Balfour Formation
Balfour Formation | |
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Ma | |
Type | Geological formation |
Unit of | Adelaide Subgroup, Beaufort Group |
Sub-units | Oudeberg Member, Daggaboersnek Member, Ripplemead Member, Elandsberg Member, Palingkloof Member |
Underlies | Katberg Formation |
Overlies | Middleton Formation |
Thickness | up to 2,150 m (7,050 ft) |
Lithology | |
Primary | Mudstone, siltstone |
Other | Sandstone |
Location | |
Region | Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Free State |
Country | South Africa |
The Balfour Formation is a
Geology
The Balfour Formation overlies the Middleton Formation of the Adelaide Subgroup and underlies the Katberg Formation of the lower Tarkastad Subgroup, all comprising the greater Beaufort Group. The Balfour Formation is composed of five members which are listed below (from oldest to youngest):
- Oudeberg Member
- Daggaboersnek Member
- Ripplemead Member
- Elandsberg Member
- Palingkloof member
The rocks of the Balfour Formation also incorporate the entire Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone, the lowermost portion of the Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone,[3] and the uppermost rocks of the Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone.[4] Up until the middle section of the Ripplemead Member, the Balfour Formation correlates with the near contemporaneous Teekloof Formation west of the 24 degrees from Beaufort West westwards, and to the Normadien Formation north of the Orange River. However, the Elandsberg and Palingkloof Members do not have any lateral correlates west of 24 degrees. This is either due to past erosion of the upper, unknown members of the Teekloof Formation or there was a sudden cessation of sedimentary deposition in the western section of the Karoo Basin.[5][6][7][8]
The sedimentary rocks of this formation are composed predominantly of alternating greenish-grey, bluish-grey, and grey-ish red mudstone that often contain siltstone lenses. The mudstones are very fine-grained, massive and exhibit blocky weathering. Claystone successions are also found which, along with the mudstones, frequently contain desiccation cracks, raindrop impressions, and calcareous nodules or concretions are found throughout. Rhythmites are also found. Sandstones are less common, but some notable units have been studied in the Balfour Formation. In the lowermost section of the Balfour is a sandstone-rich unit known as the Oudeberg Member. The sandstones in this unit are very fine-grained and are rich in feldspar. Another sandstone unit in the middle of the Balfour Formation is the Daggaboersnek Member which contains thin, tabular sandstones, and ripple structures are common.[9][10]
The presence of these rocks reveal much about the past environment that they were deposited in. The dominance of fine-grained
Paleontology
Where the Balfour Formation deposits correlate with the
Paleofauna
Reptiles
- Diapsids
Genus | Species | Locality | Stratigraphic position | Time | Material | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Youngina | Y. capensis | Dicynodon Assemblage zone. | Lopingian | A diapsid reptile. |
- Parareptiles
Genus | Species | Locality | Stratigraphic position | Time | Material | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anthodon | A. serrarius | Changhsingian | A pareiasaur. | ||||
Milleropsis | M. pricei | Dicynodon Assemblage zone. | Changhsingian | A millerettid parareptile.
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Milleretta | M. rubidgei | Dicynodon Assemblage zone. | Changhsingian | A millerettid parareptile.
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Millerosaurus | M. nuffieldi | Changhsingian | A millerettid parareptile.
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Pareiasaurus | P. serridens | Wuchiapingian and Changhsingian. | A pareiasaur. | ||||
Owenetta | O. rubidgei | Cistecephalus and Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zones | Wuchiapingian and Changhsingian | A procolophonian parareptile. |
Synapsids
Therapsids
- Cynodonts
Genus | Species | Locality | Stratigraphic position | Time | Material | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Charassognathus | C. gracilis | A cynodont .
|
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Cynosaurus | C. suppostus | Cistecephalus and Daptocephalus Assemblage Zones. | Wuchiapingian - Changhsingian. | A cynodont. | |||
Procynosuchus | P. delaharpeae | New Bathsheba. | Wuchiapingian | A cynodont. | |||
Progalesaurus | P. lootbergensis | New Lootsberg Pass. | Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone. | Lopingian | A skull, dentition, and postcranial skeleton. | A cynodont. | |
Vetusodon | V. elikhulu | Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone. | Lopingian | A cynodont. |
- Dicynodonts
Genus | Species | Locality | Stratigraphic position | Time | Material | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Daptocephalus | D. leoniceps | Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone. | Changhsingian | A dicynodont .
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Dolomitipes | D. accordii | A dicynodont .
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D. icelsi | |||||||
Dicynodontoides | D. recurvidens | Nooitgedacht 68. | Uppermost part in Dicynodon Assemblage Zone. | A skull and postcranial element. | A dicynodont. | ||
Emydops | E. arctatus | A dicynodont .
