Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
M. O. De Kock, A. O. Abubakre
Summary: Paleomagnetic results for a magnetostratigraphic section of Permian rocks in the Karoo Basin of South Africa are reported. The study identifies titanomagnetite as the carrier of the recorded magnetization, which represents the Permian geomagnetic field during a reverse polarity superchron and subsequent mixed polarity interval. The timing of the magnetization is further constrained by Jurassic-aged dolerite intrusions. A paleopole is calculated based on the primary remanence, and the end of the Kiaman Reverse Polarity Superchron is correlated across the basin.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SOLID EARTH
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Sanjay Kumar Mandal, Dirk Scherler, Hella Wittmann
Summary: The study reveals that the erosion rates in the north-western Himalaya region have varied quasi-cyclically over a 6-million-year period, potentially due to tectonic growth affecting landscape equilibrium. The long-term increase in erosion rates is attributed to frequent basal accretion compared to frontal accretion, which confounds climatic interpretations of erosion rate histories.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pia A. Viglietti, Roger B. J. Benson, Roger M. H. Smith, Jennifer Botha, Christian F. Kammerer, Zaituna Skosan, Elize Butler, Annelise Crean, Bobby Eloff, Sheena Kaal, Joel Mohoi, William Molehe, Nolusindiso Mtalana, Sibusiso Mtungata, Nthaopa Ntheri, Thabang Ntsala, John Nyaphuli, Paul October, Georgina Skinner, Mike Strong, Hedi Stummer, Frederik P. Wolvaardt, Kenneth D. Angielczyk
Summary: The study analyzed fossil data from South Africa's Karoo Basin, revealing a period of high extinction rates lasting approximately 1 million years during the Permo-Triassic Transition. This period was characterized by rapid turnover and the emergence of short-lived species, indicating ecosystem instability.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jun Shen, Jiubin Chen, Jianxin Yu, Thomas J. Algeo, Roger M. H. Smith, Jennifer Botha, Tracy D. Frank, Christopher R. Fielding, Peter D. Ward, Tamsin A. Mather
Summary: The Permian mass extinction was caused by volcanic activity in the Siberian Traps, and the land records from southern Pangea provide evidence of long-distance atmospheric transfer of volcanogenic mercury during this event. These findings demonstrate the far-reaching effects of the Siberian Traps and refine the stratigraphic placement of the extinction interval in the Karoo Basin.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Abosede O. Abubakre, Michiel O. de Kock
Summary: The study presents rock and paleomagnetic magnetic analyses of the lower Ecca Group in the southwestern Karoo Basin, South Africa, proposing an Artinskian to Kungurian age for the rocks. By constructing a magnetostratigraphic profile, the first composite profile spanning the entire Ecca Group in the region is produced.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Majid Khan, Shahid Nawaz, Ahmed E. Radwan
Summary: The Himalayan Foreland Fold-belt in the Potwar region of Pakistan has been studied using regional deep reflection seismic and borehole data. Through the analysis of these data, four sedimentary mélange units and several unconformities have been interpreted on seismic records. The study also discovered the presence of a triplex structural geometry and revealed the lowering of shear stress and cohesion due to the Infra-Cambrian salt unconformably lying over the Indian Plate Pre-Cambrian crystalline basement.
