Manuherikia Group Explained

Manuherikia Group
Period:Miocene
Age:Early-Middle Miocene
Type:Group
Prilithology:Sandstone, shale
Otherlithology:Coal
Subunits:Dunstan & Bannockburn Formations
Location:South Island
Coordinates:-44.9°N 169.8°W
Paleocoordinates:-49.7°N -179.6°W
Region:Central Otago
Country:New Zealand
Extent:>5600km2
Namedfor:Lake Manuherikia

The Manuherikia Group is a fluvial-lacustrine sedimentary fill in the Central Otago area of New Zealand, at the site of the prehistoric Lake Manuherikia. The area consists of a valley and ridge topography, with a series of schist-greywacke mountains at roughly ninety degrees to each other. The Manuherika Group occurs in the current basins, and occasionally on the mountains themselves.

History

One of the earliest geologists to work in the area, McKay,[1] understood that the Manuherikia Group was probably originally continuous. Although some workers came to believe the sediments were deposited in a series of small, interconnected basins between the mountain ranges, e.g. Park,[2] later workers, like Cotton[3] argued that the sediments had been isolated by later mountain growth. Douglas[4] placed the Manuherikia Group sediments into a coherent genetic context. He drew attention to Manuherikia Group sediments on the top of mountain ranges, and to the observation that sequences in distinct basins were similar. His conclusion was that the Manuherikia Group is the result of sedimentation in a single (except for the earliest stages) very large basin that was later intruded by the growth of the mountain ranges. This basin ultimately grew into a single huge lake – Lake Manuherikia – that extended over some 5600km2.[4]

Palynological work by Couper,[5] [6] Mildenhall,[7] Mildenhall and Pocknall[8] has indicated that the Manuherikia Group is basically Miocene in age. The plant macrofossils, common in the lower Manuherikia Group, are mostly Early Miocene, perhaps with some in the earliest Middle Miocene.

Stratigraphy

Following Douglas,[4] the primary subdivision of the Manuherikia Group is into a lower, fluvial (commonly with coal) Dunstan Formation and an upper, lacustrine Bannockburn Formation. The oldest unit of the Manuherikia Group is the Saint Bathans Member of the Dunstan Formation, consisting of the braided-river fill of valleys incised into the basement rocks. Traces of three St Bathans paleovalleys are known – one at Blue Lake, adjacent to St Bathans, is the best exposed. The St Bathans paleovalleys eventually filled, sedimentation spread out over a broader area, and the fluvial character became dominantly meandering. This material is grouped as the Fiddlers Member. Extensive coal swamps developed between the rivers and their flood basins.

Individual flood basin lakes began to coalesce into a true lacustrine system – Lake Manuherikia. Its muddy and sandy sediments are grouped as the Bannockburn Formation. Around the lake margins, distinctive shoreline facies developed. The most widespread of these is the Kawarau Member which contains diverse plant fossils.[9] Distinctive facies within the Kawarau Member have been termed the Cromwell Submember and the Ewing Submember. The Ewing is typically intercalated with the Lauder Member, an informal unit of the Bannockburn Formation. This contains a fossil fauna (the Saint Bathans Fauna) of birds,[10] fish,[11] and a crocodilian,[12] New Zealand's first known terrestrial mammal,[13] as well as bats. Stromatolites are also present.[14]

At two locations around the depocenter, river deltas developed and large thicknesses of coal built up on upper delta plains. These are termed the Blackstone Delta and Teviot Delta. Fully lacustrine conditions ensued with the submergence of these deltas and for much of the mid Miocene, Lake Manuherikia was without known bounds. Rising mountains in the Late Miocene-Pliocene eventually deluged Lake Manuherikia with gravel – the Maori Bottom, or Maniototo Conglomerate.[15]

Fossil content

Bannockburn Formation

See main article: St Bathans fauna.

St Bathans Member

An extremely diverse macroflora flora, based on well-preserved cuticle. There are two cycad-like taxa:

The conifers total 16 species in 12 genera, including:

Other gymnosperms:

Monocots include:

The dicots include:

