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

Where: South Africa (33.3° S, 19.4° E: paleocoordinates 60.2° S, 148.1° 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 35582: 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
  -
"Trigaria" "sp. (a)", Monaldicrinus johni n. gen. n. sp.
Monaldicrinus johni n. gen. n. sp.
Anthozoa
 Stauriida - Zaphrentidae
""Zaphrentis" zebra" = Zaphrenthis, ""Zaphrentis" "sp. (a)"" = Zaphrenthis
""Zaphrentis" zebra" = Zaphrenthis horn coral
""Zaphrentis" "sp. (a)"" = Zaphrenthis Rafinesque and Clifford 1820 horn coral
Hyolitha
 Hyolithida - Hyolithidae
Hyolithes "sp. (e)"
Hyolithes "sp. (e)" d'Eichwald 1840
 Orthothecida - Orthothecidae
Orthotheca steinmanni
Brachiopoda
  -
Brachiopoda indet.
Brachiopoda indet. Cuvier 1805
Strophomenata
 Strophomenida - Eodevonariidae
? Eodevonaria arcuatus
 Strophomenida - Chonetidae
Notiochonetes hallei, Notiochonetes stubeli
 Orthotetida - Pulsiidae
Schellwienella sulivani
Rhynchonellata
 Rhynchonellida - Leptocoeliidae
Australocoelia tourteloti
 Spiriferida - Ambocoeliidae
Ambocoelia pseudoumbonata
 Spiriferida - Hysterolitidae
Australospirifer antarcticus, Australospirifer "sp. (a)"
 Terebratulida - Centronellidae
"Centronella" "sp. (a)"
 Athyridida - Meristellidae
"Meristella" "sp. (b)", "Meristella" "sp. (c)"
Lophophorata
 Tentaculitida - Tentaculitidae
Tentaculites "sp. (d)"
Tentaculites "sp. (d)" von Schlotheim 1820
Gastropoda
 Murchisoniina - Palaeozygopleuridae
"Loxonema zwartbergense" = Pragozyga zwartbergense
"Loxonema zwartbergense" = Pragozyga zwartbergense Reed 1925 snail
 Bellerophontida - Bellerophontidae
Bellerophon "sp. (a)"
Bellerophon "sp. (a)" de Montfort 1808 snail
Cephalopoda
 Orthocerida - Orthoceratidae
"Orthoceras" "sp. (d)"
"Orthoceras" "sp. (d)" Breynius 1832
Bivalvia
 Cardiidia - Grammysiidae
Grammysia scaphuloides
 Solemyida - Ctenodontidae
"Ctenodonta" "sp. (d)"
"Ctenodonta" "sp. (d)" Salter 1852 clam
 Solemyida - Solemyidae
""Janeia" bokkeveldensis" = Solemya
""Janeia" bokkeveldensis" = Solemya Awning Clam
 Nuculanida - Cucullellidae
Nuculites sharpei
Trilobita
 Phacopida - Homalonotidae
Burmeisteria herscheli
 Phacopida - Calmoniidae
"Metacryphaeus caffer" = Metacryphaeus (Metacryphaeus) caffer, Typhloniscus baini, "Bainella africana" = Anchiopella, Pennaia pupillus
"Metacryphaeus caffer" = Metacryphaeus (Metacryphaeus) caffer Salter 1856 trilobite
"Bainella africana" = Anchiopella trilobite
Pennaia pupillus trilobite
Stylophora
 Mitrata - Australocystidae
Placocystella capensis
Asteroidea
 Hadrosida -
Aulacolatiaster breviramus n. gen. n. sp.
Aulacolatiaster breviramus n. gen. n. sp. Jell and Theron 1999 sea star
Ophiuroidea
 Oegophiurida - Protasteridae
Eugasterella africana n. sp.
Eugasterella africana n. sp. Jell and Theron 1999 brittle star
Asterozoa
  -
"Stelleroidea indet." = Asterozoa
"Stelleroidea indet." = Asterozoa von Zittel 1895
Stenuroidea
 Proturina - Eophiuridae
Haughtonaster reedi
Haughtonaster reedi Rilett 1971
Crinoidea
  -
Crinoidea indet.
Crinoidea indet. Miller 1821 Sea lily