Name: The Soom Shale Location: Cape Province, South Africa Age: Late Ordovician (Ashgill)

References and Links

Aldridge, R.J., & Theron, J.N. 1993. Conodonts with preserved soft tissue from a new Ordovician Konservat-Lagerstatte. Journal of Micropalaeontology, 12, 113-117.

Aldridge, R.J., Theron, J.N. & Gabbott, S.E. 1994. The Soom Shale: a unique Ordovician fossil horizon in South Africa. Geology Today, 10, 218-221.

Aldridge, R.J., & Purnell, M.A. Gabbott, S.E., & Theron, J.N. 1995. The apparatus architecture and function of Promissum pulchrum Kovas-Endrony (Conodonta, Upper Ordovician) and the prioniodontid plan. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, London. B347, 275-291.

Aldridge, R.J., Gabbott, S.E., & Theron, J.N. 2001. The Soom Shale. In: Briggs, D.E.G., & Crowther, P.R. (eds). Palaeobiology II, Blackwell Science, p. 340-342.

Braddy, S.J., Aldridge, R.J., & Theron, J.N. 1995. A new eurypterid from the late Ordovician Table Mountain Group, South Africa. Palaeontology, 38, 563-581.

Braddy, S.J., Aldridge, R.J., Gabbott, S.E & Theron, J.N. 1999. Lamellate book-gills in a late Ordovician eurypterid from the Soom Shale, South Africa: support for a eurypterid-scorpion clade. Lethaia, 32, 72-74.

Fortey, R.A. & Theron, J.N. 1994. A new Ordovician arthropod, Soomapsis, and the agnostid problem. Palaeontology, 37, 841-861.

Gabbott, S.E., Aldridge, R.J., & Theron, J.N. 1995. A giant conodont with preserved muscle tissue from the Upper Ordovician of South Africa. Nature, 374, 800-803.

Gabbott, S.E., Aldridge, R.J., & Theron J.N. 1998. Chitinozoan chains and cocoons from the upper Ordovician Soom Shale lagerstatte, South Africa: Implications for affinity. Journal of the Geological Society, London. 155, 447-452.

Gabbott, S.E. 1998. Taphonomy of the Ordovician Soom Shale lagerstatte: an example of soft tissue preservation in clay minerals. Palaeontology, 41, 631-667.

Gabbott, S.E. 1999. Orthoconic cephalopods and associated fauna from the Late Ordovician Soom Shale lagerstatte, South Africa. Palaeontology, 42, 123-148.

Gabbott, S.E., & Zalasiewicz, J.A. 1999. The quick and the dead. New Scientist, 2189, 44-48.

Gabbott, S.E., Norry, M.J., Aldridge, R.J., & Theron, J.N. 2001. Preservation of fossils in clay minerals; a unique example from the Upper Ordovician Soom Shale, South Africa. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 53, 237-244.

Leicester University Palaeobiology Research Group: http://www.le.ac.uk/gl/re/resprofs/palaeogroup.html

The Palaeontological Association: http://www.palass.org/

Citrusdal South Africa Tourism pages: http://www.citrusdal.info/

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