Elisabeth Bay Formation

The Elisabeth Bay Formation, alternatively spelled as Elizabeth Bay Formation, is an Early Miocene (Aquitanian to Burdigalian, around 21 Ma)^[1] geologic formation in the Sperrgebiet, ǁKaras Region of southwestern Namibia, overlying the Blaubok Conglomerate.^[2] The freshwater green and red siltstones, sandstones, intercalations of conglomerates and claystones of the formation were deposited in a fluvial environment,^[3] infilling a paleovalley incised during the Oligocene low sea stand, which backfilled during the Burdigalian marine transgression.^[1] The Elisabeth Bay Formation provides many fossil mammals, snakes and other reptiles.

Elisabeth Bay Formation
Stratigraphic range: Aquitanian-Burdigalian ~21 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Type	Geological formation
Overlies	Blaubok Conglomerate
Lithology
Primary	Siltstone
Other	Sandstone, claystone, conglomerate
Location
Coordinates	27.0°S 15.3°E / -27.0; 15.3
Approximate paleocoordinates	27.9°S 12.8°E / -27.9; 12.8
Region	ǁKaras Region
Country	Namibia
Extent	Sperrgebiet
Type section
Named for	Elizabeth Bay
Elisabeth Bay Formation (Namibia)

Fossil content

The following fossils are reported from the formation:^[4][5][6]

Mammals

• Afrosmilus africanus
• Apodecter stromeri^[1]
• Bathyergoides neotertiarius^[1]
• Diamantomys luederitzi^[1]
• Leptoplesictis senutae
• Metapterodon kaiseri
• Miohyrax oswaldi^[1]
• Namasector soriae
• Parapedetes namaquensis^[1]
• Promicrogale namibiensis^[7]
• Isohyaenodon sp.
• Ysengrinia sp.
• Viverridae indet.

Reptiles

• cf. Python
• Amphisbaenia indet.
• Boidae indet.
• Colubridae indet.
• Colubroidea indet.
• Gekkonidae indet.
• Lacertilia indet.
• Viperidae indet.

See also

• Geology portal
• Paleontology portal
• Africa portal

• List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Namibia
• Geology of Namibia
• Penguin Islands