Musical Bows in the Rock Art of Southern Africa

Author(s):  
Joshua Kumbani ◽  
Oliver Vogels

This is an advance summary of a forthcoming article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Anthropology. Please check back later for the full article. The musical bow is speculated to have been discovered as a result of hunting, after a musical tone was heard from the vibrating string seconds after releasing the arrow. Some consider it the first musical instrument of the Bushman. A musical bow is an instrument that is made of a wooden stave that has a string attached to both ends of the stave, as well as, typically, a resonator. The musical bow belongs to the chordophone family, which comprises musical instruments that produce sound through the vibration of strings. Musical bows occur in southern African rock art specifically from South Africa and Namibia. In South Africa they are found in the Maloti Drakensberg massif, in the KwaZulu-Natal region, and in Maclear District in the Eastern Cape Province, whereas in Namibia they are found around the Daureb region. The occurrence of musical bows in the rock art of southern Africa hints at some of the musical instruments that were used during the Holocene period in the region. Their use as musical instruments is well documented ethnographically, and they are still used even today.

2017 ◽  
pp. 151-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurizio Biondi

Hesperoides afromeridionalis gen. nov. and sp. nov. from the Republic of South Africa (Western and Eastern Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal) is described. Despite some similarities with Hespera Weise, it exhibits major affinities with the genera attributed to the subtribe Aphthonini, especially with Aphthona Chevrolat and Montiaphthona Scherer. Data on distribution are supplied, along with preliminary ecological notes. Photomicrographs of main morphological characters, including male and female genitalia, and metafemoral extensor tendon are provided. Key to the six “hairy” flea beetle genera occurring in sub-Saharan African and their habitus photos are also given.


2021 ◽  
Vol 117 (7/8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Cole

There are three major mollusc collections in South Africa and seven smaller, thematic collections. The KwaZulu-Natal Museum holds one of the largest collections in the southern hemisphere. Its strengths are marine molluscs of southern Africa and the southwestern Indian Ocean, and terrestrial molluscs of South Africa. Research on marine molluscs has led to revisionary papers across a wide range of gastropod families. The Iziko South African Museum contains the most comprehensive collections of Cephalopoda (octopus, squid and relatives) and Polyplacophora (chitons) for southern Africa. The East London Museum is a provincial museum of the Eastern Cape. Recent research focuses on terrestrial molluscs and the collection is growing to address the gap in knowledge of this element of biodiversity. Mollusc collections in South Africa date to about 1900 and are an invaluable resource of morphological and genetic diversity, with associated spatial and temporal data. The South African National Biodiversity Institute is encouraging discovery and documentation to address gaps in knowledge, particularly of invertebrates. Museums are supported with grants for surveys, systematic studies and data mobilisation. The Department of Science and Innovation is investing in collections as irreplaceable research infrastructure through the Natural Science Collections Facility, whereby 16 institutions, including those holding mollusc collections, are assisted to achieve common targets and coordinated outputs.


The Festivus ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 198-217
Author(s):  
Roy Aikin ◽  
Alan Seccombe

Five new gastropods are described from the Eastern Seaboard of Southern Africa. These Molluscs include Casmaria natalensis new species (from Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa), Sassia mozambicana new species (from Mozambique), Kilburnia emmae new species (from Eastern Cape Province, South Africa), Quasimitra rubrolaterculus new species (from Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa), and Calliostoma margaretae new species (from Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa). The status of Mitra boswellae is reviewed.


1995 ◽  
Vol 32 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 145-151
Author(s):  
D. B. Versfeld

South Africa has hundreds of thousands of hectares of heavily populated and badly degraded landscapes. Past attempts at land management have been either through avoidance or the top-down imposition of “betterment” schemes. Participatory methods offer a new opportunity for communities living within these catchments to share their knowledge and to become involved in planning and implementing the management process. This paper discusses the use of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) in a catchment rehabilitation programme in rural KwaZulu/Natal, the lessons learnt and the prospects for wider application.


