184 Evolution and Distribution of Fishes 



Further the striking similarity in genera, but distinct- 

 ness in species, of plant and animal — not least fish — re- 

 mains, shown between South America and South Africa 

 strongly indicate such an Americo-African connection as 

 DeLapparent figures. We need not here refer in detail 

 to the lists of plants from all of these localities, that indi- 

 cate a marked continuity in the Glossopteris flora, from 

 South America across Africa to Australia and even New 

 Zealand. It will suffice to state that the fauna fundamental- 

 ly shows a like continuity. 



In South Africa the great mass of beds that collectively 

 has been called the Karoo formation was laid down accord- 

 ing to G. S. TI!orstorphine in a great inland lake (/J/: 123) 

 and seems to represent Upper Permian and Triassic beds. 

 According to Hatch and Corstorphine {1^8 : ig^) there 

 are three distinctly marked zones: (i) the uppermost or 

 Stormberg beds, that from their fossils suggest a cor- 

 responding age with the Eastern American beds; (2) the 

 Upper Karoo beds that may be of Bunter; and (3) the 

 Lower Karoo or Ecca beds of probable Permian age. These 

 authors give from the Stormberg a varied plant list of 

 "Glossopteris" type, such fishes as Ceratodus capensis, C. 

 kannemeyeri, Semionotus capensis and Cleithrolepis extoni. 

 Bain and Woodward (13Q : 239) add to these Palaeoniscus 

 bainii, P. sculptus^ and Dictyopyge draperi. An abundant 

 amphibio-reptilian life accompanies all of the above, while 

 Broom (7^0:30) has instituted an interesting comparison 

 between the Karoo genera of these beds and those recorded 

 from the Elgin sandstones of Scotland. 



The affinities of the above-named African fishes — that 

 are all by descent and environment freshwater — are close 

 with species from the Upper Permian and the Triassic of 

 Europe and America. Thus Dictyopyge draperi links 

 North American, British and Swiss species, with others 

 ' — given below — from the Upper Trias, of New South 

 Wales. Semionotus includes world-wide species of the 

 Trias; Cleithrolepis, so far as known, is common only to 

 South Africa and New South Wales. The teeth of Cerato- 

 dus recall those of allied species found only in freshwater 



