Balfour Formation

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Balfour Formation
Stratigraphic range: Lopingian - Induan
256.3–251.2  Ma
Nieu-Bethesda, Karoo, Eastern Cape, South Africa (20323012538).jpg
Outcrops of the Balfour Formation are found in the hillsides surrounding Nieu-Bethesda, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Type Geological formation
Unit ofAdelaide Subgroup, Beaufort Group
Sub-unitsOudeberg Member, Daggaboersnek Member, Ripplemead Member, Elandsberg Member, Palingkloof Member
Underlies Katberg Formation
Overlies Middleton Formation
Thicknessup to 2,150 m (7,050 ft)
Lithology
Primary Mudstone, siltstone
Other Sandstone
Location
Coordinates 32°18′S24°30′E / 32.3°S 24.5°E / -32.3; 24.5
Approximate paleocoordinates 62°42′S29°18′W / 62.7°S 29.3°W / -62.7; -29.3
Region Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Free State
Country South Africa
Geology of Karoo Supergroup.png

The Balfour Formation is a geological formation that is found in the Beaufort Group, a major geological group that forms part of the greater Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. The Balfour Formation is the uppermost formation of the Adelaide Subgroup which contains all the Late Permian - Early Triassic aged biozones of the Beaufort Group. Outcrops and exposures of the Balfour Formation are found from east of 24 degrees in the highest mountainous escarpments between Beaufort West and Fraserburg, but most notably in the Winterberg and Sneeuberg mountain ranges near Cradock, the Baviaanskloof river valley, Graaff-Reniet and Nieu Bethesda in the Eastern Cape, and in the southern Free State province. [1] [2]

Contents

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):

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 mudstone and less common, fine-grained sandstones indicates that the rock sediments were deposited in a low-energy, fluvial environment, most likely one that had meandering rivers. At the time of sedimentary deposition, the Karoo retroarc foreland system was in an overfilled phase, and purely terrestrial sediments occupied the Karoo Basin at this time. As this formation includes the rocks of both the Cistecephalus , Daptocephalus, Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zones, the Balfour Formation preserves the geological record for the end Permian extinction event. This is important as the end Permian extinction event was the largest mass extinction event in the Earth's history. This was followed by one of the worst biotic crises, which is reflected in the sudden and drastic sedimentary facies changes in the overlying Katberg Formation. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

Paleontology

Where the Balfour Formation deposits correlate with the Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone, a great diversity of vertebrate fauna are found. This richness in species diversity observed in the Balfour Formation is especially true of dicynodonts as numerous different species of this successful, herbivorous therapsid have been recovered. [16] [17] Various species of burnetiamorph biarmosuchians, rubidgeine gorgonopsians, and therocephalian species such as Moschorhinus kitchingi and the earliest cynodont, Charassognathus gracilis , also appear. [18] Parareptile species, [19] namely captorhinids, the Younginiforme Youngina capensis , [20] [21] and a variety of temnospondyl amphibians, [22] fishes, and plant fossils such as Glossopteris are likewise found. Glossopteris fossils or leaf impressions are particularly common in the Daggaboersnek Member. The uppermost unit of the Balfour Formation marks the Permian-aged side of the Permian-Triassic boundary. At this point in the biostratigraphy there is a marked drop in species diversity as the Permian-Triassic extinction event began to take its course at the time of sediment deposition.

Paleofauna

Reptiles

Diapsids

GenusSpeciesLocalityStratigraphic positionTimeMaterialNotesImages
Youngina Y. capensisKlipplaat, Doornplaas, Toverwater, Beeldhouersfortien, and Wellwood.Dicynodon Assemblage zone.LopingianA diapsid reptile.
Youngina capensis.png

Parareptiles

GenusSpeciesLocalityStratigraphic positionTimeMaterialNotesImages
Anthodon A. serrariusChanghsingianA pareiasaur.
Milleropsis M. priceiDicynodon Assemblage zone.ChanghsingianA millerettid parareptile.
Milleretta M. rubidgeiDicynodon Assemblage zone.ChanghsingianA millerettid parareptile.
Milleretta BW.jpg
Millerosaurus M. nuffieldiChanghsingianA millerettid parareptile.
Millerosaurus BACKGROUND.JPG
Pareiasaurus P. serridensWuchiapingian and Changhsingian.A pareiasaur.
Owenetta O. rubidgeiCistecephalus and Lystrosaurus Assemblage ZonesWuchiapingian and ChanghsingianA procolophonian parareptile.
Sauropareion S. anoplusMiddleberg and Barendskraal Farm.Lystrosaurus assemblage zone.Induan.A basal procolophonid parareptile.

Proterosuchids

GenusSpeciesLocalityStratigraphic positionTimeMaterialNotesImages
Proterosuchus P. fergusiBarendskraal farm and Middleburg.Lystrosaurus assemblage zone.Changhsingian.A complete skull.A proterosuchidae reptile.

