Gydo Formation (1st Shale), Klaarstroom: Emsian, South Africa

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Stelleroidea
Stelleroidea indet. Gregory 1900
Orthothecida - Orthothecidae
Orthotheca steinmanni
Hyolithida - Hyolithidae
Hyolithes subaequalis
Hyolithes informal sp. (e)
Hyolithes dorbignyi Kozlowski 1923
Strophomenata - Orthotetida - Pulsiidae
Schellwienella sulivani
Strophomenata - Strophomenida - Eodevonariidae
? Eodevonaria arcuatus
unclassified
"Trigaria" informal sp. (a)
Rhynchonellata - Spiriferida - Hysterolitidae
Australospirifer antarcticus
Rhynchonellata - Spiriferida - Ambocoeliidae
Ambocoelia pseudoumbonata
Rhynchonellata - Rhynchonellida - Leptocoeliidae
Australocoelia tourteloti
Cephalopoda - Orthocerida - Orthoceratidae
"Orthoceras" constrictum
"Orthoceras" gamkaense
"Orthoceras" rex
Gastropoda - Bellerophontida - Plectonotidae
Bellerophon cf. laticarinatus (Knod 1908)
Gastropoda - Murchisoniina - Palaeozygopleuridae
Loxonema zwartbergense Reed 1925
Bivalvia - Grammysiidae
Grammysia fontinalis
Bivalvia - Sanguinolitidae
"Sanguinolites" albanus
Bivalvia - Cyrtodontida - Praecardiidae
"Buchiola" subpalmata
Bivalvia - Ostreida - Pterineidae
"Actinopteria" eschwegii
Bivalvia - Solemyida - Ctenodontidae
"Ctenodonta" stowi
"Ctenodonta" informal sp. (a)
"Ctenodonta" informal sp. (b)
Bivalvia - Nuculanida - Cucullellidae
Nuculites informal sp. (d)
Nuculites oblongatus Conrad 1841
Bivalvia - Nuculanida - Nuculanidae
"Nuculana" viator
"Nuculana" informal sp. (a)
Bivalvia - Nuculanida - Malletiidae
Palaeoneilo cf. magnifica
Trilobita - Proetida - Proetidae
Ormistoniella malaca (Lake 1904)
Trilobita - Phacopida - Dalmanitidae
Francovichia informal sp. (a)
Trilobita - Phacopida - Calmoniidae
Metacryphaeus caffer (Salter 1856)
Typhloniscus baini
Pennaia pupillus
Bainella africana
Bainella cristagalli
Trilobita - Phacopida - Homalonotidae
Burmeisteria herscheli
Burmeisteria quernus
Ostracoda
Ostracoda indet. Latreille 1802
Scyphozoa - Conulariida - Conulariidae
Conularia africana
Conularia gamkaense
Anthozoa - Favositida - Micheliniidae
Pleurodictyum bokkeveldense
Anthozoa - Stauriida - Zaphrentidae
"Zaphrentis" zebra
"Zaphrentis" informal sp. (a)
see common names

Geography
Country:South Africa
Coordinates: 33.3° South, 22.4° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:59.3° South, 152.8° West
Basis of coordinate:stated in text
Geographic resolution:local area
Time
Period: Devonian Epoch: Early Devonian
Stage: Emsian 10 m.y. bin: Devonian 2
Key time interval: Emsian
Age range of interval: 407.6 - 393.3 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:35589
Authorizer:M. Foote Enterer:M. Foote
Modifier:M. Foote Research group:marine invertebrate
Created:2003-12-29 15:02:28 Last modified:2006-09-13 14:01:03
Access level:the public Released:2003-12-29 15:02:28
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]