The Elisabeth Bay Formation, alternatively spelled as Elizabeth Bay Formation, is an Early Miocene (Aquitanian to Burdigalian, around 21 Ma) geologic formation in the Sperrgebiet, ǁKaras Region of southwestern Namibia, overlying the Blaubok Conglomerate.Dauteuil et al., 2018, p.6 The freshwater green and red siltstones, sandstones, intercalations of conglomerates and claystones of the formation were deposited in a fluvial environment,Elisabeth Bay Formation at Fossilworks.org infilling a paleovalley incised during the Oligocene low sea stand, which backfilled during the Burdigalian marine transgression.Pickford, 2018, p.88 The Elisabeth Bay Formation provides many fossil mammals, snakes and other reptiles.
Fossil content The following fossils are reported from the formation:Elisabethfeld at Fossilworks.orgGrillental 6 at Fossilworks.orgGrillental at Fossilworks.org
Mammals
Afrosmilus africanus Apodecter stromeri Bathyergoides neotertiarius Diamantomys luederitzi Leptoplesictis senutae Metapterodon kaiseri Miohyrax oswaldi Namasector soriae Parapedetes namaquensis Promicrogale namibiensisPickford, 2018, p.89 Isohyaenodon sp. Ysengrinia sp. Viverridae indet.
Reptiles
cf. Python Amphisbaenia indet. Boidae indet. Colubridae indet. Colubroidea indet. Gekkonidae indet. Lacertilia indet. Viperidae indet.
See also
List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Namibia Geology of Namibia Penguin Islands
References
Bibliography
Further reading J.-C. Rage. 2008. Squamate reptiles from the Lower Miocene of the Sperrgebiet, Namibia. In M. Pickford and B. Senut (eds.), Geology and palaeobiology of the northern Sperrgebiet, Namibia. Memoir of the Geological Survey of Namibia (Ministry of Mines and Energy, Windhoek) 20:93-103