“The mammal-like reptiles of South Africa may safely be regarded as the most important fossil animal ever discovered and their importance lies in the fact that there is little to no doubt that among them we have the ancestors of mammals and the remote ancestors of man”.

Dr Robert Broom

Over 200 million years ago, South Africa formed part of the southern outreaches of Pangaea.  The Karoo, specifically, contains a largely unbroken record of prehistoric life, extending from the Permian to the Jurassic period.  The fossils in the Karoo rocks include the ancestors of lizards and snakes, tortoises, crocodiles and dinosaurs.  However, the fossils for which the Karoo is perhaps best know for are the mammal-like reptiles called therapsids which are reptiles that show features of mammals and represent a transitional stage between reptiles and mammals.

• the oldest evidence of life on Earth
• the oldest multicellular animals
• the most primitive land-living plants
• the most distant ancestors of dinosaurs
• the most complete record of the more than 80 million year ancestry of mammals
• a remarkable record of human origins and of human achievements through the last four million years.

The Karoo, in South Africa, is one of the most important fossil sites in the world – it is here that GENUS Palaeosciences and Safari Odyssey is thrilled to offer citizen scientists the exclusive opportunity to work with world-famous Palaeontologists to excavate and prospect at multiple fossil sites in the Karoo.

OVISTON, BETHULIE
Dr Julien Benoit

Oviston Nature Reserve located in the Great Karoo’s Bethulie, has been yielding fossil bones since the 1970s.  Geological and Palaeontological accounts suggest that Oviston may be located on an important geological contact between the sediments of the Permian and Triassic periods.  The possible presence of an uninterrupted Permian to Triassic sequence may mean that a complete record of the most important event in life history is preserved here.

GRAAFF-REINET
with Prof Bruce Rubidge

The Graaff-Reinet and Nieu Bethesda areas are renowned for their wealth of fossils, largely because of the early research on fossils through the efforts of Dr Sidney Rubidge, Prof James Kitching and more recently Mr Lex Bremner.  Geologically these areas fall within the Beaufort Group of the Karoo Supergoup covering almost two-thirds of the surface area of South Africa and contains an unrivalled wealth of reptile fossils that lived more than 200 million years ago.

GRAHAMSTOWN
with Dr Rob Gess

Waterloo Farm is an important fossil site having preserved remains of a diverse Late Devonian estuarine ecosystem.  Part of the uniqueness of this locality lies in its geographic position – likely within the Antarctic Circle.  Unexpected fauna include early tetrapods, preciously believed to have been exclusively tropical and most fossils are preserved in black shale.  It is also a rare phenomenon in the geological record that fossils preserve soft tissues such as those from Waterloo Farm.

You will be working under the supervision of the paleontologists, but the tasks associated with working on an excavation can involve certain risks.

Excavation work may involve difficult conditions, uneven terrain, unanticipated natural hazards, use of digging equipment, and  manual labor.  A general level of fitness is necessary for excavations, such as long walks, sometimes over uneven ground, walking up and down steps and inclines, kneeling, filling and carrying buckets of soil and stones. All outdoor activities are subject to the weather.

• Comfortable & light clothing for the excavation
• Hiking or work boots
• Work / gardening gloves
• Sun hat or buff
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Antihistamine & sun-rash creams eg. Anthisan and Allergex
• Camera
• Notebook
• Civil and medical liability insurance

Please Note:

• Mandatory proof of travel insurance.  
• All other travel necessities / requirements such as health insurances, vaccinations (eg. Yellowfever & Covid-19), valid passports and visas, for travel from point of original departure through to the final destination, are strictly the responsibility of the individual traveller.  No refunds will be granted if the individual traveller failed in securing the necessary requirements timeously.
• Rates remain subject to change until such time that full and final payment has been received and confirmed by Safari Odyssey.
• Rates remain subject to change, based on availability, exchange rates and changes implemented by service providers.

Deposits & Payments:

• A deposit of $6,800 for a shared room or $7,500 for a single room is due upon booking.
• The final balance is due on or before 1st July 2025.
• A 3.5% credit card fee will be charged per person on the total final invoice. If payment is made via SWIFT transfer, the payer is responsible for all banking transaction fees. Any shortfall will be re-invoiced until the total selling price has been received.

Cancellations & Refunds:

• For cancellations, US $2,500 will be retained once a booking is confirmed via the required deposit payment.
• Any banking fees for refunds will be for the account of the individual traveller.
• A 100% fee is applicable for cancellations 3 months or less prior to start date of travel.