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.
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Dear PSSA members, colleagues, and friends, The 22nd Conference of the Palaeontological Society of southern Africa (PSSA) will be held in Graaff-Reinet, Eastern Cape Province, a historic town with a long palaeontological history. With the world back in full swing so is the PSSA and what better way to kick start a new era than to freshen up the look of the society's website! We have taken a rather unique approach to the colour and design scheme only made possible by the wonderful art of Robyn Brown at Sciism. Blog coming soon Come back soon for stories from the 21st Biannual Conference of the Palaeontological Society of Southern Africa
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