The Elliot Formation
unconformably overlies the
Molteno Formation and is conformably overlain by the
Clarens Formation. Due to the reddish colour of the rocks, the Elliot Formation is colloquially referred to as the “Red Beds” in older geologic literature.
The Elliot Formation is dominated by
mudstones and
siltstones that can be finely
laminated. However, the internal structures in the
mudstones are often not visible due to locally poor
laminations.
Calcareousnodules are also found in the mudstone layers and become more frequent up section into the UEF. The mudstones range in colour from greyish purple red in the LEF and turn a more brick red colour with more mature palaeosols in the UEF. Localized intraformational
pebbleconglomerates that comprise intrabasinal
clasts that comprise mud chips,
quartzite pebbles,
pedogenicnodules, and
fossil bone fragments only occur in the UEF. The lower and upper Elliot formations both contain
sandstones but they vary in their internal geometries. The sandstones of the LEF mainly comprise laterally
accreting channel
deposits that are multi-story and contain trough, low angle, and planar,
cross-bedding. Ripple cross
laminations with good horizontal lamination are also present. In the UEF, sandstone beds are single story and mainly reflect downstream
accretion channel geometries and are more tabular in appearance. Common internal
sedimentary structures of UEF sandstones are planar, low angle cross-bedding, horizontal and ripple-cross
laminations.
^Bordy, Emese M.; John Hancox, P.; Rubidge, Bruce S. (2004-03-01). "Fluvial style variations in the Late Triassic–Early Jurassic Elliot formation, main Karoo Basin, South Africa". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 38 (4): 383–400.
Bibcode:
2004JAfES..38..383B.
doi:
10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2004.02.004.
ISSN1464-343X.
^"A description of the sedimentology and palaeontology of the Late Triassic–Early Jurassic Elliot Formation in Lesotho". WIReDSpace Wits. 2004-09-01.
ISSN0078-8554.
^Bordy, E.M.; Eriksson, P. (2015-09-01). "Lithostratigraphy of the Elliot Formation (Karoo Supergroup), South Africa". South African Journal of Geology. 118 (3): 311–316.
doi:
10.2113/gssajg.118.3.311.
hdl:2263/55739.
ISSN1012-0750.
^Tankard, Anthony; Welsink, Herman; Aukes, Peter; Newton, Robert; Stettler, Edgar (2009-09-01). "Tectonic evolution of the Cape and Karoo basins of South Africa". Marine and Petroleum Geology. 26 (8): 1379–1412.
doi:
10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2009.01.022.
ISSN0264-8172.
^Bordy, E.M.; Eriksson, P. (2015-09-01). "Lithostratigraphy of the Elliot Formation (Karoo Supergroup), South Africa". South African Journal of Geology. 118 (3): 311–316.
doi:
10.2113/gssajg.118.3.311.
hdl:2263/55739.
ISSN1012-0750.
^Attridge, J.; Crompton, A. W.; Jenkins, Farish A. (June 1985). "The Southern African Liassic prosauropodMassospondylusdiscovered in North America". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 5 (2): 128–132.
doi:
10.1080/02724634.1985.10011850.
ISSN0272-4634.
^Eriksson, P.; Bordy, E. M. (September 2015). "Lithostratigraphy of the Elliot Formation (Karoo Supergroup), South Africa". South African Journal of Geology. 118 (3): 311–316.
doi:
10.2113/gssajg.118.3.311.
hdl:2263/55739.
ISSN1012-0750.
^Abdala, Fernando; Smith, Roger M. H. (2009-09-12). "A Middle Triassic cynodont fauna from Namibia and its implications for the biogeography of Gondwana". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29 (3): 837–851.
doi:
10.1671/039.029.0303.
ISSN0272-4634.
S2CID129096876.
^Walker, A. D. (1990-10-29). "A revision of Sphenosuchus acutus Haughton, a crocodylomorph reptile from the Elliot Formation (late Triassic or early Jurassic) of South Africa". Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B. 330 (1256): 1–120.
doi:
10.1098/rstb.1990.0185.
ISSN0962-8436.
^Sues, H.D., Reisz, R.R., Hinic, S. and Raath, M.A., 2004. On the skull of Massospondylus carinatus Owen, 1854 (Dinosauria: Sauropodomorpha) from the Elliot and Clarens formations (Lower Jurassic) of South Africa. Annals of Carnegie Museum, 73(4), pp.239–257.
^Galton, Peter M.; Heerden, Jacques (April 1998). "Anatomy of the prosauropod dinosaurBlikanasaurus cromptoni (Upper Triassic, South Africa), with notes on the other tetrapods from the lower Elliot Formation". Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 72 (1–2): 163–177.
doi:
10.1007/bf02987824.
ISSN0031-0220.
S2CID128464155.
^Reisz, Robert R.; Evans, David C.; Sues, Hans-Dieter; Scott, Diane (2010-12-02). "Embryonic skeletal anatomy of the sauropodomorph dinosaurMassospondylusfrom the Lower Jurassic of South Africa". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 30 (6): 1653–1665.
doi:
10.1080/02724634.2010.521604.
ISSN0272-4634.
S2CID84599991.
^Walker, A. D. (1990-10-29). "A revision of Sphenosuchus acutus Haughton, a crocodylomorph reptile from the Elliot Formation (late Triassic or early Jurassic) of South Africa". Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B. 330 (1256): 1–120.
doi:
10.1098/rstb.1990.0185.
ISSN0962-8436.
^Nash, D.S., 1975. The morphology and relationships of a crocodilian, Orthosuchus stormbergi, from the Upper Triassic of Lesotho. South African Museum.
^Dollman, K. N.; Viglietti, P. A.; Choiniere, J. N. (2017-10-12). "A new specimen of Orthosuchus stormbergi (Nash 1968) and a review of the distribution of Southern African Lower Jurassic crocodylomorphs". Historical Biology. 31 (5): 653–664.
doi:
10.1080/08912963.2017.1387110.
ISSN0891-2963.
S2CID134134524.
^Smith, R.; Kitching, J. (1997-06-01). "Sedimentology and vertebrate taphonomy of the Tritylodon Acme Zone: a reworked palaeosol in the Lower Jurassic Elliot Formation, Karoo Supergroup, South Africa". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 131 (1–2): 29–50.
Bibcode:
1997PPP...131...29S.
doi:
10.1016/S0031-0182(96)00143-5.
ISSN0031-0182.
^Knoll, Fabien (January 2005). "The tetrapod fauna of the Upper Elliot and Clarens formations in the main Karoo Basin (South Africa and Lesotho)". Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France. 176 (1): 81–91.
doi:
10.2113/176.1.81.
ISSN0037-9409.