JOURNAL OF ASIAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Hepeng Tian, Majie Fan, Victor Valencia, Kevin Chamberlain, Lowell Waite, Robert J. Stern, Matthew Loocke
Summary: This study reports the geochronology and geochemistry of volcanic tuffs in southwestern Laurentia, providing insights into the magmatic sources and plate reorganization related to Laurentia-Gondwana collision. The results suggest a late Cisuralian plate reorganization caused by plate reorganization following Pangea assembly. The change in eHf values of zircons indicates magmatism related to subduction of a paleo-Pacific oceanic plate beneath western Pangea.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Noah F. Hobbs, Jolante W. van Wijk, Ryan Leary, Gary J. Axen
Summary: The interplay between late Paleozoic tectonics at the marginal and intraplate regions of southeastern Laurentia is a subject of debate. This study focuses on the analysis of the Southern Oklahoma Transpressional System (SOTS), a fault zone that extends from the southeastern Laurentian margin into the plate interior. The researchers utilize sedimentary thickness maps and seismic reflection data to reveal the kinematics and driving mechanisms behind the SOTS fault zones.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Xiao Liang, Genhou Wang, Jinhan Gao, Haishui Jiang, Guoli Yuan, Dian Li, Wentao Cao, Yilong Zheng, Qiang Fang, Byung-Su Lee, Soo-In Park, Yaxi Wang, Jia Zhao
Summary: The study on the late Permian-Triassic sedimentary successions in the Central Qiangtang metamorphic belt reveals valuable information about the tectonic environment and associated structures of trench-slope basins. Through a multidisciplinary approach, it is found that these sedimentary successions were mainly deposited during the northward subduction of the Longmu Co-Shuanghu Tethys Ocean beneath the North Qiangtang block, showing regional spatiotemporal variations and providing new insights into the geological evolution of trench-slope basins as well as ancient analogs characterized by extensional tectonism.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Maria Belen Febbo, Renata N. Tomezzoli, Nora N. Cesaretti, Giselle Choque, Natalia B. Fortunatti, Guadalupe Arzadun
Summary: The Claromeco Basin, located in the south-western sector of the Buenos Aires province, Argentina, is considered a foreland basin closely related to the evolution of the southwestern Gondwana margin. This study focuses on the provenance analysis of the Tunas Formation, which represents the last filling stage for the basin. The results reveal that the sedimentary material comes from the Sierras Australes fold and thrust belt located towards the W-SW. The Tunas Formation shows clear differences compared to the underlying units, indicating changes in the basin configuration during the Late Paleozoic.
JOURNAL OF PALAEOGEOGRAPHY-ENGLISH
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Maria Belen Febbo, Renato N. Tomezzoli, Nora N. Cesaretti, Giselle Choque, Natalia B. Fortunatti, Guadalupe Arzadun
Summary: The Tunas Formation in the Claromeco Basin of Argentina represents the final filling stage of the foreland basin and is derived from a mixed source predominantly from the Sierras Australes fold and thrust belt in the W-SW. The composition patterns, paleoenvironmental conditions, and tectonic scenarios of the Tunas Formation differ significantly from the underlying units of the Pillahuinco Group, indicating changes in the basin configuration during the Late Paleozoic due to compressive post-collisional deformation events.
JOURNAL OF PALAEOGEOGRAPHY-ENGLISH
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Amir Naeimi, Seyed Ahmad Alavi, Saeed Madanipour
Summary: In northern Iran, thrust loading and faulting activity have played significant roles in the development of the SE Alborz Mountains. The North Semnan Fault and Peyghambaran Fault have been active in thrust loading and reverse kinematics, while the Attary Fault disrupts the foreland basin due to reverse reactivation. The structural trends and compression directions have changed over time, indicating ongoing contractional deformation in the region.
JOURNAL OF ASIAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Kaixuan Ji, Paul B. Wignall, Jinnan Tong, Yingyue Yu, Wenwei Guo, Wenchao Shu, Daoliang Chu
Summary: In terrestrial settings, the Permo-Triassic mass extinction is commonly associated with changes in sedimentological and climatic conditions. However, a study of North China's terrestrial strata revealed little substantial sedimentological change during this extinction event. The crisis level occurred in the upper Sunjiagou Formation, while a major sedimentological change happened slightly higher, within the lowest Triassic. Despite earlier claims, there was no abrupt transition in fluvial styles around the Permo-Triassic mass extinction.
