Fields of study

The rock succession in the main Karoo Basin (MKB) of southern Africa represents ~110 Ma of geological history and is globally renowned for its rich fossil heritage and natural resources. Vertebrate trace fossils in the MKB, particularly the Triassic–Jurassic dinosaur tracks, have been documented abundantly but with little emphasis on the host rock properties and inferred tracking-surface conditions. These, together with microbial activities (e.g., sediment-binding green algae) in and over the tracking surface, strongly influence the morphology and preservation potential of vertebrate tracks. Because morphology is the basis of ichnotaxonomy, which in turn is linked to palaeodiversity and palaeoethology, understanding the influence of substrate conditions on deep-time tracks is critical for palaeontology and palaeo-environmental reconstructions.