— My Research —

My research focuses on understanding how vertebrates respond to catastrophic environmental changes, with a particular interest in mass extinction events. I study the Permo-Triassic and End-Triassic extinctions to uncover patterns of survival and recovery, using techniques like osteohistology to examine fossil bone microstructure. This allows me to explore growth, life history, and ecological adaptations in both ancient and modern vertebrates. I also have a deep interest in therapsids, the mammalian ancestors that dominated terrestrial ecosystems before the rise of dinosaurs, and my work bridges the past and present to shed light on biodiversity and environmental resilience. My reserach lab is called the Tracing Impacts of Mass Extinctions (TIME)  Lab.

Lab Publications

2024

Weiss, B. M., K. N. Dollman, J. Botha, C. Browning and J. N. Choiniere. 2024. The osteohistology of the crocodyliform Orthosuchus stormbergi from the Early Jurassic of South Africa. Journal of Anatomy. https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.14166

Stuart, B. P., A. K. Huttenlocker and J. Botha. 2024. The postcranial anatomy of Moschorhinus kitchingi (Therapsida: Therocephalia) from the Karoo Basin of South Africa. PeerJ. 12:e17765 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17765

2023

Botha, J., B. M. Weiss, K. Dollman, P. M. Barrett, R. B. J. Benson and J. N. Choiniere. 2023. Origins of slow growth on the crocodilian stem-lineage. Current Biology 33:1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.08.057

Chapelle, K. E. J., J. Botha, and J. N. Choiniere. 2023. Small bodied sauropodomorph from the upper Elliot Formation of South Africa. Royal Society Open Science 10: 221565. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.221565

Kammerer, C. F., P. A. Viglietti, E. Butler and J. Botha. 2023. Rapid turnover of top predators in African terrestrial faunas around the end-Permian mass extinction. Current Biology 33: 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.007

Groenewald, D. P, R. M. H. Smith and J. Botha. 2023. Fossil millipedes associated with articulated tetrapod skeletons in the Early Triassic Karoo Basin, South Africa. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 617: 111508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111508

Abdala, F., L. Norton, S. C. Jasinoski, J. Botha, V. Fernandez, B. Rubidge, P. G. Gill and A. G. Martinelli. 2023. On taxonomic issues, ontogenetic series and tooth replacements. Comments on Diphyodont tooth replacement of Brasilodon—A Late Triassic eucynodont that challenges the time of origin of mammalsby Cabreira et al. Journal of Anatomy, 242(4): 737-742. https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.13803

Shen, J., J. Chen, J. Yu, T. J. Algeo, R. M. H. Smith, J. Botha, T. D. Frank, C. R. Fielding, P. Ward and T. A. Mather. 2023. Mercury evidence from southern Pangea terrestrial sections for end-Permian global volcanic effects. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35272-8

2022

Weiss, B. M., J. Botha and J. Choiniere. 2022. Limb bone histology of theropod dinosaurs from the Early Jurassic of South Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. e2145901. https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2022.2145901

Chapelle, K. E. J., J. Botha, P. M. Barrett and J. N. Choiniere. 2022. Inter-elemental osteohistological variation in Massospondylus carinatus and its implications for locomotion and palaeoecology. PeerJ. 10.e13918. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13918

Huttenlocker, A. K., J. Botha, C. Browning, Z. Kulik, M. Tshibalanganda and A. de Plessis. 2022. A Gulliver Scaloposaurus (Therapsida, Therocephalia) from the Katberg Formation of South Africa and its implication for Lilliput assemblages during the Early Triassic recovery. Journal of African Earth Sciences. 104720. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2022.104720

Botha, J., J. N. Choiniere and R. B. Benson. 2022. Rapid growth preceded gigantism in sauropodomorph evolution. Current Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.031

Smith, R. M. H., J. Botha and P. A. Viglietti. 2022. Taphonomy of drought-afflicted tetrapods in the Early Triassic Karoo Basin, South Africa. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 604: 111207 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.111207

Botha, J., J. N. Choiniere and P. M. Barrett. 2022. Osteohistology and taphonomy support social aggregation in the early ornithischian dinosaur Lesothosaurus diagnosticus. Palaeontology. e12619 https://doi.org10.1111/pala.12619

Norton, L. A., F. Abdala, B. S. Rubidge and J. Botha. 2022. Tooth replacement in the non-mammalian cynodont Cynosaurus suppostus (Therapsida) from the late Permian of South Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. e2001650 https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2021.2001650

2021

Botha, J. and A. K. Huttenlocker. 2021. Non-mammalian synapsids; pp. 550-563 in V. de Buffrénil, A. de Ricqlès, L. Zylberberg and K. Padian (eds.), Comparative skeletal histology and paleohistology, CRC Press, Taylor and Francis, Boca Raton, 824 pp.

