A newly published study suggests that a unique tusked creature illustrated in South African rock art may represent an ancient species whose fossils have been found in the same area.
Recent research reveals that a tusked animal featured in South African rock art could depict a long-extinct species that has been preserved in fossils within the region. This study, conducted by Julien Benoit from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, was published on September 18, 2024, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.
The Horned Serpent panel is a section of a rock wall adorned with images of animals and various cultural motifs linked to the San people of South Africa. These artworks were likely created between 1821 and 1835. One notable figure is an elongated animal with downward-facing tusks, which does not correspond to any known contemporary species in the region. Since the San people often integrated elements from their environment into their art—such as fossils—Benoit proposes that this tusked animal could have been inspired by an extinct species.
The Karoo Basin in South Africa is renowned for its plethora of well-preserved fossils, including tusked creatures known as dicynodonts, frequently discovered as they erode from the earth. Benoit reexamined the Horned Serpent panel and found that the depiction of the tusked figure resembles dicynodont fossils. This interpretation is further supported by San legends about massive animals that once inhabited the area and have since vanished. If this illustration is indeed an artistic representation of a dicynodont—species that went extinct before dinosaurs emerged and were long gone by the time humans arrived in Africa—this discovery would predate the scientific classification of dicynodonts by at least ten years.
Evidence exists suggesting that the San people may have gathered fossils and included them in their artwork; however, the depth of indigenous understanding regarding paleontology in Africa remains largely unclear. More research into indigenous cultures could provide greater insight into how humans globally have woven fossils into their cultural narratives.
Julien Benoit states: “The painting was completed no later than 1835, indicating that this depiction of a dicynodont occurred at least ten years before Richard Owen scientifically described and named the first dicynodont in 1845. This research underscores that the San hunter-gatherers, the earliest inhabitants of southern Africa, discovered and interpreted fossils, incorporating them into their rock art and belief systems.”
