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No description available.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Dinocephalians form an important part of the Upper Permian therapsid faunas of South Africa and Russia, and have also recently been reported from China and Brazil, and even more recently a diverse dinocephalian fauna has been described from Zimbabwe. This thesis reports a new primitive tapinocephalid dinocephalian, NHMB 1556, from the Upper Madumabisa Mudstone Formation in Zimbabwe. NHMB 1556 is considered to be closely related to Avenantia and it possesses primitive tapinocephalid characters, but is more derived than Tapinocaninus, the most primitive tapinocephalid dinocephalian known. NHMB 1556 is distinguished from other tapinocephalines by having a groove on the squamosal below its dorsal contact with the parietal, a low squamosal-parietal suture on the posterior border of the temporal fenestra, a vomer which extends posteroventrally and forms the anterior margin of the interpterygoidal vacuity and basisphenoid, which is semi-circular anteroventrally. / AC2017

The thoracic skeletal morphology of homininae is poorly known and understood. As a result of the representative fossil record of ribs and vertebrae being rare, distorted, fragmentary or unrecognised even when recovered, very little is known about the variability of rib and vertebral morphology when compared to the other cranial and postcranial elements in this lineage. Yet the costal skeleton forms a substantial part of the postcranial skeleton and thus ribs and vertebrae are therefore potentially numerous in the fossil record; but in comparison with other skeletal elements, and for the reasons mentioned above, very little is known about vertebrate and especially hominin rib morphology. The assessment of the structure of the thoracic skeletal elements and its evolutionary and ecological significance, particularly in the Homininae, poses a challenge but is still important as the shape and form of the rib cage has numerous functional and behavioural implications. The present study analysed the ribs of selected primate and non-primate mammalian species by examining fifteen variables, seven indices and eight osteological non-metric features. These observations and measurements were compared to ribs found in the fossil record in order to determine if there are any structural correlates between the extant and the extinct hominin and mammalian species and in order to create a template for the identification of hominin ribs within an abundant and diverse mammalian assemblage. The results suggest that the 1st rib, due to its unique morphology, may be considered most diagnostic in differentiating various taxa. In addition, a template for the morphology of the proximal end of the first rib has been created to be used for both the general as well as the specific identification of fossilised fragments, and to determine thoracic shape. The recently recovered costal elements of the Australopithecus sediba fossils were also examined as one of the most abundant assemblages of the elements in the early hominin record in order to add to our understanding of the morphology, and evolution of this poorly known area of hominin anatomy. The thorax of Australopithecus sediba demonstrates a medio-laterally narrow, ape-like upper thoracic shape, which is different from the broad upper thorax of Homo that has been associated with to the locomotor pattern of endurance walking and running. The lower thorax, however, is less laterally-flared than that of apes, and more closely approximates the morphology found in humans. This indicates a mosaic morphology of the thorax during the human evolutionary linage.

A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science University of the Witwatersrand, .Johannesburg for the Degree of Master of Science. / A detailed morphological study of two skulls of Emydops was undertaken by using the serial grinding technique. Graphical, wax modeI and computer-3D reconstructions of various aspects of the skulls were made. The internal structures are described in detail and compared to other small dicyncdonts such as Eodicmodort, Pristerodon, Tropidostpma, Cistecepnalus and Diictodon. The structure of the skull of Emydops conforms within the limits of variation known for this genus, to descriptions given in the literature. It was found that Emydops is different from other dicynoconts in that the parasphen and has a definite suture with the pterygoid anterior to the pterygoidbasisphenoid suture, which is not noticed and mentioned for other dicynodonts, except for Emydops (Olson, 1944). / Andrew Chakane 2018

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, August 1999. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.Sc.-Res.)--University of Wollongong, 2009. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 106-115.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 187-110). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 187-110). Also available on the Internet.

Proefschrift--Leyden. / "Verschijnt tevens al aflevering van de Mededelingen van de Geologische Stichting, serie C, III, 1, no. 5." Summary in Dutch. Bibliography: p. 75-78.