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Lloyd Bogopa
Technical Assistant
Lloyd processes modern and ancient sediment and modern vegetation to extract phytoliths. Her interests include reading novels, watching tv and making tiaras. |
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Petrus Chakane
Technical Assistant
Petrus prepares vertebrate fossils and prepares samples for pollen analysis. He s is soccer mad. |
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Charlton B. Dube
Assistant Technical Officer
Charlton is a senior member of the team of Fossil Preparators, having followed in the footsteps of his father, David. David was a preparator in the BPI labs from 1973 until his retirement in 1996. Charlton joined the team in 1994. Apart from his normal preparation work, he also assists in the palynology laboratory and with the casting of fossils.
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Sifelani Jirah
Technical Assistant
Sifelani joined the team of fossil preparators in 2006. He holds a BSc with majors in geology and biology. He was formerly the curator of vertebrate palaeontology at the natural history museum in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. In addition to the preparation of Karoo fossils, his duties also include field work, palynology, maintenance of the Karoo fossil, and camping stores. He is currently busy with his honours degree in palaeontology.
Sifelani loves game viewing, reading scientific literature, watching as well as participating in sports and field excursions.
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Cynthia Kemp
Volunteer
Cynthia brings expertise in fossil preparation, editorial skills and database management to the BPI. Her interests include amateur palaeontology, book editing, wildlife and travel. (She recently explored oases of the Sahara, Egypt.) |
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Rhoderick McRae-Samuel
Principal Technician
Rhod is the principal technician for the BPI. His primary task is that of supporting the fossil preparators in fossil preparation and casting. He also lends logistical and technical support for fieldwork, vehicles and associated equipment. In addition, Rhod also manages a mechanical workshop for Geosciences. He started working at the BPI in 2006 and formerly worked in Geophysics at the University of the Witwatersrand.
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Gladys Mokoma
Technical Assistant
Gladys prepares fossils at the BPI and enjoys going to church during the week and on sundays. |
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Pepson R. Mukanela
Technical Assistant
Pepsi became a member of the team of Fossil Preparators after transferring from the University s Economic Geology Research Unit in 1990 - another wise man who saw the light and moved from hard rocks to soft rocks!He prefers working on bigger skulls and is often called on to repair preparation tools. Pepsi is an avid golf fan.
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Thilivali Nemavhundi
Technical Assistant
Thilivali prepares and casts synapsid skulls. His interests include watching soccer on tv and playing chess. |
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Samuel Tshabalala
Technical Assistant
Joined the fossil preparators in 1999. He has enjoyed working with large specimens. He also helps theBPI with the preparation of thin sections. He s a huge sports fan.
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Shonisani Constance Tshavhumbwe
Senior Administrative Assistant
Shoni is weighed down with admin duties at the BPI. In her free time she enjoys cool music, fun runs and also going to church. |
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Celeste Yates
Fossil Preparator
Celeste recently won the Preparator s Award at the BPI. She enjoys music, cooking, fossil hunting, hiking and travel |
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Bernhard Zipfel, PhD
Curator of Collections
Bernhard is a palaeoanthroplogist with a special interest in the evolution of the human foot, the origins of hominin bipedalism and palaeopathology. He became the Curator of Collections at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2007 and was formerly the Head of podiatry at the University of Johannesburg. In addition to the fossil collections at the BPI, he also manages the fossil primate collections at the School of Anatomical Sciences and rock collections at the School of Geosciences.
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