Ntawere Formation | |
---|---|
Stratigraphic range: Anisian ~ | |
Type | Geological formation |
Sub-units | Lower Ntawere, Upper Ntawere |
Underlies | Red Marls |
Overlies | Escarpment Grit |
Lithology | |
Primary | Mudstone |
Other | Sandstone, marl |
Location | |
Coordinates | 10°48′S33°06′E / 10.8°S 33.1°E |
Approximate paleocoordinates | 53°36′N20°36′E / 53.6°N 20.6°E |
Region | Eastern Province |
Country | Zambia |
Extent | Luangwa Basin |
The Ntawere Formation is a Middle Triassic (Anisian) geological formation in Zambia, preserving fossils of synapsids, archosaurs, and temnospondyls. [1]
Several different facies are present in the Ntawere Formation, reconstructing a floodplain environment. The coarsest facies are trough cross-bedded conglomeratic sandstone full of mineral concretions. These coarse deposits formed in ancient channels such as riverbeds. Another type of facies involves thick beds of mudstone interbedding with thinner layers of fine-grained sandstone, indicating alternating low- and high-energy water flow within the channels. Graded sandstone to mudstone overbank deposits (complete with ripple marks) occur near channel deposits. Extensive successions of laminated or massive mudstone are common, often containing slickensides, calcareous nodules or layers (marls), and/or hematite nodules. These types of thick mud/marl layers likely formed in more quiet parts of the floodplain isolated from turbulent channels. [1]
The floodplain was seemingly more active during the deposition of the Lower Ntaware Formation, as coarser sandstone channel fills are prevalent in that section while extensive mudstone layers are more common in the Upper Ntaware Formation. Fossils are typically found preserved in calcareous nodules in the mudstone of the Upper Ntaware, although they occur in some parts of the Lower Ntaware as well. The Ntaware Formation is an example of red beds, which are typically deposited in warm environments with seasonal ponds and rivers tied to wet and dry seasons. [1]
Invertebrates of the Ntawere Formation | ||||||
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Taxon | Member | Material | Notes | |||
Unio karooensis | Upper Ntaware | Shells | A freshwater unionid bivalve | |||
Fish of the Ntawere Formation | ||||||
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Taxon | Member | Material | Notes | |||
Hybodontoidei indet. | Upper Ntaware | Fin spines | An indeterminate non-hybodontid hybodontoid shark, similar to Lissodus and Lonchidion | |||
Ptycoceratodontidae indet. | Lower Ntaware, Upper Ntawere | Tooth plates | An indeterminate lungfish, similar to Ptychoceratodus | |||
Amphibians of the Ntawere Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Taxon | Member | Material | Notes | Images | ||
Batrachosuchus concordi | Upper Ntaware | A skull and forelimbs | A brachyopid stereospondyl | |||
Cherninia megarhina | Upper Ntaware | A partial skull | A mastodonsaurid stereospondyl | |||
"Stanocephalosaurus" pronus | Upper Ntaware | A skull | A new species of capitosauroid, likely not part of the genus Stanocephalosaurus | |||
Stereospondyli indet. | Upper Ntaware | Vertebrae and part of a jaw | Indeterminate stereospondyl material. The jaw fragment may belong to a rhinesuchid, lydekkerinid, or rhytidosteid | |||
Synapsids of the Ntawere Formation | ||||||
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Taxon | Member | Material | Notes | Images | ||
Cricodon metabolus | Upper Ntaware | A partial skeleton | A trirachodontid cynodont | |||
Cynognathus crateronotus | Lower Ntaware | Teeth, vertebrae, partial humerus, ilium | A cynognathian cynodont | |||
Diademodon tetragonus | Lower Ntaware | A skull | A diademodontid cynodont | |||
"Kannemeyeria" latirostris | Lower Ntaware | A skull | A kannemeyeriiform dicynodont, possibly a species of Kannemeyeria or Dolichuranus | |||
Kannemeyeria lophorhinus | Lower Ntaware | A skull | A kannemeyeriid dicynodont | |||
Luangwa drysdalli | Upper Ntaware | Skulls and postcranial material | A traversodontid cynodont | |||
Sangusaurus edentatus | Upper Ntaware | A partial skull | A stahleckeriid dicynodont | |||
Traversodontidae sp. | Upper Ntaware | Skulls and postcranial material | An unnamed species of gomphodont-like traversodontid cynodont | |||
Zambiasaurus submersus | Upper Ntaware | A skull fragment | A stahleckeriid dicynodont | |||
Archosauromorphs of the Ntawere Formation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Taxon | Member | Material | Notes | Images | ||
Archosauriformes indet. | Upper Ntaware | Teeth | Various indeterminate large carnivorous archosauriforms, likely loricatans | |||
Archosauromorpha indet. | Upper Ntaware | A neck vertebra | An indeterminate archosauromorph, possibly an allokotosaur | |||
Dinosauriformes indet. | Upper Ntaware | A partial fibula | A large dracohortian, likely a silesaurid | |||
Loricata indet. | Upper Ntaware | Vertebrae | An indeterminate large archosaur, similar to Stagonosuchus | |||
