Fluvial facies, vertebrate taphonomy and palaeosols of the Teekloof formation (Permian) near Beaufort West, Cape Province, South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorMinter, Laurieen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorCluver, Mikeen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorSmith, Roger M Hen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2017-01-27T12:50:47Z
dc.date.available2017-01-27T12:50:47Z
dc.date.issued1989en_ZA
dc.date.updated2017-01-23T13:32:23Z
dc.description.abstractThe main Karoo Basin of South Africa contains a relatively continuous sequence of continental deposits that accumulated over a 100 million year period from Permo-Carboniferous (280 Ma) to early Jurassic (180 Ma). In the southwestern region of the basin the Karoo succession is approximately 4 000 m thick, the upper half of which consists of vertebrate fossil-bearing fluvial rocks of the Beaufort Group. This study deals with Lower Beaufort (Adelaide Subgroup) strata belonging to the Teekloof Formation which are exposed in the cast-west trending erosional escarpment between the towns of Beaufort West and Fraserburg in the central Cape Province. The 450-mctre succession consists mainly of vertically accreted floodplain mudrocks with interbedded continuous sheets of fine-grained sandstone that bear evidence of having accumulated by lateral accretion on the inner banks of meandering channels. The mudrocks contain numerous fossilized skeletons of therapsid "mammal-like" reptiles as well as more primitive cotylosaurs and a few amphibians. Rarely, impressions of Glossopteris leaves and equisetalcan stems are found although root moulds are relatively abundant. Several types of calcareous nodules and sheets occur in the mudrocks and arc interpreted as evidence of calcic palaeosols that formed under semi-arid climatic conditions. This is an interdisciplinary study that integrates a conventional sedimentary facies analysis with investigations of the taphonomy of in situ therapsid fossils and the nature and distribution of palaeosols. Such an approach has not previously been applied to any of the Karoo strata. The results contain descriptive and quantitative information on sedimentary processes, palaeohydrology, absolute time represented in the stratigraphic record and the topography, soils and habitats of the ancient landscape. These are summarized into a palaeoenvironmental synthesis of the Teckloof Formation.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationSmith, R. M. H. (1989). <i>Fluvial facies, vertebrate taphonomy and palaeosols of the Teekloof formation (Permian) near Beaufort West, Cape Province, South Africa</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Geological Sciences. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/23646en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationSmith, Roger M H. <i>"Fluvial facies, vertebrate taphonomy and palaeosols of the Teekloof formation (Permian) near Beaufort West, Cape Province, South Africa."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Geological Sciences, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/23646en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationSmith, R. 1989. Fluvial facies, vertebrate taphonomy and palaeosols of the Teekloof formation (Permian) near Beaufort West, Cape Province, South Africa. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Smith, Roger M H AB - The main Karoo Basin of South Africa contains a relatively continuous sequence of continental deposits that accumulated over a 100 million year period from Permo-Carboniferous (280 Ma) to early Jurassic (180 Ma). In the southwestern region of the basin the Karoo succession is approximately 4 000 m thick, the upper half of which consists of vertebrate fossil-bearing fluvial rocks of the Beaufort Group. This study deals with Lower Beaufort (Adelaide Subgroup) strata belonging to the Teekloof Formation which are exposed in the cast-west trending erosional escarpment between the towns of Beaufort West and Fraserburg in the central Cape Province. The 450-mctre succession consists mainly of vertically accreted floodplain mudrocks with interbedded continuous sheets of fine-grained sandstone that bear evidence of having accumulated by lateral accretion on the inner banks of meandering channels. The mudrocks contain numerous fossilized skeletons of therapsid "mammal-like" reptiles as well as more primitive cotylosaurs and a few amphibians. Rarely, impressions of Glossopteris leaves and equisetalcan stems are found although root moulds are relatively abundant. Several types of calcareous nodules and sheets occur in the mudrocks and arc interpreted as evidence of calcic palaeosols that formed under semi-arid climatic conditions. This is an interdisciplinary study that integrates a conventional sedimentary facies analysis with investigations of the taphonomy of in situ therapsid fossils and the nature and distribution of palaeosols. Such an approach has not previously been applied to any of the Karoo strata. The results contain descriptive and quantitative information on sedimentary processes, palaeohydrology, absolute time represented in the stratigraphic record and the topography, soils and habitats of the ancient landscape. These are summarized into a palaeoenvironmental synthesis of the Teckloof Formation. DA - 1989 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1989 T1 - Fluvial facies, vertebrate taphonomy and palaeosols of the Teekloof formation (Permian) near Beaufort West, Cape Province, South Africa TI - Fluvial facies, vertebrate taphonomy and palaeosols of the Teekloof formation (Permian) near Beaufort West, Cape Province, South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/23646 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/23646
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationSmith RMH. Fluvial facies, vertebrate taphonomy and palaeosols of the Teekloof formation (Permian) near Beaufort West, Cape Province, South Africa. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Geological Sciences, 1989 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/23646en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Geological Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherMineralogyen_ZA
dc.subject.otherGeologyen_ZA
dc.titleFluvial facies, vertebrate taphonomy and palaeosols of the Teekloof formation (Permian) near Beaufort West, Cape Province, South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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