New palaeomagnetic data from the Late Permian-Early Jurassic Sakamena and t
he Late Carboniferous(?)-Early Permian Sakoa Group from Madagascar (Karoo S
upergroup) show gross similarities with earlier published data. Palaeomagne
tic poles based on all studies of the Sakamena and Sakoa Groups average to
76.7 degrees N and 290.8 degrees E, and 51.3 degrees N and 252.6 degrees E,
respectively, and imply palaeolatitudes of 28 degrees S and 55 degrees S f
or southwest Madagascar in Late Permian-Early Triassic and Late Carbonifero
us(?)-Early Permian times. The majority of the data, however, are of relati
vely poor quality and there is no firm evidence for primary magnetic signat
ures. A comparison with West Gondwana palaeomagnetic poles shows that the L
ottes and Rowley fit produces the best palaeomagnetic match between Madagas
car and East Africa (Somalia). The precise Pangaea configuration is still n
ot known, but taken at face value, the Madagascar Sakamena pole and West Go
ndwana reference data indicate a Pangaea B or C configuration in Late Permi
an-Early Triassic times. However, high quality West Gondwana poles from Lat
e Permian-Early Triassic times are clearly absent, and there is stronger co
nfidence in West Gondwana pores of Late Carboniferous-Early Permian age. Th
e latter poles place parts of Gondwana at high southerly latitudes and in g
ood agreement with the distribution of climatically sensitive lithological
data. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Limited. All rights reserved.