Voorstehoek Formation (2nd Shale), Swaarmoed Pass (Devonian of South Africa)

Where: South Africa (33.4° S, 19.5° E)

• Paleocoordinates: 75.2° S, 178.4° W (Wright 2013)

• coordinate stated in text

• local area-level geographic resolution

When: Voorstehoek Formation (Bokkeveld Group), Eifelian (393.3 - 387.7 Ma)

• Lowest Eifelilan. Age call from ref. 9618.

• formation-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: marine; bioturbated siltstone and bioturbated, silty mudstone

• Ref. 9618 gives interpretation of Bokkeveld Group as a series of shallowing-upward packages, with argillaceous unit below and arenaceous unit above. Voorstehoek Formation is the "second shale", i.e. the second argillaceous unit. The shallowing upward sequence is interpreted as representing environments from the shelf up to deltaic systems. Most fossils come from lower mudstones, often in lenses.
• Ref. 9616 refers only to "shale". Ref. 9617, for formation as a whole, cites "Siltstone, silty mudstone, parallel-laminated, massive, horizontal, ripple- and micro cross laminated, abundant ripple-marks, bioturbation, fossiliferous lenses."

Primary reference: R. D. F. Oosthuizen. 1984. Preliminary catalogue and report on the biostratigraphy and palaeogeographic distribution of the Bokkeveld fauna. Transactions of the Geological Society of South Africa 87:125-140 [M. Foote/M. Foote/M. Foote]more details

Purpose of describing collection: biostratigraphic analysis

PaleoDB collection 35593: authorized by Michael Foote, entered by Michael Foote on 30.12.2003

Creative Commons license: CC0 (CC0)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
unclassified
  -
"Trigaria" gydoensis, Echinodermata indet.
Echinodermata indet. Klein 1754
"carpoids"
Ophiuroidea
 Oegophiurida - Protasteridae
Eugasterella africana n. sp.
Eugasterella africana n. sp. Jell and Theron 1999 brittle star
  - Cheiropterasteridae
"Hexura weitzi" = Hexuraster weitzi
"Hexura weitzi" = Hexuraster weitzi Spencer 1950 brittle star
Asteroidea
  -
Asteroidea indet.
Asteroidea indet. de Blainville 1830 sea star
unclassified
  -
Blastozoa indet.
Blastozoa indet. Sprinkle 1973
"cystoids"
Blastoidea
  -
? Blastoidea indet.
? Blastoidea indet. Say 1825 blastoid
Crinoidea
  -
Crinoidea indet.
Crinoidea indet. Miller 1821 Sea lily
 Dendrocrinida - Rutkowskicrinidae
Sacrinus gamkaensis n. gen. n. sp.
Sacrinus gamkaensis n. gen. n. sp. Jell and Theron 1999 Sea lily
Stylophora
 Mitrata - Australocystidae
Placocystella capensis
Trilobita
  -
? Trilobita indet.
? Trilobita indet. Walch 1771 trilobite
 Phacopida - Dalmanitidae
Gamonedaspis boehmi
 Phacopida - Calmoniidae
"Bainella ? africana" = Anchiopella, "Bainella sp." = Anchiopella, "Metacryphaeus caffer" = Metacryphaeus (Metacryphaeus) caffer
"Bainella ? africana" = Anchiopella trilobite
"Bainella sp." = Anchiopella Reed 1907 trilobite
"Metacryphaeus caffer" = Metacryphaeus (Metacryphaeus) caffer Salter 1856 trilobite
 Phacopida - Homalonotidae
"Burmeisteria notica" = Burmeisteria (Digonus) noticus, Burmeisteria sp., Burmeisteria herscheli
"Burmeisteria notica" = Burmeisteria (Digonus) noticus Clarke 1913 trilobite
Burmeisteria sp. Salter 1865 trilobite
Lophophorata
 Tentaculitida - Tentaculitidae
Tentaculites ? crotalinus, Tentaculites desuetus
Hyolitha
 Hyolithida - Hyolithidae
Hyolithes sp., Hyolithes "sp. (a)", Hyolithes dorbignyi
Hyolithes sp. d'Eichwald 1840
Hyolithes "sp. (a)" d'Eichwald 1840
Hyolithes dorbignyi Kozlowski 1923
Stenolaemata
 Trepostomida - Stenoporidae
"Stenopora" ? steinmanni
Rhynchonellata
 Athyridida - Anoplothecidae
"Coelospira" conjungens
 Spiriferida - Hysterolitidae
Australospirifer antarcticus
 Terebratulida - Centronellidae
"Rensselaeria" relicta
Lingulata
 Lingulida - Lingulidae
"Lingula lepta" = Dignomia lepta, Lingula keideli, Lingula scalprum
"Lingula lepta" = Dignomia lepta Clarke 1912
Cephalopoda
 Orthocerida - Orthoceratidae
"Orthoceras" ? bokkeveldensis
Gastropoda
 Bellerophontida - Plectonotidae
"Bellerophon laticarinatus" = Plectonotus laticarinata
"Bellerophon laticarinatus" = Plectonotus laticarinata Knod 1908 snail
Bivalvia
 Nuculanida - Cucullellidae
Nuculites sharpei, Nuculites abbreviatus, Nuculites colonicus, Nuculites obtusus
 Nuculanida - Malletiidae
Palaeoneilo subantiqua
 Nuculanida - Nuculanidae
"Nuculana" sp.
"Nuculana" sp. Link 1807 pointed nut clam
 Solemyida - Solemyidae
""Janeia" "sp. (b)"" = Solemya, ""Janeia" "sp. (a)"" = Solemya, ""Janeia" ? bokkeveldensis" = Solemya
""Janeia" "sp. (b)"" = Solemya Children 1823 Awning Clam
""Janeia" "sp. (a)"" = Solemya Children 1823 Awning Clam
""Janeia" ? bokkeveldensis" = Solemya Awning Clam
 Solemyida - Ctenodontidae
"Ctenodonta" "sp. (c)"
"Ctenodonta" "sp. (c)" Salter 1852 clam
 Cardiidia - Grammysiidae
Grammysia scaphuloides
 Cardiida - Kalenteridae
Pleurodapis multicincta
 Ostreida - Pterineidae
"Actinopteria" eschwegii
  -
"Pelecypoda indet." = Bivalvia
"Pelecypoda indet." = Bivalvia Linnaeus 1758 clam