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
S. Callegaro, H. H. Svensen, E. R. Neumann, A. G. Polozov, D. A. Jerram, F. M. Deegan, S. Planke, O. Shiganova, N. A. Ivanova, N. Melnikov
Summary: The plumbing system of the Siberian Traps Large Igneous Province is mainly located in the Tunguska Basin, with abundant sills intersecting various rock series. Geochemical data shows that the sills in the Tunguska Basin are low-Ti basalt and basaltic andesites, derived from extensive melting of a mantle source with recycled crustal components. Limited amounts of highly radiogenic granitoids or metapelites were assimilated in upper crustal magma reservoirs.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO MINERALOGY AND PETROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Seema Singh, A. K. Awasthi, Yuvika Khanna, Anjali Kumari, Bhart Singh, Ajay Kumar, Chaitanya Popli
Summary: The study focused on the relationship between the color of Cenozoic Himalayan foreland basin sediments and tectonics/climate, revealing specific connections between red and grey facies with tectonic pulses and climate cycles. Further investigations at various temporal and spatial scales are needed to utilize sediment color as an indicator of specific climate.
Article
Biology
Marco Romano, Bruce Rubidge
Summary: This study provides the first body mass estimate for a dinocephalian species based on a well-preserved skeleton, highlighting the importance of volumetric body mass estimates over traditional regression formulae. The findings suggest that the upright posture of Tapinocaninus may be a response to its large body mass, which reaches weights close to a ton for the first time in synapsids.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Paul M. Barrett, Lara Sciscio, Pia A. Viglietti, TimothyJ Broderick, Celina A. Suarez, Glenn R. Sharman, Andrew S. Jones, Darlington Munyikwa, Steve F. Edwards, Kimberley E. J. Chapelle, Kathleen N. Dollman, Michel Zondo, Jonah N. Choiniere
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pia A. Viglietti, Roger B. J. Benson, Roger M. H. Smith, Jennifer Botha, Christian F. Kammerer, Zaituna Skosan, Elize Butler, Annelise Crean, Bobby Eloff, Sheena Kaal, Joel Mohoi, William Molehe, Nolusindiso Mtalana, Sibusiso Mtungata, Nthaopa Ntheri, Thabang Ntsala, John Nyaphuli, Paul October, Georgina Skinner, Mike Strong, Hedi Stummer, Frederik P. Wolvaardt, Kenneth D. Angielczyk
Summary: The study analyzed fossil data from South Africa's Karoo Basin, revealing a period of high extinction rates lasting approximately 1 million years during the Permo-Triassic Transition. This period was characterized by rapid turnover and the emergence of short-lived species, indicating ecosystem instability.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Kathleen N. Dollman, James M. Clark, Pia A. Viglietti, Claire Browning, Jonah N. Choiniere
Summary: The study reexamined the anatomy, taxonomy, systematics, and biostratigraphy of the early-branching crocodylomorph species Notochampsa istedana, confirming it as a valid taxon and placing it as sister to Orthosuchus in a monophyletic Notochampsidae group. The specimen was definitively identified as coming from the Clarens Formation, dating to the Pliensbachian stage, making it the youngest known crocodylomorph occurrence in the Karoo Basin of South Africa.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alienor Duhamel, Julien Benoit, Michael Day, Bruce Rubidge, Vincent Fernandez
Summary: By using X-ray micro computed tomography (CT), this study describes three new juvenile Biarmosuchian skulls from the late Permian of South Africa, distinguishing them from adults by their relatively large orbits, open cranial sutures, and incomplete ossification of the braincase and bony labyrinth. The study provides a list of characters to recognize juvenile Biarmosuchians for the first time.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
David P. Groenewald, Michael O. Day, Cameron R. Penn-Clarke, Bruce S. Rubidge
Summary: The Karoo Supergroup in South Africa is known for its almost continuous Carboniferous to Jurassic deposition in a foreland basin setting, hosting a unique record of fossil tetrapods that provides insight into terrestrial biodiversity change. Recent studies have greatly improved the understanding of litho, bio-, and chronostratigraphy of the Karoo Basin, with a focus on the thicker and better-exposed rocks in the basinal foredeep.
JOURNAL OF AFRICAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Paleontology
Luke A. Norton, Fernando Abdala, Bruce S. Rubidge, Jennifer Botha
Summary: X-ray microtomography imaging of five late Permian cynodont specimens revealed specific patterns of tooth replacement in Cynosaurus, with evidence of two maxillary canine loci in juvenile individuals. The replacement patterns differed between the maxilla and mandible, with the final canine generation having open-rooted apices in both jaws. The postcanine replacement generations showed alternating patterns in maxilla and mandible.
JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Roger M. H. Smith, Jennifer Botha, Pia A. Viglietti
Summary: This study presents sedimentological and taphonomic evidence to support the hypothesis of drought-induced mass death of tetrapods in the earliest Triassic strata of the southern Karoo Basin. The analysis of in-situ fossils reveals the presence of numerous articulated Lystrosaurus skeletons, suggesting that they died during periods of drought and starvation. The study also provides insights into the environmental conditions and evolutionary impact of these episodes of mass death.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Paleontology
Pia A. Viglietti, Alexis Rojas, Martin Rosvall, Brady Klimes, Kenneth D. Angielczyk, Philip Mannion
Summary: This study analysed the Permo-Triassic vertebrate assemblage zones (AZs) in South Africa's Karoo Basin. The results showed that historical frameworks are still reliable in identifying these AZs, but the Cistecephalus AZ may consist of two discrete communities. The study also found that the Lystrosaurus declivis AZ can be traced across all frameworks, indicating a genuine extinction event during this interval.
Article
Paleontology
P. J. Bishop, L. A. Norton, S. Jirah, M. O. Day, B. S. Rubidge, S. E. Pierce
JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Bruce S. Rubidge, Michael O. Day, Julien Benoit
Summary: This study describes a newly discovered specimen of Colobodectes from the lower Abrahamskraal Formation in the southern Karoo Basin. The presence of Colobodectes at this locality suggests an interesting correlation between the base of the Abrahamskraal Formation in the Northern Cape Province and the lower Abrahamskraal Formation in the southwestern part of the basin.
JOURNAL OF AFRICAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Marc J. Van den Brandt, Fernando Abdala, Julien Benoit, Michael O. Day, David P. Groenewald, Bruce S. Rubidge
Summary: Pareiasaurs were relatively abundant herbivorous parareptiles during the mid to late Permian period, with four recognized species and a distribution in South Africa. Through taxonomical and phylogenetic reviews, updated stratigraphical ranges, and diagnoses, the understanding of this group has improved significantly. The Bradysauria, with three valid mid-Permian pareiasaur taxa, are shown to be stratigraphically restricted to the Abrahamskraal Formation of the Beaufort Group, with a staggered appearance and eventual extinction during the Capitanian mass extinction.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christopher Harris, Robert W. Gess, Cameron Penn-Clarke, Bruce S. Rubidge
Summary: Coombs Hill, a new fossil locality in the Witpoort Formation of South Africa, preserves a record of Famennian life in Gondwana, with diverse plant and shelly invertebrate fossils. The high-energy coastal marine setting and unique species composition at Coombs Hill provide important insights into the ecology of high-latitude environments during the Late Devonian period.ONGOING taxonomic analysis will provide a rare window into the ecology of high-latitude environments during this pivotal stage of Earth history, which immediately preceded the end-Devonian extinction.
SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Lara Sciscio, Pia A. Viglietti, Paul M. Barrett, Timothy J. Broderick, Darlington Munyikwa, Kimberley E. J. Chapelle, Kathleen N. Dollman, Steve F. Edwards, Michel Zondo, Jonah N. Choiniere
Summary: Researchers reviewed the stratigraphy of the Upper Karoo Group in the Mid-Zambezi Basin of Zimbabwe, conducted detailed sedimentological work, and identified new vertebrate-bearing sites along the southern shore of Lake Kariba. These findings have enriched the paleontological research in the region and improved the understanding of early Mesozoic ecosystems in southern Gondwana.
GEOLOGICAL MAGAZINE
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
Kenneth D. Angielczyk, Julien Benoit, Bruce S. Rubidge
Summary: Cistecephalids are a distinctive group of Permian dicynodonts with fossorial ecology, showing a highly allopatric distribution and strong interspecific competition. The newly described Kembawacela kitchingi species exhibits unique diagnostic characters, adding to the diversity and complexity of this group.
PAPERS IN PALAEONTOLOGY
(2021)