GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - A new fossil centre, Karoo Origins, opens to the public in Graaff-Reinet on 3 April.
This remarkable facility is an educational and research centre to explore the palaeontological and geological superlatives of the Karoo.
The centre, which has a collaborative agreement with the University of the Witwatersrand, is run by Professor Bruce Rubidge, who headed the Evolutionary Studies Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand for more than 30 years.
International importance
Karoo Origins already serves as a field base for local and international scientists actively involved in research on the rocks and fossils of the Karoo.
The world-class fossil display showcases the geological history of the Karoo and its remarkable fossil story which includes the origin of dinosaurs, tortoises, crocodiles, and especially mammals.
Karoo Origins is based around the internationally renowned Rubidge Fossil Collection which was housed on Wellwood, the Rubidge family farm near Graaff-Reinet, for 91 years.
The collection was amassed through the enthusiasm of farmer Sidney Rubidge who developed a passion for palaeontology late in life.
Collection origin
This collection resulted from a simple question that Rubidge's ten-year old daughter Peggy asked him in 1934: “Daddy, what are fossils?”. In response Sidney took his family on a picnic to a rocky outcrop on his farm.
This outing resulted in the discovery of the remarkably complete skull of a large flesh-eating therapsid mammal-like reptile, which was described as a new species, Dinogorgon rubidgei, by the internationally acclaimed palaeontologist Dr Robert Broom.
Holotype specimens
This discovery sparked the search for more and, for a decade during the 1930s and 1940s, resulted in the impressive Rubidge Karoo fossil collection that facilitated understanding of Permian and Triassic animals of southern Africa.
An important feature of the Rubidge Collection is the very large number of holotype specimens. A holotype is the reference specimen of a newly described species.
As all 107 of these holotype specimens are on display, Karoo Origins has the distinction of displaying the greatest number of fossil holotype specimens in any exhibit.
Reptilian fossils
“The Rubidge Fossil Collection contains a wide diversity of fossil ‘reptile’ species that lived between 260 and 250 million years ago," said Rubidge.
"At that time, the most abundant land-living vertebrates were therapsid mammal-like reptiles, the most distant ancestors of mammals.”
The rocks of the Karoo Supergroup, deposited from 300 to 180 million years ago, are internationally renowned for their wealth of ancient fossil reptiles that lived during the existence of the supercontinent of Gondwana.
This giant continent included the present-day Africa, South America, Madagascar, India, Antarctica and Australia. Karoo fossils are found on all these continents as there was free faunal interchange - the Rubidge Collection is thus of international importance.
Rock outcrops north of Graaff-Reinet hold the best record on land of the greatest global mass extinction event of all times.
This occurred 252 million years ago, at the end of the Permian Period, and obliterated 90% of species.
Journey into the past
The displays at Karoo Origins provide an ideal venue to enlighten the public about past extinctions and speculate on the outcomes of the current sixth extinction.
“What is being created here is an exciting experience and journey into the distant past. We are looking forward to welcoming anyone with an interest in palaeontology, whether it be amateurs with a general interest in the geological history and fossils of the Karoo to local and international scientists, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students,” said Rubidge.
For more information contact, Professor Bruce Rubidge on bruce.rubidge@wits.ac.za or Marina Rubidge on marina@fossilcentre.co.za.
