatitudes 60° and 75°S during the 
Early-Middle DevonianY The unexpected presence of ostra-
codes comparable with Zygobeyrichia at such high southern 
palaeolatitudes could have a bearing on the interpretation of 
palaeocurrents during the Early-Middle Devonian. 
Geological Survey, P.O. Box 572, 
Bellville, 7535 South Africa. 
Laboratoire de Paleontologie Vegitale, 
Universite de Liege, Place du Vingt-Aout7, 
B-4000 Liege, Belgium. 
Received 18 February; accepted 25 June 1993. 
J.N. THERON 
M.J.M. BLESS 
I. Reed F.R.C. (1925). Revision of the fauna of the Bokkeveld Beds. Ann. S. 
Afr.A1us.22,27-225. 
2. Boucot A.J. (1971). Malvinokaffric Devonian marine community distribu-
tion and implications for Gondwana. Annls Actui.. Bras. de Cienc. 43 
(Suppl.), 23-49. 
3. Theron J.N. (1972). The stratigraphy and sedimentation of lhe Bokkeveld 
Group. D.Sc. thesis, Geol. Dept., University of Stellenbosch. 
4. Theron J.N. and Thamm A.G. (1990). Stratigraphy and sedimentology of 
the Cape Supergroup in the western Cape. Guide-book Geoca.gress '90, eds. 
P.G. Gresse, J. Rogas and W.EL Mirier. Geol. Soc. S. Afr., Johannesl:urg. 
5. Oosthuizen R.D.F. (1984). Preliminary catalogue and report on the biostrat-
igraphy and palaeogeographic distribution of the Bokkeveld fauna. Trans. 
geo/. Soc. Afr. 87, 125-140. 
6. Tankard A.J. and Barwis J.H. (1982). Wave-dominated deltaic sedimenta-
tion in the Devonian Bokkeveld Basin of South Africa. J. sedim. Petrol. 52, 
959-974. 
7. Theron J.N. and Loock J.C. (1988). Devonian deltas of the Cape Super-
group, South Africa. In Devonian of the World, vol. I, Regional synthesis, 
eds. N.J. McMillan, A.F. Embry and D.J. Glass, Mem. 14, pp. 729-740. 
Can. Soc. Petrol. Geol. 
8. Hiller N. and Theron J.N. (1988). Benthic communities in the South Afri-
can Devonian. In Devonian of lhe World, vol. 3, Paleontology, Paleoecol-
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Mem. 14, pp. 229-242.Can. Soc. Petrol. Geol. 
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new Lower Devonian terebratuloid (Brachiopoda) from Antarctica. Bull. 
Am. Palaeont. 46, (207), 81-151. Palaeont. Res. Inst. 
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Howe H.V., Kesling R.V., Levinson S.A., Rayment R.A., Moore R.C., 
Scou H.W., Shaver R.H., Sohn !.G., Stover L.E., Swain F.M., Sylvester-
Bradley R.C. and Wainwright J. (1961). Arthropoda, Crustacea, ostracods. 
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pp. 223-231. 
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South African Journal of Science Vol. 89 September 1993 
Relationships between stable carbon and 
nitrogen isotope ratios in bone collagen 
of African ungulates 
13C/ 12C ratios in bone collagen of ungulate browsers from 
African savanna habitats are largely determined by the con-
sumption of C3 vegetation depleted in Be; in contrast, the bone 
collagen of grazers feeding primarily on savanna grasses char-
acterized by the c4 photosynthetic pathway is less depleted in 
Bc.1-11 15 N/14N ratios in terrestrial herbivores from African 
savannas are inversely related to rainfal.12•13 This phenomenon 
apparently results primarily from increasing 15 N concentration 
in the tissues of animals stressed by drought. 14·15 In this study 
we report relationships between carbon and nitrogen isotope 
ratios of both grazers and browsers, and demonstrate a pattern 
which holds for ungulates from both southern and East Africa. 
Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were obtained from the 
collagen fraction of bone after dissolution of the inorganic 
phase in 0.2 M HCl and removal of lipids. Carbon dioxide and 
N2 were produced by closed-tube combustion and cryogenic 
separation.16 Isotope ratios from C02 and N2 were measured on 
a VG 602E mass spectrometer. Carbon and nitrogen isotope 
ratios are reported as & 13 C and & 15 N values, expressed as parts 
per thousand (o/oo) relative to the PDB standard and air N2, 
respectively. Error is< 0.2%o for &13C and< 0.5%o for B15 N 
values. 
The ungulate samples used in this study include browsers 
and grazers from modern and archaeological (Holocene) con-
texts. Steenbok (Raphicerus campestris), grysbok (R. melano-
tis), duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia), bushbuck (Tragelaphus 
scriptlL~). kudu (T. strepsiceros), eland (Taurotragus oryx), 
black rhino (Diceros bicornis), giraffe (Giraffa cameloparda-
lis) as well as elephant (Loxodonta africana) are all primarily 
browsers. Ungulates which are primarily if not entirely grazers 
include zebra (Equus burchelli and E. zebra), hartebeest 
(Alcelaphus lichtensteini), blue wildebeest (Comwchaetes taur-
inus), bontebok and blesbok (Damaliscus dorcas), gemsbok 
(Oryx gazelle) as well as buffalo (Syncerus caffer). Opportun-
istic ungulates include bushpig (Potamochoerus porcus) and 
impala (Aepyceros melampus), which browse and graze. Most 
of the samples are from southern Africa (n = 165), including 
data from a Holocene sequence in southern Africa,17 supple-
mented by &Be and &15 N values obtained from previously 
published literature on ungulates from East Africa, notably 
& Be and & 15 N values for 47 individual specimens from that 
region of the continent?·7 as well as mean &BC and 8 15 N 
values for several taxa reported by Arnbrose and de Niro.2 A 
principal objective of this study is to demonstrate patterning 
for such herbivores considered as a whole, rather than for any 
particular species. 
Regression analyses were undertaken on carbon and nitrogen 
isotope ratios for large samples of ungulates from southern 
Africa, using the UCT database. Regression analyses were not 
undertaken on the East African isotope data as they had either 
been summarized as means in the published literature,2 or on 
account of the fact that some of the raw data from East Africa 
had been published in figures rather than in tables? 
The consumption of C3 plants by browsers is reflected by 
&13C values ranging mainly between -25 and -16o/oo; by con-
trast grazers from African savanna habitats have carbon isotope 
values ranging mainly between -16 and -6%o. This distinction 
applies to browsers and grazers from both southern Africa4·8 
and East Africa.Z·3 For specimens with &13 C values ranging 
between -25 and -16%o, & 15 N tends to increase as BBC 
becomes more positive, reflecting an enrichment in both &15 N 


The first Middle Palaeozoic ostracode described from South Africa

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