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Lystrosaurus | L. curvatus | Nooitgedacht 68 and Fairydale. | lower part of Palingkloof Member, Dicynodon Assemblage Zone. | Induan. | A skull. | A dicynodont .
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L. declivis | uppermost part of Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone. | Induan. | A skull and a complete skeleton. | ||||
L. maccaigi | Palingkloof Member, Dicynodon Assemblage Zone | Changhsingian. | |||||
L. murrayi | lower part of Palingkloof Member, Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone. | Induan. | A skull and skeleton. | ||||
Oudenodon | O. bainii | A small dicynodont. |
- Gorgonopsids
Genus | Species | Locality | Stratigraphic position | Time | Material | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aloposaurus | A. tenuis | A gorgonopsid. | |||||
Cyonosaurus | C. kitchingi | A gorgonopsid. | |||||
C. longiceps | |||||||
Dinogorgon | D. rubidgei | Cistecephalus and Daptocephalus assemblage. | A gorgonopsid. | ||||
Inostrancevia [23] | I. africana | lower slope of the hill Loskop, Nooitgedacht 68. | Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone | A partial skeleton including a complete skull and occluded mandible, entirety of the precaudal axial column, partial scapulae, partial right pelvis, the right femur, and a disarticulated left humerus, ulna, radius, and tibia. | A predatory gorgonopsid .
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Leontosaurus | L. vanderhorsti | Dicynodon Assemblage Zone. | A gorgonopsid. | ||||
Lycaenops | L. ornatus | A gorgonopsid. | |||||
Paragalerhinus | P. rubidgei | Wellwood | Dicynodon Assemblage Zone. | A partial skull. | A gorgonopsid. | ||
Rubidgea | R. atrox | Cistecephalus and Daptocephalus assemblage zone. | A gorgonopsid. | ||||
Scylacops | S. capensis | A gorgonopsid. |
- Therocephalians
Genus | Species | Locality | Stratigraphic position | Time | Material | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ictidochampsa | I. platyceps | Dicynodon Assemblage Zone. | A therocephalian .
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Ictidosuchoides | I. intermedius | A therocephalian .
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Ictidosuchops | I. intermedius | A therocephalian .
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Moschorhinus | M. kitchingi | Spitskop, Nooitgedacht 68. | Dicynodon Assemblage Zone. | A weathered skull along with a complete skull, partially articulated anterior skeleton, and disarticulated pelvis and hind limb. | A therocephalian .
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Notaelurodon | N. kitchingi | A therocephalian .
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Olivierosuchus | O. parringtoni | Palingkloof Member | Lystrosaurus assemblege zone. | A complete skull and anterior half of skeleton in articulation, including vertebrae, ribs, pectoral girdle, partial left humerus, complete right forelimb,
including terminal phalanges. |
A therocephalian. | ||
Promoschorhynchus | P. platyrhinus | A therocephalian .
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Theriognathus | T. microps | A therocephalian .
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Tetracynodon | T. tenuis | A therocephalian .
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Correlation
The Balfour Formation is known to corresponds in age with the Cis-Uralian fauna of Russia[24] and the Sanga do Cabral Formation, Paraná Basin of Brazil. Correlations with other Late Permian - Early Triassic deposits abroad remain inconclusive.
References
- ^ Rubidge, B. S. (ed.) 1995b. Biostratigraphy of the Beaufort Group (Karoo Supergroup). South African Committee of Stratigraphy. Biostratigraphic Series 1. Pretoria, Council for Geoscience.
- ISSN 0037-0738.)
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- ^ Visser, J.N.J. and Dukas, B.A., 1979. Upward-fining fluviatile megacycles in the Beaufort Group north of Graaff-Reinet, Cape Province. Trans. Geol. Soc. S. Afr, 82(149), p.e154.
- )
- S2CID 56420970.
- S2CID 130345218.
- .
- ISSN 0031-0182.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ISSN 0091-7613.
- ISSN 0091-7613.
- ISSN 1631-0683.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ISSN 1464-343X.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - S2CID 46198018.
- PMID 19011684.
- ISSN 1464-343X.)
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- S2CID 140641975.
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- ^ Gardner, Nicholas; Holliday, Casey; O’Keefe, F. (2010-11-01). "The Braincase of Youngina Capensis (Reptilia, Diapsida): New Insights from High-Resolution CT Scanning of the Holotype". Biological Sciences Faculty Research.
- ISSN 1342-937X.
- S2CID 258835757.
- ^ Shishkin, M. A.; Ochev, V. G. (1993). "The Permo-Triassic transition and the early Triassic history of the Euramerican tetrapod fauna". New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin. 3: 435–437. Retrieved 2018-12-11.