Chapelle, K. E. J., J. Botha and J. N. Choiniere. 2021. Extreme growth plasticity in the early branching sauropodomorph Massospondylus carinatus. Biology Letters 17: 20200843. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2020.0843

Viglietti, P. A., R. B. J. Benson, R. M. H. Smith, J. Botha, C. Kammerer, Z. Skosan, N. Mtalana, S. Mtungata, D. Wolvaardt, M. Strong, G. Skinner, P. October, K. D. Angielczyk. 2021. Evidence from South Africa for a protracted end-Permian extinction on land. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 118(17): e2017045118. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2017045118

2020

Norton, L. A., F. Abdala, B. S. Rubidge and J. Botha. 2020. Tooth replacement patterns in the Early Triassic epicynodont Galesaurus planiceps (Therapsida, Cynodontia). PLOS One 15(12) e0243985. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243985

Botha, J. 2020. The paleobiology and paleoecology of South African Lystrosaurus. PeerJ 8:e10408. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.10408

Botha, J. and R. M. H. Smith. 2020. Biostratigraphy of the Lystrosaurus declivis Assemblage Zone in R. M. H. Smith (ed.), Karoo biostratigraphy. Special Issue. South African Journal of Geology 123(2): 207-216. DOI: 10.25131/sajg.123.0015

Smith, R. M. H., Rubidge, B. S., Day, M. O. and J. Botha. 2020. Introduction to the tetrapod biozonation of the Karoo Supergroup in R. M. H. Smith (ed.), Karoo biostratigraphy. Special Issue. South African Journal of Geology 123(2): 131-140. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25131/sajg.123.0009

Botha, J., A. K. Huttenlocker, R. M. H. Smith, R. Prevec, P. Viglietti and S. P. Modesto. 2020. New geochemical and palaeontological data from the Permian-Triassic boundary in the South African Karoo Basin test the synchronicity of terrestrial and marine extinctions. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 540: 109467. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2019.109467

2019

Botha, A. E. and J. Botha. 2019. Ontogenetic and inter-elemental osteohistological variability in the leopard tortoise Stigmochelys pardalis. PeerJ 7e:8030 DOI https://10.7717/peerj.8030

Mayer, E. L., A. Hubbe, J. Botha-Brink, A. M. Ribeiro, P. Miguel Haddad-Martim and W. Neves. 2019. Diagenetic changes on bone histology of Quaternary mammals from a tropical cave deposit in southeastern Brazil. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 537: 109372. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2019.109372

Chapelle, K. E. J., P. M. Barrett, J. Botha and J. N. Choiniere. 2019. Ngwevu intloko: a new early sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Lower Jurassic Elliot Formation of South Africa and comments on cranial ontogeny in Massospondylus carinatus. PeerJ. DOI: https://10.7717/peerj.7240

Veiga, F. H., J. Botha-Brink, A. Maria Ribeiro, J. Ferigolo and M. Bento Soares. 2019. Osteohistology of the Late Triassic silesaurid Sacisaurus agudoensis from southern Brazil and implications for growth in early dinosaurs. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 91(2): e20180643. DOI: https://10.1590/0001-3765201920180643

Barrett, P. M., K. E. J. Chapelle, C. K. Staunton, J. Botha and J. Choiniere. 2019. Postcranial osteology of the neotype specimen of Massospondylus carinatus Owen, 1854 (Dinosauria: Sauropodomorpha) from the upper Elliot Formation of South Africa. Palaeontologia Africana 53: 114-178. DOI: https://hdl.handle.net/10539/26829

2018

Butler, E., F. Abdala and J. Botha-Brink. 2018.Postcranial anatomy of the Early Triassic non-mammaliaform cynodont Galesaurus planiceps (Owen, 1859) from the Karoo Basin, South Africa. Papers in Palaeontology 5(1): 1-32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/spp2.1220

McPhee, B. R. Benson, J. Botha-Brink, E. Bordy and J. Choiniere. 2018. A giant dinosaur from the earliest Jurassic of South Africa and the transition to quadrupedality in early sauropodomorphs. Current Biology 28, 3143-3153. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2018.07.063

