Title:

Fossiliferous Plio-Pleistocene Cascade Tufas of Kaokoland, Namibia

Publication Year:
2016
Abstract:

Cascade tufas are common in Kaokoland, especially in the region north of Oruvandje, and there are impressive examples at Otjitamei and Ojtikondavirongo, yet they have not previously been reported in the literature. The Damaraland tufas further south at Ongongo, near Warmquelle, were described recently, and proved to be of interest on account of their fossil content (plants, gastropods, and a possible frog skeleton). The Kaokoland tufas are more numerous than those in Damaraland and are also highly fossiliferous, containing not only abundant plants and gastropods, but also vertebrates (fish, snakes, lizards, birds, mammals). The mammals are important because they indicate that some of the breccia infilling cavities in the tufas are probably of Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene age, the first time that the age of Namibian tufas has been reasonably well determined. The geomorphological relationships of the tufa lobes reveal that they span a considerable period of time, some of the older eroded lobes probably being of Late Miocene age, overlain by Pliocene and Pleistocene tufas. Some of the breccias contain large mammal bones and teeth associated with primitive stone tools. The aims of this paper are to document the impressive tufa lobes in Kaokoland, to put on record the discovery of fossil invertebrates and vertebrates within them and to discuss the significance of the fossils for biochronology and palaeoecology. Keywords: Tufa Lobes, Breccia, Plants, Gastropods, Mammals, Plio-Pleistocene, Namibia, Kaokoland.

Publication Title:

Communications of the Geological Survey of Namibia

Publisher:
Geological Survey of Namibia
Volume:
17
Pages:
85-112
Item Type:
Journal Article
Language:
en

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