Synapsids

Therapsids

Cynodonts
GenusSpeciesLocalityStratigraphic positionTimeMaterialNotesImages
Charassognathus C. gracilisA cynodont.
Charassognathus gracilis.jpg
Cynosaurus C. suppostusCistecephalus and Daptocephalus Assemblage Zones.Wuchiapingian - Changhsingian.A cynodont.
Procynosuchus P. delaharpeaeNew Bathsheba.WuchiapingianA cynodont.
Procynosuchus delaharpae.png
Progalesaurus P. lootbergensisNew Lootsberg Pass.Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone.LopingianA skull, dentition, and postcranial skeleton.A cynodont.
Vetusodon [23] V. elikhuluEnyezane.Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone.LopingianA partial skullA cynodont.
Vetusodon elikhulu.png
Dicynodonts
GenusSpeciesLocalityStratigraphic positionTimeMaterialNotesImages
Daptocephalus D. leonicepsDaptocephalus Assemblage Zone.ChanghsingianA dicynodont.
Daptocephalus leonicepsDB24.jpg
Dolomitipes D. accordiiA dicynodont.
D. icelsi
Dicynodontoides D. recurvidensNooitgedacht 68.Uppermost part in Dicynodon Assemblage Zone.A skull and postcranial element.A dicynodont.
KingoriaDB.jpg
Emydops E. arctatusA dicynodont.
Lystrosaurus L. curvatusNooitgedacht 68 and Fairydale.lower part of Palingkloof Member, Dicynodon Assemblage Zone.Induan.A skull.A dicynodont.
Lystrosaurus Lystr murr1DB.jpg
Lystrosaurus
L. declivisuppermost part of Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone.Induan.A skull and a complete skeleton.
L. maccaigiPalingkloof Member, Dicynodon Assemblage ZoneChanghsingian.
L. murrayilower part of Palingkloof Member, Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone.Induan.A skull and skeleton.
Oudenodon O. bainiiA small dicynodont.
Oudenodon.jpg
Gorgonopsids
GenusSpeciesLocalityStratigraphic positionTimeMaterialNotesImages
Aloposaurus A. tenuisA gorgonopsid.
Alopsaurus Aloposaurus.jpg
Alopsaurus
Cyonosaurus C. kitchingiA gorgonopsid.
Cyonosaurus1DB.jpg
C. longiceps
Dinogorgon D. rubidgeiCistecephalus and Daptocephalus assemblage.A gorgonopsid.
Dinogorgo rubigei.jpg
Inostrancevia [24] I. africanalower slope of the hill Loskop, Nooitgedacht 68.Daptocephalus Assemblage ZoneA 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 inostranceviinae gorgonopsid.
Inostrancevia africana.jpg
Leontosaurus L. vanderhorstiDicynodon Assemblage Zone.A gorgonopsid.
Lycaenops L. ornatusA gorgonopsid.
Lycaenops ornatus (2).jpg
Paragalerhinus P. rubidgeiWellwoodDicynodon Assemblage Zone.A partial skull.A gorgonopsid.
Rubidgea R. atroxCistecephalus and Daptocephalus assemblage zone.A gorgonopsid.
Broomicephalus1DB.jpg
Scylacops S. capensisA gorgonopsid.
Therocephalians
GenusSpeciesLocalityAssemblage ZoneTimeMaterialNotesImages
Cradognathus C. albanensis [25] Unknown part from the Chris Hani District MunicipalityCistecephalus assemblage ZoneChanghsingianA partial skull with an occluded partial lower jaw that misses the portions posterior to the orbit.An akidnognathid therocephalian.
Moschorhinus Moschorhinus kitch1DB.jpg
Moschorhinus
Theriognathus Theriognathus.jpg
Theriognathus
Tetracynodon Tetracynodon1.jpg
Tetracynodon
Ictidochampsa I. platycepsNew Bethesda CommonageDicynodon Assemblage Zone.Wuchiapingian/ChanghsingianA whaitsiidae therocephalian.
Ictidosuchoides I. intermediusA therocephalian.
Ictidosuchops I. intermediusInduanA therocephalian.
Moschorhinus M. kitchingiSpitskop, 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
Notaelurodon N. kitchingiNew Bethesda CommonageDicynodon Assemblage ZoneWuchiapingianA specimenA therocephalian.
Olivierosuchus O. parringtoniPalingkloof MemberLystrosaurus assemblege zone.InduanA complete skull and anterior half of skeleton in articulation, including vertebrae, ribs, pectoral girdle, partial left humerus, and complete right forelimb,

including terminal phalanges.

A therocephalian.
Promoschorhynchus P. platyrhinusWuchiapingian/InduanA therocephalian.
Theriognathus T. micropsA therocephalian.
Tetracynodon T. tenuisA therocephalian.

Correlation

The Balfour Formation is known to corresponds in age with the Cis-Uralian fauna of Russia [26] and the Sanga do Cabral Formation, Paraná Basin of Brazil. Correlations with other Late Permian - Early Triassic deposits abroad remain inconclusive.

References

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