Heritage Cases

Our previous fieldworks at the Oviston Nature Reserve in 2019 and 2020 has unraveled an unprecedented wealth of fossils and has confirmed the presence a complete Permian-Triassic boundary (PTB) at the Oviston Nature Reserve (Makuwa, 2021). The PTB is a geological horizon that corresponds to the most important event in the history of life: the mass extinction of about 90% of living species some 252 million years ago (Smith and Botha-Brink, 2014; Botha et al., 2020). Geological sections throughout this event on the continental realm are rare (Smith and Botha-Brink, 2014; Botha et al., 2020) and thus mapping fossil distribution of fossils in the Oviston area is crucial and of global scientific significance to understanding this extinction event. In this respect, our research team would like to go back to the Oviston Nature Reserve from the 23 August to 3 September 2020 in order carry on working its geology, look for more fossil material in the Nature Reserve, and record their GPS coordinate for the GIS database. As per the last two trips, the fossils that are already in an advanced stage of erosion will be rescued, collected and preserved in the fossil collections of the Evolutionary Studies Institute of the University of the Witwatersrand. In addition: in order to help develop palaeotourism at the Oviston Nature Reserve, we hereby propose to: - 1) train the rangers of the reserve to basic paleontology an in order for them to be able to give conduct fossil tours of the reserve. This initiative will be assisted by a palaeontologist from Oviston, and a Wits former student, Dr. Marc Van Den Brandt. - 2) collect one of the Lystrosaurus skeleton (specimen n°09-10-2020, GPS S30 44.487' E25 44.262' in Makuwa, 2021) for preparation and cleaning in order to restore it to the Oviston Nature Reserve for display on the upcoming fossil trail. Therefore, we hereby humbly ask for your authorisation to prospect and collect fossils at the Oviston Nature Reserve between the 23 August to the 1 September 2021. Methods: The localities of all fossils will be logged using GPS, photographed, and recording of geological, stratigraphic and taphonomic details will be undertaken before excavation. Fossils are usually discovered on the surface but will be excavated where appropriate using handheld tools. Fragile fossils will be consolidated with Paraloid B72 and, for larger specimens, plaster of Paris. Fossil material will be transported back to the collections of the Evolutionary Studies Institute for safe storage. Fossils will be prepared by experienced preparators at the ESI fully equipped facility using tungsten-carbide tipped air-scribes.