Batoka Formation

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Batoka Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early Jurassic
~180–179  Ma
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Batoka-flows-siyakobvu.png
Batoka basalt flows at Siyakobvu, Kariba District, Zimbabwe
Type Geological formation
Unit of Upper Karoo Group, Karoo Supergroup
Overlies Forest Sandstone Formation
Lithology
Primary Basalt
Location
Region Zambezi River valley
CountryFlag of Botswana.svg  Botswana
Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe
Type section
Named forBatoka Gorge, Zambezi River
Named byG.W. Lamplugh

The Batoka Formation is a geological formation in the Zambezi valley in Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is predominantly a volcanic unit comprising mainly basalts. [1] It was formerly thought to contain sand stones containing the dinosaur Vulcanodon , however this was shown to be in error resulting from interpreting folding of the rocks as separate layers, with the sandstone layers actually being from the underlying Forest Sandstone. [2]

Contents

Geology

Description

The formation is a volcanic unit, consisting mainly of high-titanium, low-potassium tholeiitic basalt flows. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Pillow lavas in Batoka Basalt, Siyakobvu, Kariba District, Zimbabwe Batoka-basalt-siyakobvu.png
Pillow lavas in Batoka Basalt, Siyakobvu, Kariba District, Zimbabwe

The lavas are dark, vesicular and porphyritic or massive basalts, with occasional pillows, [8] [9] [10] [11] although rare dacites and rhyolites have been reported from some areas of north-eastern Botswana. [12] The vesicular and massive basalts occur in alternating bands, with the vesicular bands usually being the top and base of each flow. [10] [12] The basalt mineralogy consists of mainly of plagioclase, augite, magnetite, some ilmenite and volcanic glass. In the Hwange area, vesicles consist mostly of quartz, chalcedony or calcite, [10] though zeolites, such as stilbite, mesolite and laumontite, are dominant towards Victoria Falls and in the lower Deka valley, [8] and are common in north-eastern Botswana. [12]

The basalt lavas are related to carbonatite intrusions in the Zambezi valley. [13]

Extent

The Batoka Formation is found in Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, in the Mid-Zambezi, Mana Pools and Cabora Bassa Basins. [3] [14] [15]

Age

Lavas of the Batoka Formation have been dated at 180 to 179 Ma. [3]

Stratigraphy

The Batoka Formation is the uppermost formation in the Upper Karoo Group of the Karoo Supergroup, lying above the Forest Sandstone Formation. [14]

The Batoka Formation has been correlated to the Drakensberg Group of the Great Karoo Basin, South Africa, [15] and the basalts of the Tuli Basin in Botswana and Zimbabwe. [16]

Fossil content

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxonTaxon falsely reported as presentDubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Dinosaurs

Ornithishians

Ornithischians of the Batoka Formation
GenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImages
Scelidosauridae Indet.Indeterminate

Saurischians

Saurischians of the Batoka Formation
GenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImages
Ceratosauria Indet.IndeterminateA ceratosaurian theropod
Vulcanodon [17] V. karibaensisA vulcanodontid sauropod

Amphibians

Amphibians of the Batoka Formation
GenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionMaterialNotesImages
Siderops S. sp.A chigutisaurid temnospondyl

Related Research Articles

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References

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