Fields of study

The rocks of the Karoo Basin hold great value in Southern Hemisphere palaeoenvironmental studies due to the extensive and almost uninterrupted fossil record that they host, along with the important palaeoclimate events that they reflect (i.e. the end-Permian mass extinction event and the progressive warming from the Carboniferous to Triassic Periods). Various proxies have been used to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment for the Karoo Basin. Fossil wood is an important and often ‘forgotten’ palaeoclimate proxy that supplies information that cannot be obtained from other proxies. This palaeoclimate information is reflected in the wood’s growth rings and includes: the seasonality of the past climate, the favourability of the growing conditions, the occurrence of environmental stresses and extreme climate conditions (such as drought, frost or fire), and the trees’ habits (i.e. deciduous or evergreen). By studying the Late Permian to Early Triassic fossils woods from the Karoo-aged basins across southern Africa, it will be possible to create a robust palaeoclimate reconstruction for southern Africa. The integration of this fossil wood palaeoclimate reconstruction with those of other palaeoclimate proxies will aid in creating a feasible palaeoclimate reconstruction for the Late Permian to Early Triassic of southern Africa.