Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone

Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone
Stratigraphic range: Changhsingian
~254.5–251 Ma
↓
Daptocephalus leoniceps
TypeBiozone
Unit ofBeaufort Group within Adelaide Supgroup
Sub-unitsUpper Teekloof Formation west of 24°E
Balfour Formation east of 24°E
UnderliesLystrosaurus Assemblage Zone
OverliesCistecephalus Assemblage Zone
Thicknessup to 1,640.42 ft (500.00 m)
Location
LocationKaroo Basin
RegionNorthern & Eastern Cape, Free State
Country South Africa
Type section
Named forDaptocephalus
Named byJames Kitching, Bruce Rubidge, Pia Viglietti

The Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod assemblage zone or biozone found in the Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group, a majorly fossiliferous and geologically important Group of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa.[1][2][3][4] This biozone has outcrops located in the upper Teekloof Formation west of 24°E, the majority of the Balfour Formation east of 24°E, and the Normandien Formation in the north. It has numerous localities which are spread out from Colesberg in the Northern Cape, Graaff-Reniet to Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, and from Bloemfontein to Harrismith in the Free State.[3] The Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone is one of eight biozones found in the Beaufort Group and is considered Late Permian (Lopingian) in age. Its contact with the overlying Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone marks the Permian-Triassic boundary.[5]

Previously known as the Dicynodon Assemblage Zone, the name of the biozone refers to Daptocephalus, a medium-sized dicynodont therapsid. It is characterized by the presence of this species in co-occurrence with Theriognathus microps, and Dicynodon lacerticeps.[6]

  1. ^ Rubidge, B. S. (1995). Biostratigraphy of the Beaufort Group (Karoo Supergroup). Biostratigraphic series.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference botha smith was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference prop bio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Lucas, S. G. (2009). "Timing and magnitude of tetrapod extinctions across the Permo-Triassic boundary". Journal of Asian Earth Sciences. 36 (6): 491–502. Bibcode:2009JAESc..36..491L. doi:10.1016/j.jseaes.2008.11.016. ISSN 1367-9120.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference changing fluvial was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ van der Walt, Merrill; Day, Michael; Rubidge, Bruce; Cooper, Antony K.; Netterberg, Inge (2010). "A new GIS-based biozone map of the Beaufort Group (Karoo Supergroup), South Africa". Palaeontologia Africana. ISSN 0078-8554.