Fossil Evidence In Southern Africa Flashcards
What are ten important fossil discoveries in South Africa?
Fossilised photosynthetic bacteria Soft-bodied invertebrates Precambrian shells Early terrestrial plants Glossopteris Coelacanth Mammal-like reptiles Early dinosaur Early mammals Early humans
What fossilised photosynthetic bacteria were found?
Cyanobacteria
Where were the Cyanobacteria found?
Barberton
How old were the Cyanobacteria?
3200 million years old
How are fossilised microorganism preserved?
In stromatolites
What are stromatolites?
Laminated rock structures that are formed by fine sedimentary rocks particles trapped and bound by growing microorganisms
Where were the fossils of soft-bodied invertebrates found?
In Namibia
Where were the fossils of Precambrian shells found?
In the Northern Cape
Where were the fossils of early terrestrial plants found?
Grahamstown
Eastern Cape
How old were the fossils of early terrestrial plants found?
350 mya
Where were the Glossopteris fossils found?
Near mooiriver
Estcourt
In KZN
What is the glossopteris?
A primitive plant
How old were the fossils of the glossopteris?
Between 250 and 280 million years old
What is special about the Glossopteris?
It accounts for the largest part of Southern Africa’s coal deposits
What are examples of mammal-like reptiles?
Lystrosaurus
Thrinaxodon
When did the mammal-like reptiles live?
280 to 100 mya
Where were the mammal-like reptiles found?
In the Karoo
What are mammal-like reptiles?
Transitional forms between primitive reptiles and mammals
What is an example of an early dinosaur?
Euskelosaurus
Where were fossils of Euskelosaurus found?
Near Ladybrand in the Free State
Where were other dinosaur bones found?
In the Drakensberg
Maluti Mountains
Where were fossils of early mammals found?
In the Eastern Cape
Lesotho
Where were human fossils found?
The Cradle of Mankind in Gauteng
Sterkfontein caves
What are some examples of early humans?
Mrs Ples
Little Foot
Australopithecus sediba
What are some other examples of fossils that indicate the existence of early humans?
Tools
Rock Drawings
Where were these other indicators of humans found?
Limpopo
Free State
Northwest
