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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
A mixed-age classed 'pelycosaur' aggregation from South Africa: Earliest evidence of parental care in amniotes?
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Volume 274, No. 1627, Year 2007
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Description
Living species of mammals, crocodiles and most species of birds exhibit parental care, but evidence of this behaviour is extremely rare in the fossil record. Here, we present a new specimen of varanopid 'pelycosaur' from the Middle Permian of South Africa. The specimen is an aggregation, consisting of five articulated individuals preserved in undisturbed, close, lifelike, dorsal-up, subparallel positions, indicating burial in 'life position'. Two size classes are represented. One is 50% larger than the others, is well ossified, has fused neurocentral sutures and is distinguished by a coat of dermal ossifications that covers the neck and shoulder regions. We regard this individual to be an adult. The remaining four skeletons are considered to be juveniles as they are approximately the same size, are poorly ossified, have open neurocentral sutures and lack dermal ossifications. Aggregates of juvenile amniotes are usually siblings. Extant analogues of adult and juvenile groupings suggest that the adult is one of the parents, leading us to regard the aggregation as a family group. The Late Middle Permian age of the varanopid family predates the previously known oldest fossil evidence of parental care in terrestrial vertebrates by 140 Myr. © 2007 The Royal Society.
Authors & Co-Authors
Botha, Jennifer
South Africa, Bloemfontein
National Museum, Bloemfontein
South Africa, Bloemfontein
University of the Free State
Modesto, Sean Patrick
Canada, Sydney
Cape Breton University
Statistics
Citations: 55
Authors: 2
Affiliations: 3
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1098/rspb.2007.0803
ISSN:
09628452
Study Locations
South Africa