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

Where: South Africa (33.3° S, 22.4° E: paleocoordinates 59.3° S, 152.8° 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 35589: 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)"
Scyphozoa
 Conulariida - Conulariidae
Conularia africana, Conularia gamkaense
Anthozoa
 Favositida - Micheliniidae
Pleurodictyum bokkeveldense
 Stauriida - Zaphrentidae
""Zaphrentis" zebra" = Zaphrenthis, ""Zaphrentis" "sp. (a)"" = Zaphrenthis
""Zaphrentis" zebra" = Zaphrenthis horn coral
""Zaphrentis" "sp. (a)"" = Zaphrenthis Rafinesque and Clifford 1820 horn coral
Asterozoa
  -
"Stelleroidea indet." = Asterozoa
"Stelleroidea indet." = Asterozoa von Zittel 1895
Hyolitha
 Hyolithida - Hyolithidae
Hyolithes subaequalis, Hyolithes "sp. (e)", Hyolithes dorbignyi
Hyolithes "sp. (e)" d'Eichwald 1840
Hyolithes dorbignyi Kozlowski 1923
 Orthothecida - Orthothecidae
Orthotheca steinmanni
Rhynchonellata
 Spiriferida - Hysterolitidae
Australospirifer antarcticus
 Spiriferida - Ambocoeliidae
Ambocoelia pseudoumbonata
 Rhynchonellida - Leptocoeliidae
Australocoelia tourteloti
Strophomenata
 Strophomenida - Eodevonariidae
? Eodevonaria arcuatus
 Orthotetida - Pulsiidae
Schellwienella sulivani
Bivalvia
 Cyrtodontida - Praecardiidae
"Buchiola" subpalmata
 Ostreida - Pterineidae
"Actinopteria" eschwegii
 Cardiidia - Sanguinolitidae
"Sanguinolites" albanus
 Cardiidia - Grammysiidae
Grammysia fontinalis
 Nuculanida - Nuculanidae
"Nuculana" viator, "Nuculana" "sp. (a)"
"Nuculana" viator pointed nut clam
"Nuculana" "sp. (a)" Link 1807 pointed nut clam
 Nuculanida - Malletiidae
Palaeoneilo cf. magnifica
 Nuculanida - Cucullellidae
Nuculites "sp. (d)", Nuculites oblongatus
Nuculites "sp. (d)" Conrad 1841 clam
Nuculites oblongatus Conrad 1841 clam
 Solemyida - Ctenodontidae
"Ctenodonta" stowi, "Ctenodonta" "sp. (a)", "Ctenodonta" "sp. (b)"
"Ctenodonta" "sp. (a)" Salter 1852 clam
"Ctenodonta" "sp. (b)" Salter 1852 clam
Cephalopoda
 Orthocerida - Orthoceratidae
"Orthoceras" constrictum, "Orthoceras" gamkaense, "Orthoceras" rex
Gastropoda
 Bellerophontida - Plectonotidae
"Bellerophon cf. laticarinatus" = Plectonotus laticarinata
"Bellerophon cf. laticarinatus" = Plectonotus laticarinata Knod 1908 snail
 Murchisoniina - Palaeozygopleuridae
"Loxonema zwartbergense" = Pragozyga zwartbergense
"Loxonema zwartbergense" = Pragozyga zwartbergense Reed 1925 snail
Deuteropoda
  -
Ostracoda indet.
Ostracoda indet. Latreille 1802 ostracod
Trilobita
 Phacopida - Calmoniidae
"Metacryphaeus caffer" = Metacryphaeus (Metacryphaeus) caffer, "Bainella africana" = Anchiopella, "Bainella cristagalli" = Anchiopella, Pennaia pupillus, Typhloniscus baini
"Metacryphaeus caffer" = Metacryphaeus (Metacryphaeus) caffer Salter 1856 trilobite
"Bainella africana" = Anchiopella trilobite
"Bainella cristagalli" = Anchiopella trilobite
Pennaia pupillus trilobite
 Phacopida - Dalmanitidae
Francovichia "sp. (a)"
Francovichia "sp. (a)" Branisa 1960 trilobite
 Phacopida - Homalonotidae
Burmeisteria herscheli, Burmeisteria quernus
 Proetida - Proetidae
Ormistoniella malaca
Ormistoniella malaca Lake 1904 trilobite