Original paper
Pareiasaurus serridens Owen, 1876 (Reptilia: Pareiasauria) from the Usili-Formation (Late Permian) of Kingori, Ruhuhu Basin, Tanzania and its biochronological significance
Maisch, Michael W.
Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen Band 317 Heft 3 (2026), p. 271 - 285
51 references
published: Jul 17, 2026
published online: Apr 24, 2026
manuscript accepted: Mar 29, 2026
manuscript received: Dec 30, 2025
DOI: 10.1127/njgpa/1315
ArtNo. ESP155031703003, Price: 29.00 €
Abstract
A partial pareiasaurian mandible with dentition from the Usili Formation of Kingori (Ruhuhu Basin, SW-Tanzania) can be confidently identified as Pareiasaurus serridens Owen, 1876 via detailed apomorphy-based morphological comparison. This is the first definite record of the taxon from the Ruhuhu Basin. Its biochronological significance is discussed, and it is concluded that it provides further confirmation to the formerly proposed correlation of the Usili Formation at Kingori with the lower Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone of the South African Karoo Basin (Beaufort Group). This is also supported by available data from dicynodont, gorgonopsian and therocephalian synapsids that were found at the same stratigraphic level as the Pareiasaurus serridens specimen at Kingori. There is no definite evidence for older faunas corresponding to the South African Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone at the Kingori locality. The recent announcement of inostranceviine gorgonopsians from the lowermost Usili Formation also supports this assignment, which nevertheless must not be necessarily applicable to the entire formation, which probably contains faunal assemblages of variable age.
Keywords
Amniota • Pareiasauria • taxonomy • biochronology • Late Permian • East Africa • South Africa