Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The fossiliferous Waaipoort Formation (Witteberg Group, Cape Supergroup), Ganikobis
Formation (Dwyka Group, Karoo Supergroup) and Whitehill Formation (Ecca Group,
Karoo Supergroup) span a protracted period interrupted by a +-45Ma glacial event. This
Late Carboniferous glacial event resulted in a prolonged hiatus in sedimentation as well
as significant erosion in many southern continents of Gondwana. This study
demonstrates how the glacial episode affected faunal composition and changes in
palaeoecology in southern Gondwana across this time period. The Waaipoort shows the
highest overall faunal diversity with relatively high palaeoniscoid diversity within
Ganikobis and Whitehill Formations. This study is unique in correlating Early
Carboniferous - Early Permian fish fauna of South Africa and Namibia specifically, as
well as other parts of southern Gondwana, and includes maps of possible fish migration
routes. This study attempts to refine the body of disjointed knowledge on the taxonomy
and distribution of the fish fauna surrounding this period in southern Gondwana. Three
new Waaipoort taxa are recognised, and several reassigned. Earlier work on Late
Carboniferous fish from Southern Africa has been updated herein to incorporate recent
collections. This has allowed the recognition of up to 15 new palaeonoscoid taxa, some of
which are endemic to this region. Several new taxa are recognised within the Whitehill
Formation fish fauna and a new lectotype for Palaeoniscum. capensis is presented.
Detailed taphonomic and sedimentological studies (with 6 lithologs) of fossil localities
visited in this broad-based study verify the correlation, and impart information often lost
or ignored in pure palaeontological studies on the palaeoecology or palaeoenvironment of
the fauna. Systematic relationships discussed here also serve to strengthen the
palaeobiogeographical correlations between the Gondwanan continents. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die fossie1draende Waaipoort Formasie (Witteberg Groep, Kaap Supergroep), Ganikobis Formasie
(Dwyka Groep, Karoo Supergroep) en Whitehill Formasie (Ecca Groep, Karoo Supergroep) strek
oor 'n uitgebreide tydvak wat 'n periode van vergletsering van ongeveer 45 miljoen jaar insluit.
Hierdie Laat Karboon ystyd het sedimentasieprosesse lank onderbreek en beduidende erosie in
baie van die suidelike kontinente van Gondwana veroorsaak. Die huidige studie toon hoe die
vergletsering die faunistiese samestelling en veranderings in die paleo-ekologie van suidelike
Gondwana beinvloed het. In totaal toon die Waaipoort die grootste faunistiese diversiteit, terwyl 'n
relatief hoe diversiteit ook onder die Palaeoniscoidei van die Ganikobis en Whitehill Formasies
voorkom. Hierdie studie is uniek insoverre dit spesifiek data oor die Vroee Karboon - Vroee Perm
visfauna van Suid-Afrika en Namibie, asook ander gebiede van suidelike Gondwana korrelleer en
kaarte van moontlike migrasieroetes insluit. Die navorsing poog om die groot hoeveelheid
losstaande inligting oor die taksonomie en verspreiding van die visfauna in suidelike Gondwana
te verwerk en te verfyn. Drie nuwe taksa is uit die Waaipoort geidentifiseer en 'n verdere aantal is
geherklassifiseer. Vroeer navorsing oor die Laat Karboon-visse van Suider-Afrika is bygewerk in
die lig van resente versamelings. Dit het die herkenning van tot 15 nuwe taksa onder die
Palaeoniscoidei, waarvan sommige endemies aan hierdie streek is, moontlik gemaak. 'n Aantal
nuwe taksa word onder die visfauna van die Whitehill Formasie aangeteken, saam met 'n nuwe
lektotipe van Palaeoniscum capensis. Gedetailleerde tafonomiese en sedimentologiese analises
van die vindplekke wat tydens hierdie studie ondersoek is en wat 6 vertikale profiele insluit,
ondersteun hierdie korrelasie. Sodoende stel dit inligting beskikbaar wat dikwels gedurende
suiwer paleontologiese studies oor die paleo-ekologie of paleo-omgewing van die fauna verlore sou
gaan of geignoreer sou word. Die sistematiese verwantskappe wat hier bespreek word dien ook
om die paleobiogeografiese ooreenkomste tussen die Gondwana-kontinente te versterk.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50460 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Evans, F. J. (Fiona Jocelyn) |
| Contributors | Smith, R. M. H., Van den Heever, J. A., Long, J. A., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Botany and Zoology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 652 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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