Upper Cretaceous Cephalopoda from offshore deposits off the Natal South coast, South Africa

Abstract

Dredge samples off the Natal South Coast yielded an Upper Cretaceous cephalopod fauna consisting of Eutrephoceras sphaericum geinitzi Wiedmann, 1960, Phylloceras (Hypophylloceras) woodsi woodsi Van Hoepen, 1921, Partschiceras umzambiense (Van Hoepen, 1920), Saghalinites nuperus (Van Hoepen, 1921), Saghalinites cala (Forbes, 1846), Baculites bailyi Woods, 1906, 'Bostrychoceras' indicum (Stoliczka, 1865), Hyphantoceras (Madagascarites?) amapondense (Van Hoepen, 1921), Desmophyllites diphylloides (Forbes, 1846), Hauericeras sp. cf. H. gardeni (Baily, 1855), Kossmaticeras (Natalites) africanus (Van Hoepen, 1920), and Kossmaticeras (Kossmaticeras) sp. cf. K. (K.) inornatum Collignon, 1966. This fauna is similar to that of the onshore Mzamba Formation of Natal and Transkei (Pondoland), and is dated as Middle Santonian to Lower Campanian.