Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T08:27:38.274Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

New evidence on the South African Lower Palaeozoic: age and fossils reviewed

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2009

L. R. M. Cocks  and
R. A. Fortey
L. R. M. Cocks
Affiliation:
Department of Palaeontology, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD
R. A. Fortey
Affiliation:
Department of Palaeontology, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Trilobites from the Soom Shale, Cedarberg Formation, of the Table Mountain Group, South Africa, have been identified as Mucronaspis olini Temple, indicating a latest Ordovician (Rawtheyan–Hirnantian) age. This new data is taken as an opportunity to present new records of some non age-diagnostic brachiopods and molluscs from the area, and also to review the substantial shelly fauna from the overlying Disa Member of the Cedarberg Formation. It is concluded that that fauna is of Hirnantian age and not early Llandovery as stated by some previous authors.

Type
Articles
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 123 , Issue 4 , July 1986 , pp. 437 - 444
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Apollonov, M. K. 1974. Ashgill trilobites of Kazakhstan. K. I. Satpaev Institute of Geological Sciences, Kazakh SSR, Alma-Ata. 89 pp., 21 pls. (In Russian.)Google Scholar
Apollonov, M. K. 1980. The Ordovician–Silurian Boundary in Kazakhstan. K. I. Satpaev Institute of Geological Sciences, Kazakh SSR, Alma-Ata, 232 pp., 56 pls. (In Russian.)Google Scholar
Babin, C. & Melou, M. 1972. Mollusques bivalves et brachiopodes des ‘schistes de Raguenez’ (Ordovicien supérieur du Finistère); conséquences stratigraphiques et paléobiogéographiques. Annales de la Société géologique du Nord 92, 79–94, pls. 7–10.Google Scholar
Baldis, B. A. & Blasco, G. 1975. Primeros trilobites Ashgillianos del Ordovicico Sudamericano. In Actas del Primer Congreso Argentino de Paleontologia y Bioestratigrafia, vol. 1 (ed. B, Tucuman), pp. 33–48, Argentina.Google Scholar
Berry, W. B. N. & Boucot, A. J. 1972. Correlation of the South American Silurian Rocks. Geological Society of America Special Paper. 133, 1–59.Google Scholar
Berry, W. B. N. & Boucot, A. J. 1973. Correlation of the African Silurian rocks. Geological Society of America Special Paper. 147, 1–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brenchley, P. J. & Newall, G. 1984. Late Ordovician environmental changes and their effect on faunas. In The Ordovician System (ed. Bruton, D. L), pp. 65–80. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.Google Scholar
Chugaeva, M. N. 1983. Trilobites. In The Ordovician–Silurian Boundary in the Northeast of the USSR, pp. 73–97. Trudy Mezhvedom. Stratigrafiya komitet SSSR 11, 1–204. (In Russian with English summary.)Google Scholar
Cocks, L. R. M. 1972. The origin of the Silurian Clarkeia shelly fauna of South America and its extension to west Africa. Palaeontology 15, 623–30, pl. 121.Google Scholar
Cocks, L. R. M. 1982. The commoner brachiopods of the latest Ordovician of the Oslo–Asker District, Norway. Palaeontology 25, 755–81, pls. 78–84.Google Scholar
Cocks, L. R. M. 1985. The Ordovician–Silurian boundary. Episodes. 8, 98–100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cocks, L. R. M., Brunton, C. H. C., Rowell, A. J. & Rust, I. C. 1970. The first Lower Palaeozoic fauna proved from South Africa. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London 125, 589–603, pls. 39–41.Google Scholar
Cocks, L. R. M. & Price, D. 1975. The biostratigraphy of the upper Ordovician and lower Silurian of South-west Dyfed, with comments on the Hirnantia fauna. Palaeontology 18, 703–24, pls. 81–4.Google Scholar
Cooper, M. R. 1984. Discussion on ‘Cruziana acacencis–the first Silurian index-trace fossil from South Africa’. Transactions of the Geological Society of South Africa. 87, 53–4.Google Scholar
Cramer, F. H., Rust, I. C. & Cramer, M. D. C. R. D. DE. 1974. Upper Ordovician chitinozoans from the Cedarberg Formation of South Africa. Preliminary note. Geologische Rundschau. 63, 340–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Destombes, J. 1963. Quelques nouveaux Phacopina (trilobites) de l'Ordovicien supérieur de l'Anti-Atlas (Maroc). Notes et Mémoires, Service Géologique Maroc 23 (172), 47–56, pls. 1–4.Google Scholar
Destombes, J. 1972. Les trilobites du sous-ordre des Phacopina de l'Ordovicien de l'Anti-Atlas (Maroc). Notes et Mémoires, Service Géologique Maroc 32 (240), 1–79, pls. 1–16.Google Scholar
Gray, J., Theron, J. N. & Boucot, A. J. 1986. Age of the Cedarberg Formation, South Africa and early land plant evolution. Geological Magazine. 123, 445–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harper, C. W. 1973. Brachiopods of the Arisaig Group (Silurian–Lower Devonian) of Nova Scotia. Geological Survey of Canada Bulletin 215, 1–163, pls. 1–28.Google Scholar
