Fossil wood from the Upper Cretaceous crater sediments of the Salpeterkop volcano, North West Province, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. de Wit ◽  
M. Bamford
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Upper Cretaceous ◽  
Ring Structure ◽  
Fossil Wood ◽  
Growth Rings ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
North West ◽  
Igneous Province ◽  
Fossil Genus ◽  
A New Species

Abstract The Salpeterkop volcano forms part of what has been referred to as the Upper Cretaceous Sutherland Suite of alkaline rocks, an igneous province composed of olivine melilitites, carbonatites, trachytes and ultramafic lamprophyres. Salpeterkop is a remnant of the summit tuff ring structure that surrounds a crater which is almost 1 km in diameter and is filled with epiclastic strata. Five pieces of silicified wood were collected from the crater filled sediments, sectioned and identified as a new species of Cupressinoxylon, C. widdringtonioides. This is the first example of the fossil genus in South Africa. Only one member of the Cupressaceae s.l. occurs in southern Africa today. From the wide and indistinct growth rings in the fossil wood it can be deduced that the local climate was warm and humid with little or no seasonality, in support of global records of a warm Late Cretaceous. The preservation of the crater further signifies the low level of erosion the region has experienced since its emplacement.

Studies on triassic fossil plants from Argentina, I. Rhexoxylon from the Ischigualasto formation

1961 ◽  
Vol 244 (706) ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
New Species ◽  
Vascular Cylinder ◽  
Fossil Plants ◽  
North West ◽  
First Occurrence ◽  
Primary Organization ◽  
New Interpretation ◽  
A New Species ◽  
Stem Structure

A new species, Rhexoxylon piatnitzkyi is described and illustrated. It is a small stem showing the primary organization of the vascular cylinder and has enabled the authors to present a new interpretation of the development of the complex mature stem structure of Rhexoxylon . Together with further specimens of larger stems described provisionally as Rhexoxylon sp.A the material has revealed new anatomical details. The diagnosis of Rhexoxylon and of R. tetrapteridoides Walton are emended. R. waltonii Kräusel is reduced to a synonym of R. africanum Bancroft. R. priestleyi (Seward) Walton is restored to Antartic-oxylon Seward because of differences judged to be of generic value. The affinities of Rhexoxylon are discussed. The present record from Triassic strata in north-west Argentina is the first occurrence of Rhexoxylon outside Africa and supports a stratigraphical correlation of the beds (Ischigualasto Formation) with the Stormberg Series of South Africa.

A new species and new distributional records of Haroldius Boucomont, 1914 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) from southern Africa

Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5072 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-42
Author(s):  
GIMO M. DANIEL ◽  
WERNER P. STRÜMPHER ◽  
STANISLAV SNÄLL
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
New Species ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
First Time ◽  
A New Species

Haroldius lyleae Daniel, Strümpher & Snäll, new species, is described and illustrated from South Africa. The new species can be easily distinguished from other species of the genus by its notable triangular clypeus lacking the distinctive mid-anterior indentation and denticles present in other Haroldius Boucomont, 1914 species. Monomorium albopilosum Emery, 1895 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) is recorded as a possible ant host of the new species. Haroldius modestus (Janssens, 1953) is recorded from Zimbabwe for the first time, and Haroldius convexus (Philips & Scholtz, 2000) is now recorded from the North West and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces of South Africa as well.  

Trimelopter craibii (Hyacinthaceae, Ornithogaloideae), a new species from the North West Province of South Africa

Phytotaxa ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 50
Author(s):  
MARIO MARTÍNEZ-AZORÍN ◽  
MANUEL B. CRESPO ◽  
ANTHONY P. DOLD
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
New Species ◽  
Related Species ◽  
New Combination ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
North West Province ◽  
Vegetative Characters ◽  
A New Species

The genus Trimelopter has been recently reinstated to include Ornithogalum unifolium and other closely related species from Southern Africa, comprising up to 10 species. Within the context of a revision of Trimelopter, a new species, T. craibii, is here formally described to name plants discovered by the late Charles Craib in the North West Province of South Africa. This taxon is closely related to T. dyeri and T. unifolium, but it can be clearly differentiated by floral and vegetative characters. Data on morphology, ecology, and distribution are reported for this new species, and affinities and divergences with other closely related taxa are also discussed. The new combination T. unifolium var. vestitum is also proposed.

Notes on the genus Frithia (Mesembryanthemaceae) and the descrip­tion of a new species, E humilis, in South Africa

Bothalia ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Burgoyne ◽  
G. F. Smith ◽  
F. Du Plessis
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
New Species ◽  
Distinct Species ◽  
Formal Description ◽  
Monotypic Genus ◽  
Distribution Map ◽  
Limited Distribution ◽  
North West ◽  
Morphological Differences ◽  
A New Species

Frithia N.E.Br (Mesembryanthemaceae), formerly thought to be a monotypic genus, has been found to comprise two species. Populations from the eastern parts of the distribution range of Frithia pulchra N.E.Br. are recognised as a distinct species,  Frithia humilis PM Burgoyne The genus has a limited distribution, although present in three provinces of South Africa, namely Gauteng, North-West and Mpumalanga. The two window-leaved species are allopatnc and morphological differences between the roots, leaves, flowers, pollen, capsules and seeds are discussed. A formal description of the new species, an identification key and a distribution map of the two species are provided.

Lithostratigraphy of the Palaeoproterozoic Hekpoort Formation (Pretoria Group, Transvaal Supergroup), South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 123 (4) ◽  
pp. 655-668
Author(s):  
N. Lenhardt ◽  
W. Altermann ◽  
F. Humbert ◽  
M. de Kock
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Bushveld Complex ◽  
Sedimentary Rocks ◽  
Type Locality ◽  
Large Igneous Province ◽  
Braided River ◽  
River Systems ◽  
The West ◽  
Igneous Province ◽  
Transvaal Supergroup

Abstract The Palaeoproterozoic Hekpoort Formation of the Pretoria Group is a lava-dominated unit that has a basin-wide extent throughout the Transvaal sub-basin of South Africa. Additional correlative units may be present in the Kanye sub-basin of Botswana. The key characteristic of the formation is its general geochemical uniformity. Volcaniclastic and other sedimentary rocks are relatively rare throughout the succession but may be dominant in some locations. Hekpoort Formation outcrops are sporadic throughout the basin and mostly occur in the form of gentle hills and valleys, mainly encircling Archaean domes and the Palaeoproterozoic Bushveld Complex (BC). The unit is exposed in the western Pretoria Group basin, sitting unconformably either on the Timeball Hill Formation or Boshoek Formation, which is lenticular there, and on top of the Boshoek Formation in the east of the basin. The unit is unconformably overlain by the Dwaalheuwel Formation. The type-locality for the Hekpoort Formation is the Hekpoort farm (504 IQ Hekpoort), ca. 60 km to the west-southwest of Pretoria. However, no stratotype has ever been proposed. A lectostratotype, i.e., the Mooikloof area in Pretoria East, that can be enhanced by two reference stratotypes are proposed herein. The Hekpoort Formation was deposited in a cratonic subaerial setting, forming a large igneous province (LIP) in which short-termed localised ponds and small braided river systems existed. It therefore forms one of the major Palaeoproterozoic magmatic events on the Kaapvaal Craton.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document