Gydo Formation (1st Shale), Warmwaterberg (Devonian of South Africa)

Where: South Africa (33.8° S, 20.9° E: paleocoordinates 59.4° S, 150.2° W)

• coordinate stated in text

• local area-level geographic resolution

When: Gydo Formation (Bokkeveld Group), Emsian (407.6 - 393.3 Ma)

• Age call from ref. 9618

• formation-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: marine; bioturbated mudstone and bioturbated siltstone

• Ref. 9618 gives interpretation of Bokkeveld Group as a series of shallowing-upward packages, with argillaceous unit below and arenaceous unit above. Gydo Formation, as the "first shale", is the lowermost argillaceous unit. The shallowing upward sequence is interpreted as representing environments from the shelf up to deltaic systems. Most fossils come from lower mudstones, often in lenses.
• Ref. 9616 refers only to "shale". Ref. 9617, for formation as a whole, cites "Mudstones and siltstones and minor thin-bedded sandstone, scattered fossiliferous nodules and lenses, lenticular bedding, abundant bioturbation."

Collection methods: Author gives numbers from personal collections, which are said to have some bearing on actual abundances.

Primary reference: R. D. F. Oosthuizen. 1984. Preliminary catalogue and report on the biostratigraphy and palaeogeographic distribution of the Bokkeveld fauna. Transactions of the Geological Society of South Africa 87:125-140 [M. Foote/M. Foote/M. Foote]more details

Purpose of describing collection: biostratigraphic analysis

PaleoDB collection 35588: authorized by Michael Foote, entered by Michael Foote on 29.12.2003

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
unclassified
  -
Othozecrinus royi n. gen. n. sp.
Othozecrinus royi n. gen. n. sp.
Bivalvia
 Modiomorphida - Modiomorphidae
Sphenotomorpha bodenbenderi, Goniophora gydoensis
 Nuculanida - Cucullellidae
Nuculites colonicus
  -
"Pelecypoda indet." = Bivalvia
"Pelecypoda indet." = Bivalvia Linnaeus 1758 clam
Strophomenata
 Strophomenida - Eodevonariidae
? Eodevonaria arcuatus
 Strophomenida - Strophodontidae
"? Strophodonta arcei" = Strophomena (Strophodonta)
"? Strophodonta arcei" = Strophomena (Strophodonta)
Rhynchonellata
 Rhynchonellida - Leptocoeliidae
Australocoelia tourteloti, Australocoelia "sp. (a)"
 Spiriferida - Hysterolitidae
Australospirifer antarcticus
 Spiriferida - Ambocoeliidae
Ambocoelia pseudoumbonata
 Terebratulida - Meganterididae
Mutationella "sp. (a)", Derbyina "sp. (c)"
Lophophorata
 Tentaculitida - Tentaculitidae
Tentaculites "sp. (c)", Tentaculites cf. bellulus
Tentaculites "sp. (c)" von Schlotheim 1820
Trilobita
 Phacopida - Calmoniidae
"Bainella africana" = Anchiopella, Pennaia pupillus, Metacryphaeus "sp. (a)"
"Bainella africana" = Anchiopella trilobite
Pennaia pupillus trilobite
Metacryphaeus "sp. (a)" Reed 1907 trilobite
 Phacopida - Homalonotidae
Burmeisteria herscheli, Burmeisteria quernus
Anthozoa
 Favositida - Micheliniidae
Pleurodictyum bokkeveldense