The discovery of fossils in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape will be of significant scientific value to South African heritage‚ says palaeontologist Dr Robert Gess.
Discovered recently‚ approximately 25km outside of Grahamstown during construction work on the N2 towards Peddie‚ Gess said that some of the fossils species had “not yet been documented by palaeontologists”.
“Of fossils found from this age‚ approximately 360-million years ago (200-million years before dinosaurs)‚ this site is expected to be one of the only worthwhile sites outside of the tropics‚” Gess told Tiso Black Star Group Digital on Wednesday.
“New invertebrates‚ as well as greatly preserved plant fossils of the Devonian era‚ were found and excavated in rock debris along the N2.”
According to Gess‚ with the help of the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral)‚ huge blocks of rock are still being removed from the site.
“Sanral has modified its road-cutting profile to allow students the chance to work on these sites. This is not only extremely exciting for science locally‚ but internationally‚” he said.
“Fossil discoveries contribute to our shared heritage as South Africans and it is vital to make this sort of information open to the public.”
“It is has been decided that the site will become sort of a picnic area with information boards to give the public an understanding of the finds in this region‚” Gess added.
A press conference regarding the find is scheduled to be held in Grahamstown on Wednesday. — Tiso Black Star Group Digital/Cape Town Bureau
Eastern Cape fossil find uncovers ‘species not yet documented by palaeontologists’
Discovered recently‚ approximately 25km outside of Grahamstown during construction work on the N2 towards Peddie‚ Gess said that some of the fossils species had “not yet been documented by palaeontologists”.
“Of fossils found from this age‚ approximately 360-million years ago (200-million years before dinosaurs)‚ this site is expected to be one of the only worthwhile sites outside of the tropics‚” Gess told Tiso Black Star Group Digital on Wednesday.
“New invertebrates‚ as well as greatly preserved plant fossils of the Devonian era‚ were found and excavated in rock debris along the N2.”
According to Gess‚ with the help of the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral)‚ huge blocks of rock are still being removed from the site.
“Sanral has modified its road-cutting profile to allow students the chance to work on these sites. This is not only extremely exciting for science locally‚ but internationally‚” he said.
“Fossil discoveries contribute to our shared heritage as South Africans and it is vital to make this sort of information open to the public.”
“It is has been decided that the site will become sort of a picnic area with information boards to give the public an understanding of the finds in this region‚” Gess added.
A press conference regarding the find is scheduled to be held in Grahamstown on Wednesday. — Tiso Black Star Group Digital/Cape Town Bureau
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