Tracking the extinct giant Cape zebra (Equus capensis) on the Cape south coast of South Africa

Tracking the extinct giant Cape zebra (Equus capensis) on the Cape south coast of South Africa

The giant Cape zebra (Equus capensis) is one of the extinct Quaternary large mammal species of southern Africa, and the largest equid from the Quaternary of Africa. Twenty-six Pleistocene equid tracksites have been identified in aeolianites on the Cape south coast of South Africa. An age range of 16...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Quaternary research 2023-06, Vol.114, p.178-190
Main Authors: Helm, Charles W., Carr, Andrew S., Cawthra, Hayley C., De Vynck, Jan C., Dixon, Mark G., Gräbe, Pieter-Jan, Thesen, Guy H. H., Venter, Jan A.
Format: Article
Language:eng
Subjects:
Archives & records
Coasts
Endangered & extinct species
Extinct species
Extinction
Fossils
Herbivores
Historic buildings & sites
Pleistocene
Quaternary
Research Article
Trace fossils
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Summary:The giant Cape zebra (Equus capensis) is one of the extinct Quaternary large mammal species of southern Africa, and the largest equid from the Quaternary of Africa. Twenty-six Pleistocene equid tracksites have been identified in aeolianites on the Cape south coast of South Africa. An age range of 161 ± 12 ka to 43 ± 4 ka has been established through Optically Stimulated Luminescence. More than half of the sites contain large-equid tracks, representing the first ichnosites attributed to E. capensis. Smaller equid tracks may have been registered by the quagga (E. quagga quagga). The abundance of E. capensis tracksites on the Cape south coast contrasts with the paucity of body fossils of the species from the region, contrasting with the impression obtained from the body fossil record that E. capensis was predominantly a west coast species in the region. The new data illustrate the capacity of the body fossil and trace fossil records to complement each other. The loss of suitable habitat provided by the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain was probably a contributing factor in the extinction of this large-bodied grazer. A long trackway at Driefontein, attributed to E. capensis, adds to a sparse global record of fossil horse trackways.
ISSN:0033-5894
1096-0287