Uitenhage Group

Last updated
Uitenhage Group
Stratigraphic range: Late Early Jurassic-Early Cretaceous
~183–100  Ma
Type Geologic group
Sub-units Enon, Kirkwood, Sundays River & Buffelskloof Formations
Underlies Algoa Group
Overlies Suurberg Group
Lithology
Primary Sandstone, mudstone, siltstone, shale, conglomerate
Other Calcite
Location
Region Western & Eastern Cape
CountryFlag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Type section
Named forUitenhage area
Uitenhage Group Algoa Gamtoos map.png
Map showing extent of the Uitenhage Group in the Algoa and Gamtoos Basins

The Uitenhage Group is one of three geological groups, which comprise the onshore and offshore post-Karoo middle to lower Upper Mesozoic geological rock units in South Africa. [1] [2] [3] [4] Stratigraphically, the Uitenhage Group overlies the Suurberg Group and is overlain by the Algoa Group. [5] [6] It contains four formations that range in age from late Early Jurassic and late Early Cretaceous in age (~183 - 100 Ma).

Contents

Geographic extent

In the onshore part of the southern Cape, deposits of the Uitenhage Group occur predominantly in the Algoa and Gamtoos Basins, which are situated north/north-west of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Smaller deposits also occur in the Baviaanskloof, Georginda, Vlakteplaas, Oudtshoorn, Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, Herbertsdale-Mossel Bay, Heidelberg-Riversdale, Swellendam, and Worcester-Robertson Basins. [7] These are grabens and half-grabens (rift basins) that opened up due to mainly normal faulting processes during the break-up of Gondwana. [7] [1] [8]

Stratigraphic units

Stratigraphic units in this group include (from oldest to youngest):

Paleontology

Fossils are especially common in the Kirkwood and Sundays River Formations, although regarding the Sundays River Formation the most common fossils are of invertebrates. Past expeditions within the Kirkwood Formation have uncovered several dis-articulated remains of theropod, sauropod, and ornithopod dinosaurs, [19] [11] [20] [21] and a plesiosaur fossil [17] is known from the Sundays River Formation. Fossil remains of amphibians, lizards, fishes, and small mammals have also been recovered. [19] [22] A variety of bivalve, gastropod, ammonites, and ostracods [15] [2] are likewise known from these deposits. The fossil flora is equally diverse [12] [13] and silicified tree trunks - some with evidence of being charred by fire [23] - have also been found.

Related Research Articles

<i>Algoasaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Algoasaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Berriasian-early Valanginian-age Early Cretaceous Upper Kirkwood Formation of Cape Province, South Africa, specifically near a town called Despatch.

<i>Paranthodon</i> Stegosaurian dinosaur genus from Early Cretaceous South Africa

Paranthodon is a genus of stegosaurian dinosaur that lived in what is now South Africa during the Early Cretaceous, between 139 and 131 million years ago. Discovered in 1845, it was one of the first stegosaurians found. Its only remains, a partial skull, isolated teeth, and fragments of vertebrae, were found in the Kirkwood Formation. British paleontologist Richard Owen initially identified the fragments as those of the pareiasaur Anthodon. After remaining untouched for years in the British Museum of Natural History, the partial skull was identified by South African paleontologist Robert Broom as belonging to a different genus; he named the specimen Palaeoscincus africanus. Several years later, Hungarian paleontologist Franz Nopcsa, unaware of Broom's new name, similarly concluded that it represented a new taxon, and named it Paranthodon owenii. Since Nopcsa's species name was assigned after Broom's, and Broom did not assign a new genus, both names are now synonyms of the current binomial, Paranthodon africanus. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek para (near) with the genus name Anthodon, to represent the initial referral of the remains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karoo Supergroup</span> Widespread Mesozoic stratigraphic unit in southern Africa

The Karoo Supergroup is the most widespread stratigraphic unit in Africa south of the Kalahari Desert. The supergroup consists of a sequence of units, mostly of nonmarine origin, deposited between the Late Carboniferous and Early Jurassic, a period of about 120 million years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beaufort Group</span> Third of the main subdivisions of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa

The Beaufort Group is the third of the main subdivisions of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. It is composed of a lower Adelaide Subgroup and an upper Tarkastad Subgroup. It follows conformably after the Ecca Group and unconformably underlies the Stormberg Group. Based on stratigraphic position, lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic correlations, palynological analyses, and other means of geological dating, the Beaufort Group rocks are considered to range between Middle Permian (Wordian) to Early Triassic (Anisian) in age.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirkwood Formation</span> Cretaceous geological formation in the Uitenhage Group

