Abstract
The richness of fossil tetrapods from the Beaufort Group of South Africa has enabled biostratigraphic subdivision of this Permo-Triassic succession, with global applicability. Despite being the thickest of the seven biozones recognised, attempts at further subdivision of the Middle Permian Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone (Abrahamskraal Formation) have not been successful, largely because the exact stratigraphic ranges of fossil taxa are unknown. This gap in knowledge has limited stratigraphic correlation of the Abrahamskraal Formation and hindered understanding of Middle Permian Karoo basin development. Currently, the lowermost Beaufort Group is split between an eastern and a western stratigraphic scheme and, because of poor outcrop and the relative paucity of fossils in the east, stratigraphic correlation between the two areas has been uncertain. Recent fossil discoveries of the parareptile Eunotosaurus africanus in the Eastern Cape and Free State provinces have extended its known geographic range in the east. An additional specimen from the lower Middleton Formation in the Eastern Cape has, for the first time, enabled the biostratigraphic correlation of this unit with the Poortjie Member of the Teekloof Formation in the west. These finds confirm the diachroneity of the boundary between the marine Ecca Group and the terrestrial Beaufort Group.
Highlights
The taxonomic affinity of the enigmatic Permian parareptile Eunotosaurus africanus, recognised in the field by its distinctive broad ribs (Figure 1), has long intrigued palaeontologists
All specimens of Eunotosaurus come from the upper Tapinocephalus and Pristerognathus Assemblage Zones of the Permian Beaufort Group of South Africa[4,5] and most specimens have been recovered from the western part of the Main Karoo Basin (Table 1, Figure 2) where the genus has already been used for biostratigraphic correlation.[6]
The Beaufort Group fossil tetrapod geographic information system (GIS) database[8] was used to project the localities of all specimens of Eunotosaurus onto Google Earth satellite imagery whence their stratigraphic position was deduced from geological maps
Summary
The taxonomic affinity of the enigmatic Permian parareptile Eunotosaurus africanus, recognised in the field by its distinctive broad ribs (Figure 1), has long intrigued palaeontologists. 1 cm Source: Council for Geoscience, Pretoria. In this part of the basin the Tapinocephalus and Pristerognathus Assemblage Zones correspond approximately to the Abrahamskraal Formation and the overlying Poortjie Member of the Teekloof Formation, respectively.[5] Correlation of these biozones with lithostratigraphic units in the east of the basin has been difficult as fossils are less abundant and the Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone was only recently demonstrated to be present in there at all.[7 ] Specimen number Collection Locality District Province Unit
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