Legendre, L. J. and J. Botha-Brink. 2018. Digging the compromise: the functional link between bone microstructure and fossoriality in the aardvark (Orycteropus afer). PeerJ 6:e5216. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5216

Botha-Brink, J., M. B. Soares and A. G. Martinelli. 2018. Osteohistology of Late Triassic prozostrodontian cynodonts from Brazil. PeerJ 6:e5029. DOI https://doi.org.10.7717/peerj.5029

Veiga, F. H., J. Botha-Brink and M. B. Soares. 2018. Osteohistology of the non-mammaliaform traversodontids Protuberum cabralense and Exaeretodon riograndensis from southern Brazil. Historical Biology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2018.1441292

Roopnarine, P. D., K. A. Angielczyk, S. Olroyd, S. J. Nesbitt, J. Botha-Brink, B. R. Peecook, M. O. Day and R. M. H. Smith. 2018. Comparative ecological dynamics of Permian-Triassic communities from the Karoo, Luangwa and Ruhuhu basins of southern Africa; pp. 254-272 in C. A. Sidor and S. J. Nesbitt (eds.), Vertebrate and climate evolution in the Triassic rift basin of Tanzania and Zambia. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Memoir 17. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 37(6, Supplement). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2018.1424714

2017

Botha-Brink, J. 2017. Burrowing in Lystrosaurus: preadaptation to a postextinction environment? Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 37(5): e1365080. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2017.1365080

Codron, J., J. Botha-Brink, D. Codron, A. Huttenlocker and K. Angielczyk. 2017. Predator prey interactions among Permo-Triassic terrestrial vertebrates as a deterministic factor influencing faunal collapse and turnover. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 30 (1): 40-54. DOI: https://10.1111/jeb.12983

2016

Legendre, L. J., G. Guénard, J. Botha-Brink and J. Cubo. 2016. Palaeohistological evidence for ancestral endothermy in archosaurs. Systematic Biology DOI: https://10.1093/sysbio/syw033

Lyson, T. R., B. S. Rubidge, T. M. Scheyer, K. de Queiroz, E. R. Schachner, R. M. H. Smith, J. Botha-Brink and G. S. Bever. 2016. Fossorial origin of the turtle shell. Current Biology 26: 1-8. DOI: https://10.1016/j.cub.2016.05.020

Botha-Brink, J., A. Huttenlocker, K. D. Angielczyk, D. Codron and M. Ruta. 2016. Breeding young as a survival strategy during Earth's greatest mass extinction. Scientific Reports 6: 24053. DOI: https://10.1038/srep24053

2015

Ecker, M., J. Botha-Brink, J. A. Lee-Thorp and L. K. Horwitz. 2015. Ostrich eggshell as a source of palaeoenvironmental information in the arid interior of South Africa; pp. 95-111 in J. Runge (ed.), Changing climates, ecosystems and environments within arid southern Africa and adjoining regions: Palaeoecology of Africa 33. CRC Press, Florence, Kentucky, 228 pp.

2014

Lyson, T. R., E. R. Schachner, J. Botha-Brink, T. M. Scheyer, M. Lambertz, G. S. Bever, B. S. Rubidge and K. de Queiroz. 2014. Evolution of the unique ventilatory apparatus of turtles. Nature Communications 5:5211. DOI: https://10.1038/ncomms6211

Gower, D. J., R. J. Butler, A. G. Sennikov, J. Hancox and J. Botha-Brink. 2014. A new species of Garjainia ochev, 1958 (Diapsida: Archosauriformes: Erythrosuchidae) from the Early Triassic of South Africa. PLoS ONE 9: 11: e111154. DOI: https://10.1371/journal.pone.0111154

Smith, R. M. H. and J. Botha-Brink. 2014. Anatomy of an extinction: Sedimentological and taphonomic evidence for drought-induced die-offs during the Permo-Triassic mass extinction in the main Karoo Basin, South Africa. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 396: 99-118. DOI: https://10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.01.002

Huttenlocker, A. K. and J. Botha-Brink. 2014. Growth Patterns and the evolution of bone microstructure in Permo-Triassic therocephalians (Amniota, Therapsida) of South Africa. PeerJ 2:e325. DOI: https://10.7717/peerj.325

2013

MacDougall, M. J., S. P. Modesto and J. Botha-Brink. 2013. The postcranial skeleton of the Early Triassic parareptile Sauropareion anoplus, with a discussion of possible life history. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 58(4). DOI: https://10.4202/app.2011.0099

Botha-Brink, J., A. K. Huttenlocker, and S. P. Modesto. 2014. Vertebrate Paleontology of Nooitgedacht 68: A Lystrosaurus maccaigi-rich Permo-Triassic boundary locality in South Africa in pp. 289-304. C. F. Kammerer, K. D. Angielczyk, and J. Fröbisch (eds.), The Early Evolutionary History of the Synapsida. Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands.

