Fossil Park

An unexpected fossil find at Langebaanweg was the boselaphine antelope as boselaphine antelopes occur today only in Asia. The Langebaanweg form, Mesembripaortac acrae, may represent a late survivor in southern Africa of an ancient lineage. The reduncine and alcelaphine fossils at Langebaanweg are unique in being among the oldest known representatives of these tribes (Gentry 1980).

The two alcelaphine species, Damalacra neanica (Fig.1) and Damalacra acalla (Fig.2), are of particular interest as their dental morphology suggests a very similar, but not identical lifestyle and feeding ecology. D. neanica is more derived, being more hypsodont and having shorter premolar rows. This suggests niche differentiation, which is what one may expect in two closely related sympatric alcelaphines. D. neanica shows body size proportions that are almost identical to the extant blesbok, although Damalacra acalla is also similar in size.