South African Fauna Research Articles

Charles Darwin's discovery of Devonian fossils in the Falkland Islands, 1833, and its controversial consequences

Abstract In March 1833 Charles Darwin discovered Devonian fossils in the Falkland Islands. He was excited by his find but could have had little premonition of the long-running geological controversy that he was initiating. Darwin's fossils matched a coeval South African fauna and, as further collections were made, the association was apparently strengthened. A particularly important contribution arose around 1910 through collaborations between a local collector, Constance Allardyce, and professional palaeontologists: Ernest Schwarz in South Africa and John Clarke in the USA. The accumulating evidence was seized upon by the early proponents of ‘displacement theory’ – continental drift – notably Alexander Du Toit, who relocated the Falkland Islands northward for his 1927 South Atlantic reconstruction. A more radical, but geologically sounder proposal arose in 1952 when Ray Adie suggested that the Falkland Islands, rotated through 180°, had originated as the eastward culmination of the Cape Fold Belt and Karoo Basin. In effect, Adie had presciently described a rotated microplate, perhaps the first on record. An opposing view saw the Falkland Islands as part of a fixed, South American promontory, and argument around these two contrasting interpretations of South Atlantic geology continues to the present day.

A systematic revision of the South African Gymnobisiidae (Pseudoscorpiones: Neobisioidea).

The South African fauna of Gymnobisiidae pseudoscorpions is revised. Originally containing only three species in a single genus (Gymnobisium Beier, 1931), results of this study show that there are eight distinct species of the genus within South Africa, five of which are new to science, namely G. capense sp. nov., G. cuneatum sp. nov., G. hogsbackense sp. nov., G. megalodontum sp. nov. and G. prionotogladiatum sp. nov. Three of these, namely G. cuneatum sp. nov., G. hogsbackense sp. nov., and G. inukshuk Harvey and Giribet, 2016 (which is a rare troglobite), are short-range endemics and threatened by habitat loss. Most of the other species, with the exception of G. quadrispinosum (Tullgren, 1907), have small distribution ranges. They are predominantly found inhabiting moist leaf litter of indigenous forests along the coastal provinces, indicating either a low dispersal ability or high niche specificity in these pseudoscorpions. The lack of dense, shaded vegetation between isolated forest patches seems to act as a dispersal barrier for many of the species.

New Notophthiracarus species (Acarina, Oribatida, Phthiracaridae) and overview of the distribution of the genus in South Africa.

Notophthiracarus (Oribatida, Phthiracaridae) is a large genus of ptyctimous oribatid mites with species in Australasian, Ethiopian, Neotropical, Oriental and Subantarctic regions, mostly in tropical and subtropical areas. Herein, we describe two new species from the Western Cape of South Africa: Notophthiracarus sidorchukae Niedbała sp. nov. and Notophthiracarus spathulatus Niedbała sp. nov. Each is represented by adult specimens collected from soil in a coastal forest in the Kaaimansgat estuary, the only documented locality. These two bring the known South African fauna of Notophthiracarus to 31 species, all of which are either indigenous or endemic. A review of distributional data shows that within South Africa most species have been recorded from southern, eastern and northeastern parts, and are most prevalent near the coast, where woody vegetation dominates.

DNA barcoding as a tool to facilitate the taxonomy of hermit crabs (Decapoda: Anomura: Paguroidea)

DNA barcoding has become an important aspect in biodiversity research, but is ineffective without comprehensive databases that can relate molecular sequences to scientific names. Hermit crabs, or paguroids, are an important component of the marine benthos, and are vastly understudied in southern Africa, a globally important bioregion. The study provides 194 cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcode sequences (> 550 bp) of 43 nominal and 12 putative species from 19 genera and four families of Paguroidea. Preliminary COI-based phylogenetic analysis suggested some overall pattern of monophyly in the Parapaguridae and PaguristesDana, 1851 and DardanusPaulˊson, 1875. Large groups in Diogenidae, however, such as CalcinusDana, 1851 and DiogenesDana, 1851, were recovered as poly- or paraphyletic. Testing the dataset for barcoding efficacy revealed that the technique can reach identification rates near 100% success. A barcoding gap was apparent for almost all but one problematic taxon. The optimum threshold range to discriminate between species for this set of data was calculated at 3.7–3.9%, although the overall mean intraspecific distance was well below 1%. Furthermore, glaucothoe larvae of two deep-water paguroids were matched to names in the new molecular library. The COI marker alone, however, did not provide clear species identifications in three problematic species, Areopaguristes cf. jousseaumei (Bouvier, 1892), Goreopagurus pooreiLemaitre & McLaughlin, 2003, and Pagurus cuanensisBell, 1846. Despite the dataset having considerable species coverage of 55 total taxa, it is still estimated to be only about 50% complete in terms of the South African fauna. Future work should therefore increase coverage to other species in South Africa and expand geographic coverage for widely distributed species.

