In May 2026, Dr Tolchard, Museum Scientist and Collections Manager for Palaeontology at the National Museum, joined an international team of scientists led by Profs Jonah Choiniere (University of the Witwatersrand) and Roger Benson (American Museum of Natural History) on a field expedition to locate and excavate fossil material.
The team worked in the rural village of Qhemegha in the Eastern Cape, spending 11 days surveying the area for new fossil localities and carefully excavating specimens from previously identified sites.
Notable discoveries include fossil remains of large sauropodomorph dinosaurs, as well as early relatives of modern crocodiles and mammals. These fossils date to the Late Triassic Period (220–200 million years ago), a critical interval in Earth’s history during which many of the major modern vertebrate lineages were beginning to diversify.
We extend our sincere thanks to accommodation host and caterer Yoliswa Sigudu and her team for their hospitality, and to Headman Mbali Luntu and the people of Qhemegha for granting access to the land and for their warm welcome.
Photographs by Dr F. Tolchard and Dr K. E. Chapelle.