The Kirkwood Formation is a geological formation found in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces in South Africa. It is one of the four formations found within the Uitenhage Group of the Algoa Basin – its type locality – and in the neighbouring Gamtoos Basin. Outcrops of the Kirkwood are also found along the Worcester-Pletmos, Herbertsdale-Riversdale, Heidelberg-Mossel Bay, and Oudtshoorn-Gamtoos basin lines. At these basins the Kirkwood Formation underlies the Buffelskloof Formation and not the Sundays River Formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molteno Formation</span> Triassic geological formation in the Stormberg Group in Lesotho and South Africa

The Molteno Formation is a geological formation found in several localities in Lesotho and South Africa. It lies mainly south of Maseru, near Burgersdorp, Aliwal North, Dordrecht, Molteno, and Elliot. It extends as far north as Matatiele in the Eastern Cape. The formation's localities lie along the Drakensberg Mountains in Kwazulu-Natal, and near Ladybrand in the Free State of South Africa. The Molteno Formation is the lowermost of the three formations in the Stormberg Group of the greater Karoo Supergroup. The Molteno Formation represents the initial phase of preserved sedimentation of the Stormberg Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enon Formation</span> Jurassic-Cretaceous geological formation in the Uitenhage Group of South Africa

The Enon Formation is a geological formation found in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces in South Africa. It is the lowermost of the four formations found within the Uitenhage Group of the Algoa Basin, its type locality, where it has been measured at a maximum thickness of 480 metres (1,570 ft). Discontinuous outcrops are also found in the Worcester-Pletmos and Oudshoorn-Gamtoos Basins, including isolated occurrences in the Haasvlakte, Jubilee, and Soutpansvlakte Basins near the small town Bredasdorp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sundays River Formation</span> Geological formation in the Uitenhage Group of the Algoa Basin in South Africa

The Sundays River Formation is a geological formation found in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces in South Africa. It is the second youngest of the four formations found within the Uitenhage Group of the Algoa Basin, its type locality, and the only location where outcrops have been located. The Sundays River has been measured at a maximum thickness of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft).

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwyka Group</span> Geological group in the Karoo Supergroup from South Africa

The Dwyka Group is one of four geological groups that compose the Karoo Supergroup. It is the lowermost geological group and heralds the commencement of sedimentation of the Karoo Supergroup. Based on stratigraphic position, lithostratigraphic correlation and palynological analyses, these lowermost Karoo strata range between the Late Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) to Early Permian in age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abrahamskraal Formation</span> Geological formation of the Beaufort Group in South Africa

The Abrahamskraal Formation is a geological formation and is found in numerous localities in the Northern Cape, Western Cape, and the Eastern Cape of South Africa. It is the lowermost formation of the Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group, a major geological group that forms part of the greater Karoo Supergroup. It represents the first fully terrestrial geological deposits of the Karoo Basin. Outcrops of the Abrahamskraal Formation are found from the small town Middelpos in its westernmost localities, then around Sutherland, the Moordenaarskaroo north of Laingsburg, Williston, Fraserburg, Leeu-Gamka, Loxton, and Victoria West in the Western Cape and Northern Cape. In the Eastern Cape outcrops are known from Rietbron, north of Klipplaat and Grahamstown, and also southwest of East London.

Algoa Basin is a sedimentary basin offshore Algoa Bay in South Africa. The basin depression is a rift currently filled with sediments of Lower Cretaceous age. Kirkwood Formation makes up part of the fill of Algoa Basin.

The Algoa Group is one of five geological groups which comprise the coastal Cenozoic geological deposits in South Africa. The Algoa Group contains six formations which range from Middle Eocene to Late Holocene in age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffelskloof Formation</span> Geological formation in the Uitenhage Group of the Algoa Basin in South Africa

The Buffelskloof Formation is a geological formation found in the Western Cape province in South Africa. It is the uppermost of the four formations found within the Uitenhage Group of the Algoa Basin. It is considered an informal formation by some of the literature as it is very thin and only outcrops as isolated horizons in the Oudshoorn-Gamtoos, Herbertsdale-Mossel Bay, and Heidelberg-Riversdale Basins. Along the Worcester-Pletmos Basin, it occurs in patches along the southern flanks of the Langeberg mountain range - from Worcester in the west and as far as Mossel Bay in the east. From Mossel Bay this formation is inter fingered by the informal Hartenbos Formation. The Buffelskloof and Hartenbos Formations only occur in the Oudshoorn-Gamtoos and Herbertsdale-Mossel Bay basins and seem to correlate to the Sundays River Formation in age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katberg Formation</span> Geological formation in the Beaufort Group of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middleton Formation</span> Late middle Permian geological formation in the Eastern Cape