The zoological contributions of Andrew Smith (1797–1872) with an annotated bibliography and a numerical analysis of newly described animal species

The army surgeon Andrew Smith studied South African fauna when he was the first Superintendent of the South African Museum in Cape Town. He visited some interior parts of the country, especially as commander of the Expedition for Exploring Central Africa in 1834–1836. His early work was published in rare and obscure journals printed in Cape Town, like the Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser, the South African Commercial Advertiser and the South African Quarterly Journal. After his return to England in 1836, he exhibited animals found during his expeditions and he started to publish the Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa, which appeared in 28 parts between 1838 and 1849 and was splendidly illustrated by George Henry Ford. The bibliography of all works authored by Smith is reconstructed here in detail, including for the first time items published in the Kaapstads Courant en Afrikaansche Berigter. It is found that he was the author of 142 works between 1819 and 1849. In these works, he described many new species. The name Accipiter selbyii A.Smith, 1829 was rediscovered. Some of the new names are now considered unavailable for purposes of zoological nomenclature, due to incorrect spellings, names without proper descriptions or emendations. However, he is known to be the first author of 76 generic names (67 available, 9 unavailable) and 558 specific names (460 available and 98 unavailable). At least 257 specific names are still in current use for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fishes. Andrew Smith was a true pioneer of South African zoology.

On some sea cucumbers (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) from off the south and west coasts of South Africa collected by the South African Environmental and Observation Network (SAEON).

Twenty four specimens of holothuroids recently received from the South African Environmental and Observation Network (SAEON), collected from off the south and west coasts of South Africa, are herein recorded and/or described. The specimens comprise eight nominal and one indeterminate species and represent both shallow-water and deep-sea forms, distributed from Plettenberg Bay to just north of Lambert's Bay in the Western Cape Province. There are no new species but two new records for the South African region and extensions of horizontal and bathymetric distributions of the other species. Additions to the South African fauna are Zygothuria lactea (Théel, 1886) and Synallactes cf. challengeri (Théel, 1886). The paper also contains the first definite record of Thyone venusta Selenka, 1868, originally described from the Red Sea. Distribution ranges of the following species have been altered Synallactes viridilimus Cherbonnier, 1952; S. mollis Cherbonnier, 1952 and Psuedostichopus langeae Thandar, 2009.

Review of the fish parasitic genus Ceratothoa Dana, 1852 (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cymothoidae) from South Africa, including the description of two new species.

The genus Ceratothoa Dana, 1852 is revised for South African waters and re-diagnosed. Ceratothoa retusa (Schioedte & Meinert, 1883) is recorded from the eastern coast, and Ceratothoa africanae sp. n. and C. famosa sp. n. are described; C. imbricata (Fabricius, 1775) and C. trigonocephala (Leach, 1818), are redescribed, revised and excluded from the South African fauna. Ceratothoa africanae sp. n. can be distinguished by the stout body shape of the female; triangular cephalon with a pointed rostrum; short uropods which do not extend past the pleotelson; large carinae on the pereopod basis; a broad pleon; and large medial lobes on female pleopods. Ceratothoa famosa sp. n. is characterised by the long rectangular body shape; pereonite 1 with a raised medial protrusion; narrow antenna with antennule article 1 expanded; uropods which reach the posterior margin of the pleotelson; narrow rami on uropods; and no appendix masculina on pleopod 2 of the male specimens.

