KARROO (Carboniferous to Triassic) strata have been reported in Ethiopia1,11,12, but without firm documentation. Other sediments lying on the crystalline basement but beneath the Jurassic Adigrat Sandstone2 may also be of Karroo age3–5. To our knowledge, however, the occurrences reported here are the first palaeontologically substantiated records of Permian strata in Ethiopia. Localities are shown in Fig. 1.