The Middleton Formation is a geological formation that extends through the Northern Cape, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. It overlies the lower Abrahamskraal Formation, and is the eastern correlate, East of 24ºE, of the Teekloof Formation. Outcrops and exposures of the Middleton Formation range from Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape onwards. The Middleton Formation's type locality lies near the small hamlet, Middleton, approximately 25 km south of Cookhouse. Other exposures lie in hillsides along the Great Fish River in the Eastern Cape. The Middleton Formation forms part of the Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group, which itself forms part of the Karoo Supergroup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teekloof Formation</span> Late Permian geological formation that forms part of the Beaufort Group of South Africa

The Teekloof Formation is a geological formation that forms part of the Beaufort Group, one of the five geological groups that comprises the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. The Teekloof Formation is the uppermost formation of Adelaide Subgroup deposits West of 24ºE and contains Middle to Late Permian-aged deposits and four biozones of the Beaufort Group. It overlies the Abrahamskraal Formation. The Teekloof Formation does not underlie other units other than the younger Karoo dolerites and sills that relate to the emplacement of the Early Jurassic Drakensberg Group to the east. Outcrops and exposures of the Teekloof Formation range from Sutherland through the mountain escarpments between Fraserburg and Beaufort West. The northernmost localities of the Teekloof Formation are found by Loxton, Victoria West and Richmond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drakensberg Group</span> Jurassic geological group in Lesotho and South Africa

The Drakensberg Group is a geological group named after the Drakensberg mountain range where in its uppermost sections the rocks are found. The Drakensberg Group lies over most of Lesotho and localities in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Free State provinces of South Africa. It forms part of the greater Karoo Igneous Province, which occurs over an extensive area of southern Africa.

