Search the Community

Firstly, apologies for not using an international scale. The pen in the first image is 146mm long. I found this pair of rocks in a pile of mostly shale at the foot of some sea cliffs near Hole in the Wall, South Africa. Based on geological maps, the rocks around here are from the Ecca group (+-290 - 270 Ma) and were formed in marine conditions. I've found a number of trace fossils in the area, mostly small horizontal burrows, but also a couple of beds of diplichnites type trackways. The closest thing to the images shown I've seen are areas of parallel marks on rocks with a similar brownish surface layer, like what you'd get if you scraped a serrated knife across a dirty surface. In this case, I was able to rub off the brownish surface layer with some water, so I assume the marks are made by some animal gnawing at a thin organic film. In this case, even though the marks are on a brownish surface that might be organic (I haven't tried rubbing it off), they were clearly formed while the two halves were joined together, so couldn't have been scraped away by an animal. Any idea how they could have formed?

Pygocephalomorph crustaceans? What species? I found hundreds of these today, it's funny as I have not even seen these in this location before and today they where everywhere. Also found some mesosaur material, not the best specimens. These fossils are found in the early to middle permian Ecca group which is a part of the Karoo super group. Today I was just thinking how blessed I am to have a variety of different aged formations so close to home. I live in the heart of the Devonian bokkeveld and witteberg group which forms part of the cape supergroup, there are Mio-Plio-pleistocene deposits an hour and half west and south, as well as some Karoo super Group locations 10min from my home. So much to explore and learn. Also this forum has really helped me these last couple of months since I have taken fossil hunting much more seriously now, than in the last few years. Thanks to everyone