Lutungutali sitwensis | Upper Ntaware | An ilium | A basal silesaurid | |||
Shuvosauridae indet. | Upper Ntaware | Part of a femur | An indeterminate shuvosaurid archosaur similar to Shuvosaurus and the indeterminate "Moenkopi poposauroid" | |||
Silesauridae indet. | Upper Ntaware | A maxilla, femurs, and material from the hip, ankle, and foot | Indeterminate basal silesaurid material comparable to Asilisaurus and Lutungutali | |||
The Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod assemblage zone or biozone which correlates to the middle Abrahamskraal Formation, Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group, a fossiliferous and geologically important geological Group of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. The thickest outcrops, reaching approximately 2,000 metres (6,600 ft), occur from Merweville and Leeu-Gamka in its southernmost exposures, from Sutherland through to Beaufort West where outcrops start to only be found in the south-east, north of Oudshoorn and Willowmore, reaching up to areas south of Graaff-Reinet. Its northernmost exposures occur around the towns Fraserburg and Victoria West. The Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone is the second biozone of the Beaufort Group.
The Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod assemblage zone or biozone found in the Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group, a majorly fossiliferous and geologically important geological group of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. This biozone has outcrops located in the Teekloof Formation north-west of Beaufort West in the Western Cape, in the upper Middleton and lower Balfour Formations respectively from Colesberg of the Northern Cape to east of Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape. The Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone is one of eight biozones found in the Beaufort Group, and is considered to be Late Permian in age.
The Cynognathus Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod biozone utilized in the Karoo Basin of South Africa. It is equivalent to the Burgersdorp Formation, the youngest lithostratigraphic formation in the Beaufort Group, which is part of the fossiliferous and geologically important Karoo Supergroup. The Cynognathus Assemblage Zone is the youngest of the eight biozones found in the Beaufort Group, and is considered to be late Early Triassic (Olenekian) to early Middle Triassic (Anisian) in age. The name of the biozone refers to Cynognathus crateronotus, a large and carnivorous cynodont therapsid which occurs throughout the entire biozone.
The Pristerognathus Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod assemblage zone or biozone which correlates to the upper Abrahamskraal Formation and lowermost Teekloof Formation, Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group, a fossiliferous and geologically important geological Group of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. The thickest outcrops, reaching not more than 300 metres (980 ft), occur just east of Sutherland through to Beaufort West in the south and Victoria West in the north. Exposures are also found west of Colesberg and south of Graaff-Reinet. The Pristerognathus Assemblage Zone is the third biozone of the Beaufort Group.
The Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod assemblage zone or biozone which correlates to the lower Teekloof Formation, Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group, a fossiliferous and geologically important geological Group of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. The thickest outcrops, reaching approximately 240 metres (790 ft), occur from east of Sutherland through to Beaufort West and Victoria West, to areas south of Graaff-Reinet. Its northernmost exposures occur west/north-west of Colesberg. The Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone is the fourth biozone of the Beaufort Group.
The Eodicynodon Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod assemblage zone or biozone which correlates to the Abrahamskraal Formation, Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group, a fossiliferous and geologically important geological Group of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. The thickest outcrops, reaching approximately 620 metres (2,030 ft), occur south-east of Sutherland, north of Prince Albert, and south-east of Beaufort West. The Eodicynodon Assemblage Zone is the lowermost biozone of the Beaufort Group.
The Ischigualasto Formation is a Late Triassic geological formation in the Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin of southwestern La Rioja Province and northeastern San Juan Province in northwestern Argentina. The formation dates to the late Carnian and early Norian stages of the Late Triassic, according to radiometric dating of ash beds.
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.