References

  1. 1 2 Shone, R.W. (2006-01-01). "Onshore post-Karoo Mesozoic deposits". The Geology of South Africa: 541–552.
  2. 1 2 McLachlan, I.R.; McMillan, I.K. (1979-01-01). "Microfaunal biostratigraphy, chronostratigraphy and history of Mesozoic and Cenozoic deposits on the coastal margin of South Africa". Geological Society of South Africa, Special Publication. 6: 161–181.
  3. ↑ McMillan, I.K.; Brink, G.I.; Broad, D.S.; Maier, J.J. (1997-01-01). "Chapter 13 Late Mesozoic Sedimentary Basins Off the South Coast of South Africa". Sedimentary Basins of the World. 3: 319–376. doi:10.1016/S1874-5997(97)80016-0. ISBN   9780444825711. ISSN   1874-5997.
  4. ↑ "Structural and sedimentary development of the continental margin off Southwestern Africa" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  5. ↑ Marsh, J. S. Goonie (2016). "New Evidence for the Correlation of Basalts of the Suurberg Group with the Upper Part of the Karoo Basalt Sequence of Lesotho". Origin and Evolution of the Cape Mountains and Karoo Basin. Regional Geology Reviews. Springer, Cham. pp. 59–65. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-40859-0_6. ISBN   9783319408583.
  6. ↑ Klinger, H. C., & Kennedy, W. J. (1977). Cretaceous faunas from Zululand, South Africa, and southern Mozambique. The Aptian Ancyloceratidae (Ammonoidea). Annals of the South African Museum, 73(9), 215-359.
  7. 1 2 3 Muir, R.A.; Bordy, E.M.; Reddering, J.S.V.; Viljoen, J.H.A. (2017-06-01). "Lithostratigraphy of the Enon Formation (Uitenhage Group), South Africa". South African Journal of Geology. 120 (2): 273–280. Bibcode:2017SAJG..120..273M. doi:10.25131/gssajg.120.2.273. ISSN   1012-0750.
  8. ↑ Gresse, P.G.; Theron, J.N.; Fitch, F.J.; Miller, J.A. (1992-01-01). "Tectonic inversion and radiometric resetting of the basement in the Cape Fold Belt". Inversion Tectonics of the Cape Fold Belt, Karoo and Cretaceous Basins of Southern Africa: 217–228.
  9. ↑ Muir, R.A.; Bordy, E.M.; Reddering, J.S.V.; Viljoen, J.H.A. (2017-06-01). "Lithostratigraphy of the Kirkwood Formation (Uitenhage Group), including the Bethelsdorp, Colchester and Swartkops Members, South Africa". South African Journal of Geology. 120 (2): 281–293. Bibcode:2017SAJG..120..281M. doi:10.25131/gssajg.120.2.281. ISSN   1012-0750.
  10. ↑ Rich, Tom; Molnar, R.E.; Vickers Rich, Patricia (1983-01-01). "Fossil vertebrates from the Late Jurassic or Early Cretaceous Kirkwood Formation, Algoa Basin, southern Africa". pp. 281–291.
  11. 1 2 W. McPhee, Blair; Mannion, Philip; De Klerk, William; Choiniere, Jonah (2016-04-01). "High diversity in the sauropod dinosaur fauna of the Lower Cretaceous Kirkwood Formation of South Africa: Implications for the Jurassic–Cretaceous transition". Cretaceous Research. 59: 228–248. Bibcode:2016CrRes..59..228M. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2015.11.006. hdl: 10044/1/27470 .
  12. 1 2 Bamford, Marion (1986-01-01). "Aspects of the palaeoflora of the Kirkwood and Sundays River Formations, Algoa Basin, South Africa".
  13. 1 2 Gomez, Bernard; Bamford, Marion; Delclòs, Xavier (2002-03-01). "Lower Cretaceous plant cuticles and amber (Kirkwood Formation, South Africa)". Comptes Rendus Palevol. 1 (2): 83–87. Bibcode:2002CRPal...1...83G. doi:10.1016/S1631-0683(02)00014-3.
  14. ↑ Forster, Catherine A.; Farke, Andrew A.; McCartney, Jacob A.; De Klerk, William J.; Ross, Callum F. (2009). "A "basal" tetanuran from the Lower Cretaceous Kirkwood Formation of South Africa". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29 (1): 283–285. Bibcode:2009JVPal..29..283F. doi:10.1671/039.029.0101. S2CID   131280290.
  15. 1 2 Brenner, P; HJ, Oertli (1976-01-01). "Lower Cretaceous Ostracodes (Valanginian to Hauterivian) from the Sundays River Formation, Algoa Basin, South Africa". Bulletin Centre Recherches Pau-SNPA. 10: 471–533.
  16. ↑ Bamford, Marion (1986-01-01). "Aspects of the palaeoflora of the Kirkwood and Sundays River Formations, Algoa Basin, South Africa".
  17. 1 2 Andrews, C.W. (2018-05-08). "Description of a new plesiosaur (Plesiosaurus capensis, sp. nov.) from the Uitenhage Beds of Cape Colony". Annals of the South African Museum. 7: 309–322.
  18. ↑ "Extension of quarrying on portion 12 of farm Hartenbosch 217 (Maandagskop crusher), Mossel bay, Western cape" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-05-08. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  19. 1 2 Rich, Tom; Molnar, R.E.; Vickers Rich, Patricia (1983-01-01). "Fossil vertebrates from the Late Jurassic or Early Cretaceous Kirkwood Formation, Algoa Basin, southern Africa". pp. 281–291.
  20. ↑ De Klerk, William; Forster, Catherine; Sampson, Scott; Chinsamy-Turan, Anusuya; Ross, Callum (2000-06-27). "A new coelurosaurian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of South Africa". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 20 (2): 324–332. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2000)020[0324:ANCDFT]2.0.CO;2. S2CID   128622530.
  21. ↑ Choiniere, Jonah; Forster, Catherine; De Klerk, William (2012-08-01). "New information on Nqwebasaurus thwazi, a coelurosaurian theropod from the Early Cretaceous Kirkwood Formation in South Africa". Journal of African Earth Sciences. s 71–72: 1–17. Bibcode:2012JAfES..71....1C. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2012.05.005.
  22. ↑ Ross, Callum; Sues, Hans-Dieter; De Klerk, William (1999-03-15). "Lepidosaurian remains from the Lower Cretaceous Kirkwood Formation of South Africa". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 19 (1): 21–27. Bibcode:1999JVPal..19...21R. doi:10.1080/02724634.1999.10011119.
  23. ↑ Muir, Robert A.; Bordy, Emese M.; Prevec, Rose (2015-09-01). "Lower Cretaceous deposit reveals first evidence of a post-wildfire debris flow in the Kirkwood Formation, Algoa Basin, Eastern Cape, South Africa". Cretaceous Research. 56: 161–179. Bibcode:2015CrRes..56..161M. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2015.04.005. ISSN   0195-6671.
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