Harper, C. W., Boucot, A. J. & Walmsley, V. G. 1969. The rhipidomellid brachiopod subfamilies Heterorthinae and Platyorthinae (New). Journal of Paleontology. 43, 74–92.Google Scholar
Havlíček, V. 1971. Brachiopodes de l'Ordovicien du Maroc. Notes et Mémoires. Service géologique du Maroc 230, 1–135, 26 pls.Google Scholar
Holloway, D. J. 1981. Silurian dalmanitacean trilobites from North America and the origins of the Dalmanitinae and Synphoriinae. Palaeontology. 24, 695–731.Google Scholar
Ingham, J. K. 1977. The Upper Ordovician trilobites from the Cautley and Dent districts of Westmorland and Yorkshire. Part 3. Palaeontographical Society Monographs 130, 89–121, pls. 19–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jaanusson, V. 1979. Ordovician. In Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. Part A (eds. Robison, R. A & C, Teichert), pp. 136–66. Kansas: Lawrence.Google Scholar
Kielan, S. 1960. Upper Ordovician trilobites from Poland and some related forms from Bohemia and Scandinavia. Palaeontologia Polonica 11, 1–198, pls. 1–36.Google Scholar
Kobayashi, T. & Hamada, T. 1964. On a new Malayan species of Dalmanitina. Japanese Journal of Geology and Geography 35, 101–113, pl. 4.Google Scholar
Lespérance, P. J. & Sheehan, P. M. 1976. Brachiopods from the Hirnantian Stage (Ordovician–Silurian) at Percé, Quebec. Palaeontology. 19, 719–31.Google Scholar
Lespérance, P. J. & Sheehan, P. M. 1981. Hirnantian fauna in and around Percé, Quebec. In Subcommission on Silurian Stratigraphy. Ordovician–Silurian boundary Working Group. Field meeting, Anticosti–Gaspé Quebec 1981, Vol. 2, Stratigraphy and Paleontology (ed. Lespérance, P. J), pp. 231–45.Google Scholar
Lin, Tian-Rui. 1974. A new species of Upper Ordovician Dalmanitina from Wuning, Jiangxi. Journal of Nanjing University, Natural Science (Series B) 1974, No. 1, 113–20.Google Scholar
Lin, Tian-Rui. 1978. Trilobita. In Sinian to Permian Stratigraphy and Palaeontology in the Xiadong Area. Hubei Province Bureau of Geology, Sanxia Stratigraphical Research group. Beijing: Geological Press, 381 pp., 113 pls.Google Scholar
Lin, Tian-Rui. 1981. Songxites. a new subgenus of Dalmanitina (Trilobita) from the late Upper Ordovician of Jiangxi. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica 20, 88–91, 1 pl.Google Scholar
Lu, Yanhao. 1957. Trilobita. In Index Fossils of China: Invertebrate, Part 3, 249–94, pls. 137–55. Beijing: Geological Press.Google Scholar
Lu, Yanhao & Hong-Ji, Wu. 1985. Ontogeny of the trilobite Dalmanitina (Dalmanitina) nanchangensis Lu. Palaeontologia Cathayana 1, 123–53, pls. 1–4.Google Scholar
Moore, A. E. & Marchant, J. W. 1981. A preliminary note on two trilobites from the Soom Member, Table Mountain Group. Transactions of the Geological Society of South Africa. 84, 87–9.Google Scholar
Owen, A. 1982. The trilobit Mucronaspis in the uppermost Ordovician of the Oslo Region, Norway. Norsk Geologisk Tiddskrift. 61, 271–9.Google Scholar
Potgieter, C. D. & Oelofsen, B. W. 1983. Cruziana acacensis – the first Silurian index-trace fossil from southern Africa. Transactions of the Geological Society of South Africa. 86, 51–4.Google Scholar
Rong, J.-Y. 1984. Distribution of the Hirnantia fauna and its meaning. In Aspects of the Ordovician System (ed. Bruton, D. L), pp. 101–12. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.Google Scholar
Rust, I. C. 1981. Lower Palaeozoic rocks of southern Africa. In Lower Palaeozoic Rocks of the World, Volume 3 (ed. Holland, C. H), pp. 165–87. New York: Wiley Interscience.Google Scholar
Spjeldnaes, N. 1981. Lower Palaeozoic palaeoclimatology. In Lower Palaeozoic Rocks of the World, Volume 3 (ed. Holland, C. H), pp. 199–256. New York: Wiley Interscience.Google Scholar
Struve, W. 1962. Einige Trilobiten aus dem Ordovizium von Hessen und Thuringen. Senckenbergiana Lethaia. 43, 151–80.Google Scholar
Temple, J. T. 1952. A revision of the trilobite Dalmanitina mucronata (Brongniart) and related species. Lunds Universitet Aarskrift, n.f. 48, 1–33, 4 pls.Google Scholar
Temple, J. T. 1970. The Lower Llandovery brachiopods and trilobites from Ffridd Mathrafal, near Meifod, Montgomeryshire. Palaeontographical Society Monographs. 76 pp., 19 pls.Google Scholar
Vandenberg, A. H. M., Rickards, R. B. & Holloway, D. J. 1984. The Ordovician–Silurian boundary at Darraweit Guim, central Victoria. Alcheringa. 8, 1–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vogdes, A. W. 1890. A bibliography of Palaeozoic Crustacea from 1698 to 1889, including a list of North American species and a systematic arrangement of genera. Bulletin of the United States Geological Survey. 63, 1–177.Google Scholar
Zhu, Zhao-Ling & Wu, Hong-Ji. 1983. Late Ashgillian trilobites from Huanghuachang, Yichang County, Hubei Province. In Papers for the Symposium on the Cambrian–Ordovician and Ordovician–Silurian boundaries, Nanjing, China, pp. 112–19. Nanjing: Institute of Geology and Palaeontology.Google Scholar