On a Collection of Karroo Vertebrates from Tanganyika Territory

Abstract

I. Introduction The vertebrate bones described and discussed in this paper are part of a consignment sent for examination by Dr. E. O. Teale, Director of the Tanganyika Geological Survey, and collected by Mr. G. M. Stockley of that Survey in the Ruhuhu area of Tanganyika Territory. Gathered as they were during the course of a survey undertaken primarily for the study of the economic possibilities of the area, the bones consist almost entirely of weathered pieces picked up on the surface. They were sent to Cape Town in seven boxes, each piece of bone being marked with a special number which corresponded to a locality on Mr. Stockley's field-sheets.Examination showed that some of the fragments could be accurately fitted to make more or less complete bones or recognizable parts of a skeleton; in some cases fragments said to come from different localities were found to fit together, owing to errors in marking. Many others remained isolated, for one of two reasons: either the bone had been broken and rolled before being buried in the sediments, or the remainder of the pieces that were originally attached to it had not been collected. Enough, however, has already been found to show that Mr. Stockley has discovered an area of great interest to students of the Karroo vertebrate material; and my thanks are due to him and to Dr. Teale for the opportunity of studying this interesting but tantalizing collection. The following pages contain a description of the bearing