The phylogeny of monkey beetles based on mitochondrial and ribosomal RNA genes (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Hopliini)

Monkey beetles (Hopliini) are a large clade of flower and leaf feeding species within the Scarabaeidae (chafers) with greatest diversity in southern Africa. Their internal relationships and sister group affinities have not been studied with DNA methods. We used partial gene sequences for 28S rRNA, cytochrome oxidase I (cox1) and 16S rRNA (rrnL) for 158 species, representing most recognized subfamilies of Scarabaeidae, including 46 species of Hopliini. Combined analyses using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference under the two preferred alignment parameters recovered the Hopliini as monophyletic. Hopliines were inserted at the base of a clade of Cetoniinae+Rutelinae+Dynastinae, being either recovered as their immediate sister group, or as part of an expanded set of basal branches that also includes the tribe Macrodactylini which has been classified as part of the Melolonthinae (may chafers). At the level of subtribes, we found Hopliina paraphyletic with respect to Pachycnemina which also includes the monophyletic clade of Heterochelina and Gymnolomina. Trait mapping under parsimony on the preferred tree resulted in inferences of three independent origins of sexual dimorphism, which coincided with shifts to ‘flower-embedding’ pollination. In contrast, night active taxa, which are general phyllophages as other pleurostict chafers, never show clear sexual dimorphism. South African lineages include several deep-branching lineages. The exceptional morphological and phylogenetic diversity of the South African fauna may therefore be due to their antiquity, in addition to sexual selection in the day-active lineages. Phylogenetic studies of the endemic South African plant radiations have demonstrated the repeated evolutionary shift to beetle pollination, but it remains to be investigated if this is driven by the hopliine pollinators present in the bioregion or by a propensity of the local plant lineages favoring this pollination syndrome.

A new model Gondwanan taxon: systematics and biogeography of the harvestman family Pettalidae (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi), with a taxonomic revision of genera from Australia and New Zealand.

The phylogeny of the temperate Gondwanan harvestman family Pettalidae is investigated by means of a new morphological matrix of 45 characters, and DNA sequence data from five markers, including two nuclear ribosomal genes (18S rRNA and 28S rRNA), one nuclear protein coding gene (histone H3), and two mitochondrial genes-one protein coding (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) and one ribosomal (16S rRNA). Phylogenetic analyses using an array of homology schemes (dynamic and static), criteria (parsimony and maximum likelihood), and sampling strategies (optimal trees versus Bayesian phylogenetics) all agree on the monophyly of Pettalidae as well as several of its subclades, each of which is restricted to a modern landmass. While most genera as traditionally defined are monophyletic, Rakaia and Neopurcellia, distributed across Queensland (Australia) and New Zealand, are not. Instead, the species from Queensland, previously described under three genera, constitute a well-supported clade, suggesting that in this case biogeography prevails over traditional taxonomy. A taxonomic emendation of the genera from Queensland and New Zealand is presented, and the new genus Aoraki is erected to include the species of the New Zealand denticulata group. A biogeographical hypothesis of the relationships of the former temperate Gondwana landmasses (with the exception of Madagascar) is presented, although ambiguity in the deep nodes of the pettalid tree renders such inference provisional. The data suggest that neither the South African fauna, the New Zealand fauna nor the Australian fauna is monophyletic but instead monophyly is found at smaller geographic scales (e.g., Western Australia, Queensland, NE South Africa).

Permian-Triassic boundary in the central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica

The Permian-Triassic boundary occurs within a relatively complete terrestrial sequence in the Shackleton Glacier area of the central Transantarctic Mountains. The boundary is within a 7- to 10-m-thick interval between the Permian Glossopteris flora and the Lower Triassic Lystrosaurus fauna. This interval, representing on the order of 200 k.y., records some of the events that occurred in the transition from the Permian to Triassic. In the best-documented section at Graphite Peak in the Beardmore Glacier region, Protohaploxypinus microcorpus zone palynomorphs, which we assign to the latest Permian, record the declining Glossopteris flora and occur near the top of the Buckley coal measures, just below a previously reported major negative δ13C excursion. In the Shackleton Glacier area, the Permian Glossopteris flora, including fossil wood, roots, and leaves, occurs within the lower part of the Fremouw Formation. The Antarctic Lystrosaurus assemblage of Early Triassic age has several species in common with the South African fauna that lived 20° to 35° closer to the equator. The migration of vertebrates from southern Africa into Antarctica in the Early Triassic supports hypotheses of runaway greenhouse warming possibly related to CO2 emissions from Siberian flood basalts and large methane gas releases. Changes in flora bracketing the first of the major negative δ13C anomalies near the boundary in Antarctica and in East Greenland support the hypothesis that a global event, perhaps through mutations caused by enhanced ultraviolet radiation, may have played a role in the destruction of floras.

