Fossil trees from the basal Triassic Lebung Group at the Makgaba site, west of Mokubilo, Botswana

Abstract

Fossil wood samples were collected from an area underlain by Karoo Supergroup rocks along the southern edge of Sua Pan in east central Botswana. From the local stratigraphy it suggests that these fossils have been derived from the Mosu sandstones that occurs at the base of the Mosolotsane Formation and which is time-equivalent to the Molteno Formation in South Africa that is of Triassic age. Based on the arrangement of tracheid pits the fossil wood has been identified as Agathoxylon, and most likely Agathoxylon africanum. This species has a Permian to Triassic time range in southern Africa and probably is the first published record of Agathoxylon africanum in Botswana.