571 R. Broom — South African Paleontology. 



Art. XLYIII. — A Review of Recent Advances in South 

 African Yertebrate Paleontology / by R. Broom. 



During the years 1911 and 1912 a greater advance has been 

 made in our knowledge of the Karroo vertebrates than in any 

 previous half dozen years. In part this has been due to the 

 visit to South Africa of Dr. D. M. S. Watson : in part to the 

 ability of Mr. S. R. Haughton as a collector and preparatory 

 now on the staff of the South African Museum ; but mainly 

 has it been due to the industry of the Rev. I. H. Whaits of 

 Beaufort West, and of the veteran collector Mr. Alf. Brown 

 of Aliwal North. 



In almost all of the orders and suborders our knowledge has 

 greatly increased. Watson, Haughton, and Whaits have suc- 

 ceeded in getting so much new Pareiasaurian material that our 

 knowledge of the structure of the group is almost complete. 

 One or two new species have been discovered and a new genus 

 from the Upper Permian which resembles the Russian Pareia- 

 saurs more closely than the typical African forms. 



We have now in hand sufficient remains of 'the Dinocephalia 

 to enable us to publish an almost complete anatomical account 

 of this most interesting group. Though in many w 7 ays con- 

 siderably specialized they are closely related to the American 

 Pelycosaurs, and when the figures of their bones are published 

 it is believed that they will at once be recognized as American 

 types modified to suit other conditions. 



In the Dromasauria we now know the hind foot to be 

 almost typically mammalian with a large tibiale and flbulare, 

 a small centrale situated like the mammalian navicular and 4 

 distal tarsals. A new family is represented by a toothless 

 form. 



Though little has been added to our knowledge of the 

 Therocephalian structure a considerable number of new species 

 and genera have been discovered. 



Much more important has been the great increase in our 

 knowledge of Gorgonops and allied forms. Though in many 

 respects resembling the typical Therocephalian it seems more 

 satisfactory to keep them by themselves in the suborder G-or- 

 gonopsia suggested by Seeley. In the structure of the tem- 

 poral region they agree more closely with the Anomodonts 

 than with the Therocephalians, and in having a single median 

 true vomer they resemble Anomodonts, Cynodonts and mam- 

 mals. Though the digital formula is 2, 3, 4, 5, 3 there is little 

 doubt that both the Anomodonts and Cynodonts have come 

 from a Grorgonopsian ancestor and that thus this suborder is in 

 the direct Mammalian line. 