Vulnerability of South African animal taxa to climate change

AbstractThe responsiveness of South African fauna to climate change events is poorly documented and not routinely incorporated into regional conservation planning. We model the likely range alterations of a representative suite of 179 animal species to climate change brought about by the doubling of CO2concentrations. This scenario is expected to cause a mean temperature increase of 2 °C. We applied a multivariate climate envelope approach and evaluated model performance using the most comprehensive bird data set. The results were encouraging, although model performance was inconsistent in the eastern coastal area of the country. The levels of climate change induced impacts on species ranges varied from little impact to local extinction. Some 17% of species expanded their ranges, 78% displayed range contraction (4–98%), 3% showed no response and 2% became locally extinct. The majority of range shifts (41%) were in an easterly direction, reflecting the east–west aridity gradient across the country. Species losses were highest in the west. Substantially smaller westward shifts were present in some eastern species. This may reflect a response to the strong altitudinal gradient in this region, or may be a model artifact. Species range change (composite measure reflecting range contraction and displacement) identified selected species that could act as climate change indicator taxa. Red‐data and vulnerable species showed similar responses but were more likely to display range change (58% vs. 43% for all species). Predictions suggest that the flagship, Kruger National Park conservation area may loose up to 66% of the species included in this analysis. This highlights the extent of the predicted range shifts, and indicates why conflicts between conservation and other land uses are likely to escalate under conditions of climate change.

Gondwanan Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera)? Systematics and Biology of the Ectoedemia (Fomoria) Vannifera Group

cient families of Lepidoptera. On the basis of the very wide distribution of many genera and subgenera (e.g. Stigmella Schrank, which is known from all continents except Antarctica), and the unlikelihood of successful inter-continental dispersal by moths which show such a high degree of monophagy, Scoble (1983) postulated that the family originated before the break-up of Pangaea into Laurasia and Gondwana, i.e. 150 to 180 million years ago. Although very few lepidopteran, and no nepticulid fossils are known from the Jurassic, such an early date has recently been corroborated by the discovery of leaf-mines from the middle Cretaceous (97 million years BP) of North America (Labandeira et al. 1994). At least one of these mines can be unambiguously assigned to a modern subgenus (Ectoedemia Busck subgenus Ectoedemia), and even shares the host-plant superfamily of its closest present-day relatives. It is clear that the Nepticulidae had already undergone a considerable period of evolution by this date. In a group of such age and presumed low dispersal ability, one would expect to be able to detect vicariance patterns among the faunas of different landmasses caused by the break-up of the continents during the late Mesozoic and early Tertiary. The history of the break-up of the great southern continent of Gondwana is now well documented (e.g. Owen 1981, Scotese et al. 1988) and cladistic relationships congruent with this history have been demonstrated in other groups of insects of comparable age (for example Chironomidae (Diptera): Brundin 1966; Ephemeroptera: Edmunds 1975). However, as is true of so many groups, knowledge of the southern hemisphere nepticulid fauna is in its infancy compared to that of the northern hemisphere. Apart from the revision of the New Zealand Nepticulidae by Donner & Wilkinson (1989), the works of Vari (1955, 1963) and Scoble (see references in Hoare et al. 1997) on the South African fauna remain, taken together, the only comprehensive review of a southern hemisphere fauna. Nothing has been published on the South American fauna apart from a few scattered species descriptions (Zeller 1877, Meyrick 1915, 1931, Bourquin 1961) and a very brief review of known host-plant associations (Nielsen 1985). Only 19 species have so far been described from Australia (see Hoare et al. 1997; Hoare in press), and only two from South-east Asia. It is perhaps therefore not surprising that no group of Nepticulidae has

First record of the sea anemoneMetridium senilefrom South Africa

A sea anemone new to the South African fauna is reported from Table Bay Harbour and is identified as Metridium senile. The population was probably introduced from Europe and although well established, appears to be restricted to the harbour area.

Paléoécologie et vicariance: Les faunes de vertébrés terrestres du sommet du Trias inférieur (zone à Cynognathus) en Afrique Australe et en Amérique du Sud

The composition of the Late Lower Triassic vertebrate faunas from South Africa and South America is briefly analysed. The South American fauna from the Puesto Viejo Formation and the South African fauna from the Burgersdorp Formation are interpreted as vicarious. The smaller size of the South American forms, as compared with the South African ones, can be explained only by ecological differences between the two territories. The nature of these differences is discussed; an important rôle is attributed to volcanic activity, known only on the South American side.

