​Southern African palaeontology is currently mourning the loss of one of its greats. We are dedicating this #FossilFriday to Charles K. 'Bob' Brain. 

​CK (Bob) Brain passed away peacefully on June 6th at his home in Irene. He was a founder member of the PSSA, Honorary Life Member and also the first President of the Society.

​In his 1977 thesis, James Kitching reported the discovery of a Triassic therocephalian (NMQR389) at a farm he called Oranje, in the Bethulie District. This therocephalian was subsequently re-identified by Dr. Christian Kammerer as a gorgonopsian. If the Triassic age of the outcrops is confirmed, this Triassic gorgonopsian would be an extremely rare occurence, as it would mean it survived the “Great Dying”, 252 million years ago. There are two farms in the Bethulie area that may correspond to Kitching’s Oranje: Orangia, near Donovan’s Kop in the Bethulie District, which is a wellknown Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone locality, and Oranje in the Phillipolis District.