Bushveld Sandstone

Bushveld Sandstone
Stratigraphic range: Hettangian-Sinemurian ~201–189  Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Stormberg Group
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone
Location
Coordinates	22°48′S29°18′E / 22.8°S 29.3°E / -22.8; 29.3
Approximate paleocoordinates	37°54′S4°42′E / 37.9°S 4.7°E / -37.9; 4.7
Region	Mpumalanga, Limpopo
Country	South Africa
Bushveld Sandstone (South Africa)

The Bushveld Sandstone is a geological formation dating to roughly between 201 and 189 million years ago and covering the Carnian to Norian stages. The Bushveld Sandstone is found in Transvaal, South Africa, and is a member of the Stormberg Group. As its name suggests, it consists mainly of sandstone. Fossils of the prosauropod dinosaur Massospondylus have been recovered from the Bushveld Sandstone. ^[1]

The Bushveld Sandstone was thought to be Late Triassic age, but was considered to be temporally correlative to the Clarens Formation by Smith et al. (1993). ^[2]

Vertebrate fauna

Dinosaur tracks are located in Transvaal. ^[1]

Dinosaurs
Genus	Species	Presence	Notes	Images
Gigantoscelus [1]	G. molengraaffi [1]	Geographically located in Transvaal. [1]	Remains now considered to be of indeterminate prosauropod origin. [1] "Distal femur." [3]
Gryponyx [1]	G. transvaalensis [1]	Geographically located in Transvaal. [1]	Remains now considered to be of indeterminate prosauropod origin. [1] "Ungual, distal metatarsal." [3]
Massospondylus [4]	M. carinatus [4]	Geographically located in Transvaal. Geochronologically located in Early Jurassic strata. [4]

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

See also

• List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in South Africa
• Clarens Formation

References

1. Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Triassic, Africa)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 528–529. ISBN   0-520-24209-2.
2. Smith RMH, Eriksson PG, Botha WJ. A Review of the Stratigraphy and Sedimentary Environments of the Karoo-Aged Basins of Southern Africa. Journal of African Earth Sciences. 1993;16:143–169. doi: 10.1016/0899-5362(93)90164-L.
3. "Table 12.1," in Weishampel, et al. (2004). Page 236.
4. Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Jurassic, Africa)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 535–536. ISBN   0-520-24209-2.