List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Lesotho

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This is a list of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Lesotho .

Contents

GroupFormationPeriodNotes
Drakensberg Group Drakensberg Formation Pliensbachian [1]
Stormberg Group Clarens Formation Sinemurian [2]
Elliot Formation Carnian-Sinemurian [3]
Molteno Formation Carnian-Norian [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Euskelosaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaur from late Triassic southern Africa

Euskelosaurus is a sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Late Triassic of South Africa and Lesotho. Fossils have only been recovered from the lower Elliot Formation in South Africa and Lesotho, and in one locality in Zimbabwe.

Erythrotherium is an extinct genus of basal mammaliaforms from the Late Triassic to Lower Jurassic. It is related to Morganucodon. Only one species is recorded, Erythrotherium parringtoni, from Red Beds, Stormberg Group, Mafeteng, Upper Elliot and Clarens Formations, from Lesotho and South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clarens Formation</span> Geological formation of the Stormberg Group in southern Africa

The Clarens Formation is a geological formation found in several localities in Lesotho and in the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, and Eastern Cape provinces in South Africa. It is the uppermost of the three formations found in the Stormberg Group of the greater Karoo Supergroup rocks and represents the final phase of preserved sedimentation of the Karoo Basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elliot Formation</span> Lithostratigraphic layer of the Stormberg Group in South Africa

The Elliot Formation is a geological formation and forms part of the Stormberg Group, the uppermost geological group that comprises the greater Karoo Supergroup. Outcrops of the Elliot Formation have been found in the northern Eastern Cape, southern Free State, and in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa. Outcrops and exposures are also found in several localities in Lesotho such as Qacha's Neck, Hill Top, Quthing, and near the capital, Maseru. The Elliot Formation is further divided into the lower (LEF) and upper (UEF) Elliot formations to differentiate significant sedimentological differences between these layers. The LEF is dominantly Late Triassic (Norian-Hettangian) in age while the UEF is mainly Early Jurassic (Sinemurian-Pliensbachian) and is tentatively regarded to preserve a continental record of the Triassic-Jurassic boundary in southern Africa. This geological formation is named after the town of Elliot in the Eastern Cape, and its stratotype locality is located on the Barkly Pass, 9 km north of the town.

Notochampsa is an extinct genus of protosuchian crocodylomorph. Fossils have been found from the lower Clarens Formation of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa, dating back to the Pliensbachian stage of the Early Jurassic. Notochampsa comes from a period of relative fossil scarcity, and is the youngest known occurrence of a crocodylomorph from the Karoo Basin of South Africa.

The Kugitang Formation or Group is an Oxfordian geologic formation in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and a geologic group in Turkmenistan. Dinosaur remains diagnostic to the genus level are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stormberg Group</span> Triassic/Jurassic geological group in the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa

The Stormberg Group is one of the four geological groups that comprises the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. It is the uppermost geological group representing the final phase of preserved sedimentation of the Karoo Basin. The Stormberg Group rocks are considered to range between Lower Triassic (Olenekian) to Lower Jurassic (Pliensbachian) in age. These estimates are based on means of geological dating including stratigraphic position, lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic correlations, and palynological analyses.

Anatrisauropus is an ichnogenus of dinosaur footprint, possibly belonging to a saurischian. It has only been discovered in Lesotho. Three ichnospecies are known: A. camisardi, A. ginsburgi and A. hereroensis; all of which were named by Paul Ellenberger between 1965 and 1972.

The Hassberge Formation is a geologic formation in Bavaria, Germany. It preserves fossils dating back to the Carnian stage of the Triassic period.

The geology of Lesotho is built on ancient crystalline basement rock up to 3.6 billion years old, belonging to the Kaapvaal Craton, a section of stable primordial crust. Most of the rocks in the country are sedimentary or volcanic units, belonging to the Karoo Supergroup. The country is notable for large fossil deposits and intense erosion due to high rainfall and a rare case of southern African glaciation during the last ice age. Lesotho has extensive diamonds and other natural resources and has the highest concentration of kimberlite pipes anywhere in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omingonde Formation</span>

The Omingonde Formation is an Early to Middle Triassic geologic formation, part of the Karoo Supergroup, in the western Otjozondjupa Region and northeastern Erongo Region of north-central Namibia. The formation has a maximum thickness of about 600 metres (2,000 ft) and comprises sandstones, shales, siltstones and conglomerates, was deposited in a fluvial environment, alternating between a meandering and braided river setting.

Kholumolumo, formerly "Kholumolumosaurus" or "Thotobolosaurus", is an extinct genus of massopodan sauropodomorph dinosaur, which was closely related to Sarahsaurus, from the lower Elliot Formation of Maphutseng, Lesotho. The type species, Kholumolumo ellenbergerorum was formally described in 2020.

References

  1. Drakensberg Group at Fossilworks.org
  2. Clarens Formation at Fossilworks.org
  3. Elliot Formation at Fossilworks.org
  4. Molteno Formation at Fossilworks.org

Further reading