Ruta, M., J. Botha-Brink,S. A. Mitchell and M. J. Benton.2013.The radiation of cynodonts and the ground plan of mammalian morphological diversity. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 280: 20131865. DOI: https://10.1098/rspb.2013.1865

Huttenlocker, A. K. and J. Botha-Brink. 2013. Body size and growth patterns in the therocephalian Moschorhinus kitchingi (Therapsida: Eutheriodontia) before and after the end-Permian extinction in South Africa. Paleobiology 39(2): 253-277. DOI: https://10.1666/12020

2012

Botha-Brink, J. and R. M. H. Smith. 2012. Palaeobiology of Triassic procolophonids inferred from bone microstructure. Comptes Rendus Palevol 11: 419-433. DOI: https://10.1016/j.crpv.2012.03.002

Botha-Brink, J., F. Abdala and A. Chinsamy. 2012. The radiation and osteohistology of non-mammaliaform cynodonts; pp. 223-246 in A. Chinsamy-Turan (ed.), The forerunners of mammals: radiation, histology and biology. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 360 pp.

Ray, S., J. Botha-Brink, and A. Chinsamy. 2012. Dicynodont growth dynamics and lifestyle adaptations; pp. 121-146 in A. Chinsamy-Turan (ed.), The forerunners of mammals: radiation, histology and biology. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 360 pp.

2011

Smith, R. M. H. and J. Botha-Brink. 2011. Morphology and composition of bone-bearing coprolites from the Late Permian Beaufort Group, Karoo Basin, South Africa. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 312: 40-53. DOI: https://10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.09.006

Botha-Brink, J. and R. M. H. Smith. 2011. Osteohistology of the Triassic archosauromorphs Prolacerta, Proterosuchus, Euparkeria and Erythrosuchus from the Karoo Basin of South Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 31(6): 1238-1254. DOI: https://10.1080/02724634.2011.621797

Botha-Brink, J. and S. P. Modesto. 2011. A new skeleton of the therocephalian synapsid Olivierosuchus parringtoni from the Lower Triassic South African Karoo Basin. Palaeontology 54: 591-606. DOI: https://10.1111/j.1475-4983.2011.01048.x

2010

Botha-Brink, J. and K. D. Angielczyk. 2010. Do extraordinarily high growth rates in Permo-Triassic dicynodonts (Therapsida, Anomodontia) explain their success before and after the end-Permian extinction? Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 160: 341-365. DOI: https://10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00601.x

Botha-Brink, J. 2010. Comments on the proposed precedence of Procynosuchus Broom, 1937 (Therapsida, Cynodontia) over Cyrbasiodon Broom, 1931 and Parathrinaxodon Parrington, 1936. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 67(1): 95.

Modesto, S. P., D. M. Scott, J. Botha-Brink and R. R. Reisz. 2010. A new and unusual procolophonid parareptile from the Lower Triassic Katberg Formation of South Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(3): 715-723. DOI: https://10.1080/02724631003758003

Modesto, S. P. and J. Botha-Brink. 2010. A burrow cast with Lystrosaurus skeletal remains from the Lower Triassic of South Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 25: 274-281. DOI: https://10.2110/palo.2009.p09-077r

Modesto, S. P. and J. Botha-Brink. 2010. Problems of correlation of South African and South American tetrapod faunas across the Permian-Triassic boundary. Journal of African Earth Sciences. 52: 242-248. DOI: https://10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2009.08.004

2009

Botha-Brink, J. and S. P. Modesto. 2009. Anatomy and relationships of the Middle Permian varanopid Heleosaurus scholtzi based on a social aggregation from the Karoo Basin of South Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29(2): 389-400. DOI: https://org/10.1671/039.029.0209

2008

Modesto, S. and J. Botha-Brink. 2008. Evidence of a second, large archosauriform reptile in the Lower Triassic Katberg Formation of South Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28(3): 914-917. DOI: https://10.1671/0272-4634(2008)28[914:eoasla]2.0.co;2.