The relations between the South African fauna and the terrestrial and limnic animal life of the southern cold temperate zone

In principle, the fauna of the southern temperate zone should present a general distribution pattern similar to that of the northern temperate zone. The rich invertebrate material preserved in the early Tertiary Baltic amber indicates that, at that time, the similarity was much closer than it is today. But during the Tertiary the cooling climate, in the north, resulted in the recession and extinction of many of those organisms which were rigidly fixed to a certain combination of environmental factors. The Pleistocene glaciations very effectively put a stop to the existence of many such invertebrate species and species groups whose relatives are now regarded as typical relicts. There is no doubt that the influence of the ice ages was comparatively small in the southern temperate zone of the Old World compared to what happened in the north. As regards the African continent it has been supposed that the highest areas in southern Africa, the Maluti Range in eastern Basutoland, at that time were covered with ice. But it was not so. On visiting that area we found that it has been free from ice, and moreover, that it is inhabited by an interesting, largely endemic fauna. Likewise, there is nothing indicating that the South Atlantic islands, the Tristan group and Gough Island, were capped with ice or carried isolated glaciers during the Pleistocene glaciations. Comparatively unchanged climatic conditions made the survival of the preglacial fauna possible.

Natural History in Natal

WE have the pleasure of congratulating the trustees, and the colony generally, on the appearance of the hand-somely illustrated report mentioned below,1 which inaugurates what is practically a new era as regards scientific progress in Natal. As the museum was only opened to the public on November 30, 1904, the report is devoted almost entirely to an account of the building and the condition and extent of its collections at that date. It is, however, satisfactory to learn that, under the direction of Dr. E. Warren, the institution is already of considerable educational value to the colony, and that it promises to be still more so in the near future. One of the questions which, as in all such cases, exercised the minds of the authorities at starting was whether the museum was to be solely devoted to local exhibits or was to contain a representative general series. So far as zoology is concerned, the question has been decided in favour of the latter alternative, and it has been also settled that local and foreign specimens are in the main to be exhibited in one series. Whether these are the most satisfactory conclusions it is not for us to say, but we may at any rate welcome the announcement that the antelopes and other ungulates, which form the most striking—and at the same time a fast disappearing—feature in the South African fauna, are to have a separate gallery for their display. Good progress has already been made with this portion of the collection, and, if we may judge by a photograph of one portion of the “ungulate room,” the mounting of the specimens, as exemplified by. a group of waterbuck, and the ample amount of case-room provided, will render this part of the collection as attractive and striking as its representative in our own Natural History Museum. We are glad to see that the example set by the latter institution of mounting the specimens either on artificial ground-work or on earth-covered (in place of polished sycamore) stands, has been adopted by the director, and we may express the hope that no efforts will be spared to render this series as complete as possible before it is too late.

The Fauna of South Africa; Mammals

IN our review of the “Birds of South Africa” (vol. i.), published earlier in the year, reference was made to the scope of the present series of volumes and the peculiarities of the South African fauna; and it will therefore be unnecessary to recapitulate what has been there written. In the introduction to the volume before us Mr. Sclater remarks that since 1832 no one has attempted to give a complete account of the mammals of South Africa, attention having been concentrated by writers on this subject to the larger forms which constitute the chief attraction to sportsmen and travellers. Accordingly, in the case of the smaller representatives of the class the author has practically a clear field before him, much labour being necessary to collect and collate the numerous papers which have been written of late years on the Rodents and other small mammals of Africa. This portion of his subject is, however, reserved for the second volume; and at present we have only to consider how Mr. Sclater has treated the section dealing with the larger types of mammalian life. The Fauna of South Africa; Mammals. Vol. i. Primates, Carnivora and Ungulata. By W. L. Sclater. Pp. xxx + 324; illustrated. (London: Porter, 1900.)

Oriental Affinities in the Ethiopian Insect-Fauna

MANY naturalists have already drawn attention to the Indian affinities in the African fauna; in other words, the zoological relationship between the Oriental and Ethiopian regions. The late Dr. Stoliczka has pointed this out in the Malayan ornithology; Mr. Wallace has described the same thing in the mammalia and birds of West Africa, these possessing “a special Oriental or even Malayan element”. He has also drawn attention to the Oriental element in the Ethiopian reptiles and amphibia, and to the many cases of the same in the South African fauna. Mr. Blandford has treated of the “African element in the fauna of India”, more particularly as regards the mammalia; and the late Mr. Blyth has shown the ancient date of this relationship from the evidence afforded by the Siwâlik deposits. Mr. Murray has even inclined to the opinion that the Indo-Malayan region should be included with that of Africa, south of the Sahara.