Controlled rock cutting explosions for the upgrading of a portion of a major national road in the Eastern Cape has opened a fossiliferous shale treasure trove of an ancient river mouth eco-system.

“A number of new invertebrates as well as excellently preserved plant fossils of the Devonian era have been excavated and discovered in rock debris of the Witpoort Formation along the N2 between Grahamstown and Fish River,” Mpati Makoa, SANRAL’s environmental manager, announced.

Renowned South African palaeontologist Dr Robert Gess of the Albany Museum in Grahamstown, a palaeontology heritage consultant to SANRAL, indicated that the discovery was significant as many of the species discovered have not yet been documented by palaeontologists.

“The fossilised remains are of life in a marine coastline environment when South Africa was part of the supercontinent Gondwana nearly 360 million years ago, and when what is now the Eastern Cape was situated at high latitude, within fifteen degrees of the South Pole,” said Dr Gess.

“To advance scientific discourse and original research contributions of South African palaeontology and heritage scholars, we made provision in the environmental management programme for specialist examination and excavation of rock debris. The potential for such significant finds had already been identified in the environmental impact assessment,” he said.

 

SA roadworks shape paleontological knowledge

According to Dr Gess, roadworks in South Africa during 1985, 1999, 2008 and now again this year have significantly shaped South African palaeontology research and studies.

“They have enabled discovery of the clues to virtually everything we know about high latitude latest Devonian life, not just in South Africa, but in the world.”

Dr Gess explained that the black shale in which the fossils are found is very prone to weathering and in nature is turned to formless clay before it reaches the surface of the ground.

“Roadworks, though, give the opportunity for palaeontologists to, as it were, reach deep into the landscape and retrieve fresh unweathered shale,” he said.

 

Rest and observation areas to promote paleontology heritage

SANRAL is planning a rest and observation area for road users adjacent to the new paleontological heritage site, according to Steven Robertson, SANRAL project manager on the N2 Grahamstown to Fish River.

“When we first met Dr Gess and he explained significant fossil finds, we thought how can we best preserve and allow public access to this to ensure it becomes general knowledge of what was in this area millions and millions of years ago?” he said.

“So, we are converting the road design to accommodate a rest area that can be used as a picnic area, and we will be including information boards and displays on the significance of the fossils, their age how they fit into the evolutionary history of earth,” he noted.