Gydo Formation (1st Shale), Prince Albert area: Emsian, South Africa

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
unclassified
"Trigaria" cf. gydoensis
Chondrichthyes
Acanthodii indet. Owen 1846
acanthodian spines
Chondrichthyes - Climatiiformes - Gyracanthidae
"Gyracanthus" informal sp. (a) Agassiz 1836
"Gyracanthus" informal sp. (b) Agassiz 1836
Placodermi - Arthrodira - Coccosteidae
? Coccosteus informal sp. (a) Agassiz 1843
Stenuroidea - Eophiuridae
Haughtonaster reedi Rilett 1971
Jell and Theron 1999
Ophiuroidea - Cheiropterasteridae
Hexuraster n. gen. weitzi (Spencer 1950)
Jell and Theron 1999
Ophiuroidea - Encrinasteridae
"Encrinaster" informal sp. (a) Haekel 1866
Stelleroidea
Stelleroidea indet. Gregory 1900
synonym of Asterozoa
Stylophora - Mitrata - Australocystidae
Placocystella capensis
Placocystella informal sp. (a)
Placocystella informal sp. (b)
Placocystella informal sp. (c)
Blastoidea
Blastoidea indet. Say 1825
Blastoidea - Fissiculata - Brachyschismatidae
Brachyschisma informal sp. (a) Reimann 1945
Brachyschisma oostheizeni Breimer and Macurda 1972
Crinoidea
Crinoidea indet. Miller 1821
Crinoidea - Cyathocrinida - Gasterocomidae
Kopficrinus halbichi n. sp.
Jell and Theron 1999
Crinoidea - Dendrocrinida - Rutkowskicrinidae
Sacrinus gamkaensis n. gen., n. sp. Jell and Theron 1999
Jell and Theron 1999
Crinoidea - Monobathrida - Hexacrinitidae
? Arthroacantha sp. Wlliams 1883
Jell and Theron 1999
Crinoidea - Monobathrida - Periechocrinidae
Corocrinus imbecillus
Jell and Theron 1999
Crinoidea - Diplobathrida - Rhodocrinitidae
Ophiocrinus stangeri
Trilobita
Trilobita indet. Walch 1771
Trilobita - Proetida - Proetidae
Ormistoniella malaca (Lake 1904)
Trilobita - Phacopida - Calmoniidae
Oosthuizenella ocellus
Metacryphaeus caffer (Salter 1856)
recombined as Metacryphaeus (Metacryphaeus) caffer
Pennaia pupillus
Typhloniscus baini
? Phacopina hexensis
Phacopina lakei
Bainella africana
synonym of Anchiopella
Bainella arbuteus
synonym of Anchiopella
Bainella ? baini
synonym of Anchiopella
Bainella cristagalli
synonym of Anchiopella
Bainella gamkaensis
synonym of Anchiopella
Trilobita - Phacopida - Dalmanitidae
Francovichia ? clarkei
Francovichia informal sp. (a) Branisa 1960
Trilobita - Phacopida - Homalonotidae
Burmeisteria herscheli
Burmeisteria notica
Burmeisteria quernus
Ostracoda
Ostracoda indet. Latreille 1802
Polychaeta - Serpulimorpha
"Serpulites" sica
Hyolithida - Hyolithidae
Hyolithes subaequalis
Hyolithes informal sp. (c) d'Eichwald 1840
Hyolithes informal sp. (e) d'Eichwald 1840
Hyolithes dorbignyi Kozlowski 1923
Orthothecida - Orthothecidae
Orthotheca steinmanni
Orthotheca informal sp. (a) Novak 1886
Tentaculitida - Tentaculitidae
Tentaculites desuetes
unclassified
Bryozoa indet. Ehrenberg 1831
Stenolaemata - Trepostomata
"Trepostomata" informal sp. (a) Ulrich 1882
Stenolaemata - Cryptostomata - Fenestellidae
Fenestella informal sp. (a) Lonsdale 1839
unclassified
Brachiopoda indet. Cuvier 1805
Lingulata - Lingulida - Discinidae
Orbiculoidea baini
Rhynchonellata - Athyridida - Anoplothecidae
"Coelospira" cf. conjungens
Rhynchonellata - Terebratulida - Meganterididae
Mutationella whitiorum
Pleurothyrella africana
Pleurothyrella informal sp. (a)
Derbyina informal sp. (d)
Rhynchonellata - Terebratulida - Centronellidae
"Rensselaeria" rotunda
Rhynchonellata - Terebratulida - Cryptonellidae
Cryptonella baini
Cryptonella informal sp. (a)
Rhynchonellata - Rhynchonellida - Leptocoeliidae
Australocoelia tourteloti
Rhynchonellata - Rhynchonellida - Eatoniidae
"Rhynchonella" bodenbenderi (Kayser 1897)
recombined as Clarkeia bodenbenderi
Rhynchonellata - Orthida - Orthidae
"Orthis" informal sp. (a) Dalman 1828
"Orthis" informal sp. (b) Dalman 1828
Rhynchonellata - Spiriferida - Hysterolitidae
Australospirifer antarcticus
Australospirifer ceres
Rhynchonellata - Spiriferida - Acrospiriferidae
Acrospirifer iheringi
Rhynchonellata - Spiriferida - Ambocoeliidae
Ambocoelia pseudoumbonata
Strophomenata - Strophomenida - Chonetidae
Chonetes informal sp. (a) Fischer de Waldheim 1830
Notiochonetes falklandensis
Notiochonetes hallei
Notiochonetes stubeli
Strophomenata - Strophomenida - Eodevonariidae
? Eodevonaria arcuatus
Strophomenata - Orthotetida - Pulsiidae
Schellwienella ? sancticrucis
Schellwienella sulivani
Gastropoda - Murchisoniina - Gosseletinidae
"Pleurotomaria" cf. kayseri Ulrich 1892
recombined as Lahnospira kayseri
Gastropoda - Murchisoniina - Loxonematidae
Loxonema informal sp. (a) Phillips 1841
Gastropoda - Murchisoniina - Palaeozygopleuridae
Loxonema zwartbergense Reed 1925
recombined as Pragozyga zwartbergense
Gastropoda - Bellerophontida - Bellerophontidae
Bellerophon cf. morganianus Hartt and Rathbun 1875
recombined as Sphaerocyclus morganianus
Gastropoda - Bellerophontida - Plectonotidae
Bellerophon quadrilobatus (Reed 1904)
recombined as Plectonotus quadrilobatus
Bellerophon cf. fraternus (Reed 1908)
synonym of Plectonotus derbyi
Gastropoda - Euomphalina - Platyceratidae
"Diaphorostoma" baini
synonym of Platyostoma
"Diaphorostoma" informal sp. (a) Fischer 1885
synonym of Platyostoma
"Diaphorostoma" informal sp. (b) Fischer 1885
synonym of Platyostoma
Tergomya - Archinacellida - Metoptomatidae
"Metoptoma" capense
Cephalopoda
Cephalopoda indet. Cuvier 1797
Cephalopoda - Orthocerida - Orthoceratidae
"Orthoceras" bokkeveldense
Orthoceras constrictum
Orthoceras gamkaense
Orthoceras rex
Cephalopoda - Bactritida - Bactritidae
"Cyrtobactrites" informal sp. (a) Erben 1960
? Bactrites informal sp. (a) Sandberger 1843
Bivalvia - Grammysiidae
Grammysia fontinalis
? Grammysia informal sp. (c) de Verneuil 1847
"Cardiomorpha" informal sp. (a) de Koninck 1844
Bivalvia - Sanguinolitidae
"Sanguinolites" albanus
Bivalvia - Modiomorphida - Modiomorphidae
Sphenotomorpha bodenbenderi
Modiomorpha cf. minuta
Goniophora gydoensis
Bivalvia - Cyrtodontida - Praecardiidae
"Buchiola" subpalmata
Bivalvia - Ostreida - Pterineidae
"Actinopteria" eschwegii
Bivalvia - Solemyida - Solemyidae
"Janeia" ? bokkeveldensis
synonym of Solemya
"Janeia" brazieliensis
synonym of Solemya
Bivalvia - Solemyida - Ctenodontidae
"Ctenodonta" nigelli
"Ctenodonta" informal sp. (a) Salter 1852
Bivalvia - Nuculanida - Cucullellidae
Nuculites abbreviatus
Nuculites capensis
Nuculites colonicus
Nuculites obtusus
Nuculites pacatus
Nuculites oblongatus Conrad 1841
Bivalvia - Nuculanida - Malletiidae
Palaeoneilo cf. magnifica
Palaeoneilo cf. orbignyi
Bivalvia - Nuculanida - Nuculanidae
"Nuculana" viator
"Nuculana" informal sp. (b) Link 1807
Bivalvia
Pelecypoda indet. Goldfuss 1820
synonym of Bivalvia
Scyphozoa - Conulariida - Conulariidae
Conularia indet.
Conularia gamkaensis
Anthozoa - Favositida - Micheliniidae
Pleurodictyum bokkeveldense
? Pleurodictyum informal sp. (a) Goldfuss 1829
Anthozoa - Stauriida - Zaphrentidae
"Zaphrentis" informal sp. (a) Haime 1850
synonym of Zaphrenthis
see common names