Author(s):  
James R. Barnacle ◽  
Oliver Johnson ◽  
Ian Couper

Background: Many European-trained doctors (ETDs) recruited to work in rural district hospitals in South Africa have insufficient generalist competencies for the range of practice required. Africa Health Placements recruits ETDs to work in rural hospitals in Africa. Many of these doctors feel inadequately prepared. The Stellenbosch University Ukwanda Centre for Rural Health is launching a Postgraduate Diploma in Rural Medicine to help prepare doctors for such work.Aim: To determine the competencies gap for ETDs working in rural district hospitals in South Africa to inform the curriculum of the PG Dip (Rural Medicine).Setting: Rural district hospitals in South Africa.Methods: Nine hospitals in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga were purposefully selected by Africa Health Placements as receiving ETDs. An online survey was developed asking about the most important competencies and weaknesses for ETDs when working rurally. The clinical manager and any ETDs currently working in each hospital were invited to complete the survey.Results: Surveys were completed by 19 ETDs and five clinical managers. The top clinical competencies in relation to 10 specific domains were identified. The results also indicate broader competencies required, specific skills gaps, the strengths that ETDs bring to South Africa and how ETDs prepare themselves for working in this context.Conclusion: This study identifies the important competency gaps among ETDs and provides useful direction for the diploma and other future training initiatives. The diploma faculty must reflect on these findings and ensure the curriculum is aligned with these gaps.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
S. THOBEKA GUMEDE ◽  
DAVID A. EHLERS SMITH ◽  
YVETTE C. EHLERS SMITH ◽  
SAMUKELISIWE P. NGCOBO ◽  
MBALENHLE T. SOSIBO ◽  
...  

Summary Establishing the specific habitat requirements of forest specialists in fragmented natural habitats is vital for their conservation. We used camera-trap surveys and microhabitat-scale covariates to assess the habitat requirements, probability of occupancy and detection of two terrestrial forest specialist species, the Orange Ground-thrush Geokichla gurneyi and the Lemon Dove Aplopelia larvata during the breeding and non-breeding seasons of 2018–2019 in selected Southern Mistbelt Forests of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, South Africa. A series of camera-trap surveys over 21 days were conducted in conjunction with surveys of microhabitat structural covariates. During the wet season, percentage of leaf litter cover, short grass cover, short herb cover, tall herb cover and saplings 0–2 m, stem density of trees 6–10 m and trees 16–20 m were significant structural covariates for influencing Lemon Dove occupancy. In the dry season, stem density of 2–5 m and 10–15 m trees, percentage tall herb cover, short herb cover and 0–2 m saplings were significant covariates influencing Lemon Dove occupancy. Stem density of trees 2–5 m and 11–15 m, percentage of short grass cover and short herb cover were important site covariates influencing Orange Ground-thrush occupancy in the wet season. Our study highlighted the importance of a diverse habitat structure for both forest species. A high density of tall/mature trees was an essential microhabitat covariate, particularly for sufficient cover and food for these ground-dwelling birds. Avian forest specialists play a vital role in providing ecosystem services perpetuating forest habitat functioning. Conservation of the natural heterogeneity of their habitat is integral to management plans to prevent the decline of such species.


Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4577 (2) ◽  
pp. 361
Author(s):  
JIŘÍ JANÁK

A revision of the south African genus Neopimus Özdikmen, Demir & Türkeş, 2008 is presented. Based on revision of the type and additional material, three species are recognised. The genus Neopimus is redescribed and all species are described or redescribed and illustrated, two of them for the first time: Neopimus capensis Janák, sp. nov., from Eastern Cape Province, South Africa and N. zulu Janák, sp. nov., from KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The distribution of the genus is mapped and a key of species is presented. 


Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4885 (4) ◽  
pp. 579-590
Author(s):  
ALLEN F. SANBORN ◽  
MARTIN H. VILLET

Ingcainyenzane irhiniensis n. gen., n. sp. and Ingcainyenzane nolukhanyoensis n. gen., n. sp. are described from Eastern Cape and Ingcainyenzane umgeniensis n. gen., n. sp. is described from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Notes on its biology of the species and a key to species of the genus are also provided. 


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