New-York tribune., 1900-04-22
SOUTH AFRICAN FOSSILS.
AN EXCEEDINGLY SMALL PLESIOSAURUS
OTHER EXTINCT REPTILES.
From The London Standard.

From The London Standard
The war has indirectly led to an interesting
scientific discovery in the Cape Colony. Two
members Of the Geological Survey there being
driven away from their work the northern
frontier, went to study the Uitenhage beds on
the lower part of the Sunday River, which en-
ters the sea in Algoa Bay. These beds were
known TO contain remains OF reptiles, though
little had hitherto been found which could be
identified with precision. But this occasion
the explorers were rewarded by discovering a
number of fossil bones projecting from the hill
side and evidently those of reptile. for the
vertebrSe a paddle and jaws could be recog-
nlzed Other bones were subsequently eXhumed.
Thirty eight VertebrR have been obtained, and
both the jaws, with their conical huted teeth
those in front being the largest. with one at
least. of the limbs which in shape bears some
resemblance to paddle
Professionally the skeleton is referred to as
the plesiosaurus. This reptie-weU known TO
European geologists-had a long neck its laws
were armed with formidable teeth and a rough
idea OF It's shape might be given by comparing
II TO a plucke1 swan with paddles for limbs and
a a rather short tail Capable of moving quickly
through the water, and striking all about it
Wlth Its 1.-THE neck and powerful mouth, it must
nave been no less terror to the fishes of the
sea that its contemporary the ichthyosaurus
which. as its name implies, was more like a fish
IN shape, had yet more terrible laws and must
nave rushed at its prey like a shark These
scourges of the deep endured for long upon the
giope-they would not be easily extermnated.
tlne specimens of both have been found in these
islands. in various strata, especially in the OK
d4rG cay near Peterborough, and in other parts
of the j Jurassic system, to which, indeed these
Uitenhagc beds are referred
But II this South African creature be a true
pleSiosaulus' II was either a pygmy species or
itS career was cut short in early youth; for it
Is stated to he only four feet long Now in
england though at their first appearance in the
Lias they comparatively sma1I-fron, aioht
to ten feet long-they have been known after
ward to reach forty feet. But allied genera
nave been identified, and now the old genus
pieslosaurus is often subdivided and that name
restricted to the representatives. found in +be
Las and yet earlier part of the secondary de-
posts. That question doubt will be deter
nnGd t5 Wheh the remains can be carefully
studied. but the old genus has been identi6ed
IN Europe. Asia and America, and a not very
remote relation has been unearthed even in
New-ZeaIand. " "
South Africa has already supplied geologfsts
WIN WIN reptlIa even more interesting than this
among them being a curious creature without
teeth on the palate OF two genera formerly
linked @ under the one name Dicynodon (from two
SIedI teeth' ike canineS), one occurs in India
another in South Africa, and a representative
mas also been found in sandstoneS near Elgin in
2cotlahd' But the most remarkable thing about
theSe South African reptiles is that some of
lheIn present certain structural resembIances to
mammals one of the most remarkable re-
JolceS IN the name of PareiaSaurus Baini and
a very perfect specimen obtained by Professor
II. G SeeIey, is now in the British Museum II
was found in the neighborhOod of Tamhoer
fonteln Cape Colony at the foot of the Nieuw-
Veldt range. AS the professor states it can he
compared with the known groups of reptiles re-
cent and fossil. as well with the mammals;
doI tere Is much to recall the latter in the char
acters of the pelvs, the shoulder girdle and the
iOiS anu Hluu LIllDS In other respects II is
more llke reptile. Still the general outline Of
the skeleton is curously suggestive of some
heavily built. clumsy mammal.
Africa IS indeed a land of geological as we'll
as of other wonders, and with good luck the
pedl&ree OF the mammals may yet be traced to
the point where they branched off from parent
stem, possibly reptilan. The southern part Of
the continent has remained above the sea during
later secondary and tertiary times, so it may
nave been one of the nurseries in which the
larger mammals were developed to take in due
course the place Of the great reptiles.