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Is the spring water responsible for the fossilization of faunal remains at Florisbad, South Africa?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Rod M. Douglas
Rod M. Douglas*
Affiliation:
National Museum, P.O. Box 266, 9300 Bloemfontein, South Africa
*
*Fax: +27 51 4476273.Email Address:[email protected]
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Abstract

It is has been suggested that faunal remains at Florisbad were fossilized in a spring context due to the mineralized spring water. However, the environment conducive to the precipitation of CaCO3 and other authigenic minerals was formed largely through the salinization of the organic layers and clay, and the mineralization of the groundwater. Factors contributing to this favorable environment include: CaCO3 saturation, pH, the decomposition of halophytes, Eh, rainfall, biomineralization, and aeolian deposition. With the exception of pH, none of the above factors feature in a spring context, with evidence suggesting that the spring water may historically never have carried sufficient minerals for fossilization, and that contact with the spring water may actually have resulted in the demineralization of previously fossilized material. In light of this evidence, it is concluded that the fossilization of faunal remains at Florisbad took place in a sedimentary organic matter and clay environment and could not have taken place in the spring vents where there is an undersaturation of Ca.

Keywords

FlorisbadFaunal remainsFossilizationGroundwaterSedimentsSpring waterProcessesMechanismsFactors
Type
Original Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 65 , Issue 1 , January 2006 , pp. 87 - 95
Copyright
University of Washington

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