Geography
Country:South Africa
Coordinates: 33.3° South, 21.8° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:59.5° South, 151.9° West
Basis of coordinate:stated in text
Geographic resolution:local area
Time
Period:Devonian Epoch:Early/Lower Devonian
Stage:Emsian 10 m.y. bin:Devonian 2
Key time interval:Emsian
Age range of interval:407.60000 - 393.30000 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Geological group:Bokkeveld Formation:Gydo
Stratigraphic resolution:formation
Stratigraphy comments: Age call from ref. 9618
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:bioturbation mudstone
Secondary lithology:bioturbation siltstone
Lithology description: 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."
Environment:marine indet.
Geology comments: 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.
Taphonomy
Collection methods and comments
Reason for describing collection:biostratigraphic analysis
Collection method comments: Author gives numbers from personal collections, which are said to have some bearing on actual abundances.
Metadata
Database number:35578
Authorizer:M. Foote Enterer:M. Foote
Modifier:M. Foote Research group:marine invertebrate
Created:2003-12-29 12:24:28 Last modified:2006-09-13 14:01:03
Access level:the public Released:2003-12-29 12:24:28
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:
9616. 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]

Secondary references:

9618 N. Hiller and J. N. Theron. 1988. Benthic communities in the South African Devonian. In N. J. McMillan, A. F. Embry, D. J. Glass (eds.), Devonian of the World, Volume III. 229-242 [M. Foote/M. Foote/M. Uhen]
9617 P. A. Jell and J. N. Theron. 1999. Early Devonian echinoderms from South Africa. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 43(1):115-199 [M. Foote/M. Foote/M. Foote]