Botha-Brink, J. and F. Abdala. 2008. A new cynodont record from the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone of the Beaufort Group: implications for the early diversity of cynodonts in South Africa. Palaeontologia Africana 43: 1-6. DOI: https://hdl.handle.net10539/13803

2007

Botha-Brink, J. and S. Modesto. 2007. A mixed-age classed 'pelycosaur' aggregation from South Africa: earliest evidence of parental care in amniotes? Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 274: 2829-2834. DOI: https://10.1098/rspb.2007.0803

Botha, J. and K. Angielczyk. 2007. An integrative approach to distinguishing the Late Permian dicynodont species Oudenodon bainii and Tropidostoma microtrema (Therapsida: Anomodontia). Palaeontology. 50(5): 1175-1209. DOI: https://10.1111/j.1475-4983.2007.00697.x

Botha, J. and T. Gaudin. 2007. An early Pliocene pangolin (Mammalia: Pholidota) from Langebaanweg, South Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27(2): 484-491. DOI: https://10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[484:aepppf]2.0.co;2.

Botha, J., S. Modesto and R. Smith. 2007. Extended procolophonoid reptile survivorship after the end-Permian extinction. South African Journal of Science. 103: 54-56.

Botha, J. and R. Smith. 2007. Lystrosaurus species composition across the Permo-Triassic boundary of South Africa. Lethaia. 40(2): 125-137. DOI: https://10.1111/j.1502-3931.2007.00011.x

Botha, J., F. Abdala and R. Smith. 2007. The oldest cynodont: new clues on the origin and diversification of Cynodontia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 149 (3): 477-492. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2007.00268.x

2006

Botha, J. and R. Smith. 2006. Rapid vertebrate recuperation in the Karoo Basin of South Africa following the end-Permian extinction. Journal of African Earth Sciences 45 (4-5): 502-514. DOI: https://10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2006.04.006

2005

Smith, R. and J. Botha. 2005. The recovery of terrestrial vertebrate diversity in the South African Karoo Basin after the End-Permian extinction. Comptes Rendus Palevol 4: 555-568. DOI: https://10.1016/j.crpv.2005.07.005

Botha, J., J. Lee-Thorp and A. Chinsamy. 2005. The palaeoecology of the non-mammalian cynodonts Diademodon and Cynognathus from the Karoo Basin of South Africa, using stable light isotope analysis. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 223: 303-316. DOI: https://10.1016/j.palaeo.2005.04.016

Botha, J. and A. Chinsamy. 2005. Growth patterns of Thrinaxodon, a non-mammalian cynodont from the Early Triassic of South Africa. Palaeontology 48 (2): 385-394. DOI: https://10.1111/j.1475-4983.2005.00447.x

Ward, P. D., J. Botha, R. Buick, M. O. de Kock, D. H. Erwin, G. Garrison, J. Kirschvink and R. Smith. 2005. Abrupt and gradual extinction among land vertebrates in South Africa: Evidence against a K/P-type impact extinction at the end of the Permian. Science 307 (5710): 709-713. DOI: https://10.1126/science.1107068

2004

Botha, J. and A. Chinsamy. 2004. Growth and life habits of the Triassic non-mammalian cynodont Trirachodon. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 49(4): 619-627.

Ray, S., J. Botha and A. Chinsamy. 2004. Bone histology and growth patterns of some non-mammalian therapsids. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 24(3): 634-648. DOI: https://10.1671/0272-4634(2004)024[0634:bhagpo]2.0.co;2.

Botha, J., J. Lee-Thorp and M. Sponheimer. 2004. An examination of Triassic cynodont tooth enamel chemistry using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. Calcified Tissue International 74(2): 162-169. DOI: https://10.1007/s00223-003-0124-3

2003

Botha, J. 2003. Biological aspects of the Permian dicynodont Oudenodon (Therapsida, Dicynodontia), deduced from bone histology and cross-sectional geometry. Palaeontologia Africana 39: 37-44. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/16436

2000

Botha, J. and A. Chinsamy. 2000. Growth patterns deduced from the bone histology of the cynodonts Diademodon and Cynognathus. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 20 (4): 705-711. DOI: https://10.1671/0272-4634(2000)020[0705:gpdftb]2.0.co;2