Sangusaurus is an extinct genus of large dicynodont synapsid with two recognized species: S. edentatus and S. parringtonii. Sangusaurus is named after the Sangu stream in eastern Zambia near to where it was first discovered + ‘saur’ which is the Greek root for lizard. Sangusaurus fossils have been recovered from the upper parts of the Ntawere Formation in Zambia and of the Lifua Member of the Manda Beds in Tanzania. The earliest study considered Sangusaurus a kannemeyeriid dicynodont, but more recent phylogenetic analyses place Sangusaurus within the stahleckeriid clade of Dicynodontia. Until recently, little work had been done to describe Sangusaurus, likely due to the fact that only four incomplete fossil specimens have been discovered.
Rechnisaurus is an extinct genus of dicynodont from the Middle Triassic (Anisian) Yerrapalli Formation of India. It contains a single species, Rechnisaurus cristarhynchus.
Katumbia is a genus of dicynodont from Late Permian (Changhsingian) Kawinga Formation of the Ruhuhu Basin, Tanzania. and possibly the Upper Madumabisa Mudstone Formation of the Luangwa Basin, Zambia. The type species, K. parringtoni, was originally referred to the genus Cryptocynodon, which is now recognized as a junior synonym of Endothiodon.
Igneous rocks are found in Bukit Timah, Woodlands, and Pulau Ubin island. Granite makes up the bulk of the igneous rock. Gabbro is also found in the area and is found in an area called Little Guilin, named for its resemblance to Guilin in South China. This area is in Bukit Gombak. Sedimentary rocks are found on the western part of Singapore, which is mainly made of sandstone and mudstones. It also includes the southwestern area. Metamorphic rocks are found in the northeastern part of Singapore, and also on Pulau Tekong, off the east coast of Singapore. The rocks are mainly made up of quartzite, and also make up the Sajahat Formation.
The Manda Formation is a Middle Triassic (Anisian?) or possibly Late Triassic (Carnian?) geologic formation in Tanzania. It preserves fossils of many terrestrial vertebrates from the Triassic, including some of the earliest dinosauromorph archosaurs. The formation is often considered to be Anisian in age according to general tetrapod biochronology hypotheses and correlations to the Cynognathus Assemblage Zone of South Africa. However, some recent studies cast doubt to this age, suggesting that parts deposits may actually be younger (Carnian) in age.
The Yerrapalli Formation is a Triassic rock formation consisting primarily of mudstones that outcrops in the Pranhita–Godavari Basin in southeastern India. The Yerrapalli Formation preserves fossils of freshwater and terrestrial vertebrates as well as trace fossils of invertebrates. The tetrapod fauna includes temnospondyl amphibians, archosauromorph reptiles, and dicynodonts.
The Usili Formation is a Late Permian geologic formation in Tanzania. It preserves fossils of many terrestrial vertebrates from the Permian, including temnospondyls, pareiasaurs, therapsids and the archosauromorph Aenigmastropheus.
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.
The Katberg 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 Katberg Formation is the lowermost geological formation of the Tarkastad Subgroup which contains the Lower to Middle Triassic-aged rocks of the Beaufort Group. Outcrops and exposures of the Katberg Formation are found east of 24 degrees on wards and north of Graaff-Reniet, Nieu Bethesda, Cradock, Fort Beaufort, Queensdown, and East London in the south, and ranges as far north as Harrismith in deposits that form a ring around the Drakensberg mountain ranges.
Kembawacela is an extinct genus of cistecephalid dicynodont from the Late Permian of East Africa. The genus contains two known species, the type species Kembawacela kitchingi from the Madumabisa Mudstone Formation of Zambia described in 2019, and a second species, K. yajuwayeyi, from the Chiweta Beds of Malawi described in 2022. Like other cistecephalids, Kembawacela was specialised for a fossorial, burrowing lifestyle similar to modern day moles. It is unique amongst cistecephalids for the presence of a pair of tusks in the upper jaw, characteristic of many other dicynodonts but lost in other cistecephalids. It is likely that Kembawacela was a locally endemic species of cistecephalid in the Luangwa Basin of Zambia.
The Timezgadiouine Formation, sometimes spelled as the Timesgadiouine Formation, is a Triassic geological formation in the Argana Basin of Morocco. It is a succession of red bed sediments spanning from the Olenekian to at least the Carnian, encompassing members T3 to T5 of the Argana Group. It is preceded by the Permian Ikakern Formation and succeeded by the Late Triassic Bigoudine Formation.