An internationally renowned Grahamstown paleontologist has found yet another “treasure trove” of 360-million-year-old fossils at the N2 roadworks outside the town.
Dr Rob Gess, who has made headlines over the years by finding dozens of new ancient invertebrates – including the world’s first nursery of juvenile coelacanth – and fossilised plants in local Devonian period shale, yesterday said his latest find only came about because of upgrades to the N2.
He said the black shale fossils probably would never have been found if the rock had not been exposed during the excavations as it was very prone to weathering and usually turned to formless clay before it reached the ground surface.
“Roadworks, though, give the opportunity for palaeontologists to, as it were, reach deep into the landscape and retrieve fresh unweathered shale.”
The latest find has allowed experts to trace a broader picture of what coastline ecosystems were like as the new fossil finds provide a snapshot of a tidal estuary, while the previous Waterloo Farm site 20km away was a closed fresh water lagoon.
Based on the significance of his finds in shale from the Waterloo Farm N2 cuttings over more than 25 years, Gess was called in by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) to do an environmental impact assessment (EIA) years before the roadworks began.
Sanral regional manager Mbulelo Peterson yesterday said possible fossil rich veins of exposed shale were identified by Gess in 2013 and the recent discoveries would not impact roadworks as they had already had a long time to plan how to recover them.
He said Sanral always tried to do “whatever it takes” to put environmental issues high on the agenda before doing roadworks by removing and replanting trees like threatened milkwoods, preserving heritage finds and checking for fossils.
The potentially fossil-rich shale was first exposed during controlled rock-cutting explosions at the Coombs Cuttings 20km from Grahamstown on the Peddie road.
The find dates back to times when South Africa was part of the Gondwana supercontinent and includes many species not yet discovered by paleontologists.
Gondwana (or Gondwanaland) included most of the landmasses in today’s southern hemisphere, including Antarctica, South America, Africa, Madagascar, and Australia, and the Arabian Peninsula and Indian subcontinent, which moved into the northern hemisphere.
Sanral environmental manager Mpati Makoa said based on previous finds by Gess at Waterloo Farm, they had made provision in the environmental management programme for specialist examination and excavation of rock debris.
Gess, who works at the Albany Museum, said even though the two sites were fairly close to each other, the finds they were now making were vastly different.
He said ongoing local roadworks since 1985 at Waterloo Farm and now the latest Coombs Cuttings treasure trove had “significantly shaped South African palaeontology research and studies”.
“They have enabled discovery of the clues of virtually everything we know about high lattitude latest Devonian life, not just in South Africa, but in the world,” he said.
Gess said 20 late Devonian fish species would never have been discovered if the roadworks had not taken place at Waterloo Farm.
Sanral N2 project manager Steven Robertson said they planned to build a picnic rest spot opposite the fossil rich site that would allow drivers to stop and look at South Africa’s latest paleontological heritage site.
Display boards would be erected at the rest area and, possibly, even a pedestrian bridge to access the site. Although Gess got chunks of shale delivered to his Bathurst home from Waterloo Farm during the roadworks there, slabs salvaged from the Coombs Cuttings are being stored in the grounds of the Albany Museum where he works.
He said the grounds were getting so full he would have to find somewhere else to store the surplus.
Gess said he was still finding fossil treasure in the Waterloo shale and he expressed confidence the new source would yield more exciting discoveries for many more years to come.
Paleontologist digs up N2 fossil treasure trove
Dr Rob Gess, who has made headlines over the years by finding dozens of new ancient invertebrates – including the world’s first nursery of juvenile coelacanth – and fossilised plants in local Devonian period shale, yesterday said his latest find only came about because of upgrades to the N2.
He said the black shale fossils probably would never have been found if the rock had not been exposed during the excavations as it was very prone to weathering and usually turned to formless clay before it reached the ground surface.
“Roadworks, though, give the opportunity for palaeontologists to, as it were, reach deep into the landscape and retrieve fresh unweathered shale.”
The latest find has allowed experts to trace a broader picture of what coastline ecosystems were like as the new fossil finds provide a snapshot of a tidal estuary, while the previous Waterloo Farm site 20km away was a closed fresh water lagoon.
Based on the significance of his finds in shale from the Waterloo Farm N2 cuttings over more than 25 years, Gess was called in by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) to do an environmental impact assessment (EIA) years before the roadworks began.
Sanral regional manager Mbulelo Peterson yesterday said possible fossil rich veins of exposed shale were identified by Gess in 2013 and the recent discoveries would not impact roadworks as they had already had a long time to plan how to recover them.
He said Sanral always tried to do “whatever it takes” to put environmental issues high on the agenda before doing roadworks by removing and replanting trees like threatened milkwoods, preserving heritage finds and checking for fossils.
The potentially fossil-rich shale was first exposed during controlled rock-cutting explosions at the Coombs Cuttings 20km from Grahamstown on the Peddie road.
The find dates back to times when South Africa was part of the Gondwana supercontinent and includes many species not yet discovered by paleontologists.
Gondwana (or Gondwanaland) included most of the landmasses in today’s southern hemisphere, including Antarctica, South America, Africa, Madagascar, and Australia, and the Arabian Peninsula and Indian subcontinent, which moved into the northern hemisphere.
Sanral environmental manager Mpati Makoa said based on previous finds by Gess at Waterloo Farm, they had made provision in the environmental management programme for specialist examination and excavation of rock debris.
Gess, who works at the Albany Museum, said even though the two sites were fairly close to each other, the finds they were now making were vastly different.
He said ongoing local roadworks since 1985 at Waterloo Farm and now the latest Coombs Cuttings treasure trove had “significantly shaped South African palaeontology research and studies”.
“They have enabled discovery of the clues of virtually everything we know about high lattitude latest Devonian life, not just in South Africa, but in the world,” he said.
Gess said 20 late Devonian fish species would never have been discovered if the roadworks had not taken place at Waterloo Farm.
Sanral N2 project manager Steven Robertson said they planned to build a picnic rest spot opposite the fossil rich site that would allow drivers to stop and look at South Africa’s latest paleontological heritage site.
Display boards would be erected at the rest area and, possibly, even a pedestrian bridge to access the site. Although Gess got chunks of shale delivered to his Bathurst home from Waterloo Farm during the roadworks there, slabs salvaged from the Coombs Cuttings are being stored in the grounds of the Albany Museum where he works.
He said the grounds were getting so full he would have to find somewhere else to store the surplus.
Gess said he was still finding fossil treasure in the Waterloo shale and he expressed confidence the new source would yield more exciting discoveries for many more years to come.
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