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. McKay, A. 1897: "Report on the Older Auriferous Drifts of Central Otago." 2nd Ed. N.Z. Govt. Printer.
  2. Park, J. 1906: The Geology of the Area covered by the Alexandra Sheet. N.Z. Geol. Surv. Bull. n.s. 2.
  3. Cotton, C. A. 1919: Problems presented by the Notocene beds of Central Otago. New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology 2: 69–72.
  4. Douglas, B. J. 1986: Lignite resources of Central Otago. New Zealand Energy Research and Development Committee Publication P104: 367.
  5. Couper, R. A. 1953: Upper Mesozoic and Cainozoic spores and pollen grains from New Zealand. New Zealand Geological Survey Palaeontological Bulletin n.s. 22: 77.
  6. Couper, R. A. 1960: New Zealand Mesozoic and Cainozoic plant microfossils. New Zealand Geological Survey Paleontological Bulletin 32: 88 pp.
  7. Mildenhall, D. C. 1989: Summary of the age and paleoecology of the Miocene Manuherikia Group, Central Otago, New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 19: 19–29.
  8. Mildenhall, D. C. & Pocknall, D. T. 1989: Miocene-Pleistocene spores and pollen from Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand. New Zealand Geological Survey Palaeontological Bulletin 59: 1–128.
  9. Pole, M. S., Douglas, B. J. & Mason, G. 2003: The terrestrial Miocene biota of southern New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 33: 415–426
  10. Worthy, T. H., Tennyson, A. J. D., Jones, C., McNamara, J. A. & Douglas, B. J. 2007: Miocene waterfowl and other birds from central Otago, New Zealand. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, doi:10.1017/S1477201906001957 5: 1–39
  11. Schwarzhans, W., Scofield, R. P., Tennyson, A. J. D., Worthy, J. P. & Worthy, T. H. 2012: Fish remains, mostly otoliths, from the non-marine early Miocene of Otago, New Zealand. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 57: 319–350
  12. Molnar, R. E. & Pole, M. S. 1997: A Miocene crocodilian from New Zealand. Alcheringa 21: 65–70.
  13. Worthy, T. H., Tennyson, A. J. D., Archer, M., Musser, A. M., Hand, S. J., Jones, C., Douglas, B. J., McNamara, J. A. & Beck, R. M. D. 2006: Miocene mammal reveals a Mesozoic ghost lineage on insular New Zealand, southwest Pacific. PNAS 103: 19419–19423
  14. Lindqvist, J. K. 1994: Lacustrine stromatolites and oncoids: Manuherikia Group (Miocene), New Zealand. In. Bertrand-Safati, J. and Monty, C. (Ed.) Phanerozoic Stromatolites II. Lacustrine stromatolites and oncoids: Manuherikia Group (Miocene), New Zealand, Kluwer Academic Publishers: 227–254
  15. Youngson, J. H., Craw, D., Landis, C. A. & Schmitt, K. R. 1998: Redefinition and interpretation of late Miocene-Pleistocene terrestrial stratigraphy, Central Otago, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 41: 51–68.
  16. Worthy . Trevor H. . Scofield . R. Paul . Salisbury . Steven W. . Hand . Suzanne J. . De Pietri . Vanesa L. . Archer . Michael . 2022-04-05 . Two new neoavian taxa with contrasting palaeobiogeographical implications from the early Miocene St Bathans Fauna, New Zealand . Journal of Ornithology . 163 . 3 . 643–658 . en . 10.1007/s10336-022-01981-6 . 247993690 . 2193-7206. free .
  17. Vanesa L. De Pietri . R. Paul Scofield . Alan J. D. Tennyson . Suzanne J. Hand . Trevor H. Worthy . 2017 . The diversity of early Miocene pigeons (Columbidae) in New Zealand . Contribuciones del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia" . 7 . 49–68 .
  18. Worthy TH, Tennyson AJ, Jones C, McNamara JA, Douglas BJ . 2007 . Miocene waterfowl and other birds from central Otago, New Zealand . Journal of Systematic Palaeontology . 5 . 1 . 1–39 . 10.1017/S1477201906001957. 2007JSPal...5....1W . 2440/43360 . 85230857 . free .
  19. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=175681 Mata Creek, Site 5 (H41/f118)
  20. Trevor H. Worthy . Suzanne J. Hand . Michael Archer . R. Paul Scofield . Vanesa L. De Pietri . 2019 . Evidence for a giant parrot from the Early Miocene of New Zealand . Biology Letters . 15 . 8 . Article ID 20190467 . 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0467 . 31387471 . 6731479 .
  21. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=126289 Croc Site L1, Mata Creek, H41/f84
  22. Worthy. Trevor H.. Scofield. R. Paul . Salisbury. Steven W.. Hand. Suzanne J.. De Pietri. Vanesa L.. Blokland. Jacob C. . Archer . Michael . 2021. A new species of Manuherikia (Aves: Anatidae) provides evidence of faunal turnover in the St Bathans fauna, New Zealand . Geobios . 70 . en . 87–107 . 10.1016/j.geobios.2021.08.002. 245157909 .
  23. Book: Scofield, R. Paul . Worthy, Trevor H. . Tennyson, Alan J.D. . amp . 2010 . A heron (Aves: Ardeidae) from the Early Miocene St Bathans Fauna of southern New Zealand.. W.E. Boles . T.H. Worthy. . Proceedings of the VII International Meeting of the Society of Avian Paleontology and Evolution . Records of the Australian Museum . 62 . 1 . 89–104 . 10.3853/j.0067-1975.62.2010.1542 .
  24. Tennyson . Alan J. D. . Greer . Liam . Lubbe . Pascale . Marx . Felix G. . Richards . Marcus D. . Giovanardi . Simone . Rawlence . Nicolas J. . 2022-03-09 . A New Species of Large Duck (Aves: Anatidae) from the Miocene of New Zealand . Taxonomy . en . 2 . 1 . 136–144 . 10.3390/taxonomy2010011 . 2673-6500. free .
  25. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=180774 Mata Creek, Site 9
  26. Worthy . Trevor H. . Scofield . R. Paul . Hand . Suzanne J. . De Pietri . Vanesa L. . Archer . Michael . 2022-07-20 . A swan-sized fossil anatid (Aves: Anatidae) from the early Miocene St Bathans Fauna of New Zealand . Zootaxa . 5168 . 1 . 39–50 . 10.11646/zootaxa.5168.1.3 . 36101302 . 250940807 . 1175-5334. free .
  27. Book: Worthy, Trevor H. . Tennyson, Alan J.D. . Archer, Michael . Scofield, R. Paul . amp . 2010 . First record of Palaelodus (Aves: Phoenicopteriformes) from New Zealand. W.E. Boles . T.H. Worthy. . Proceedings of the VII International Meeting of the Society of Avian Paleontology and Evolution . Records of the Australian Museum . 62 . 1 . 77–88 . 10.3853/j.0067-1975.62.2010.1545 .
  28. Trevor H. Worthy . Jennifer P. Worthy . Alan J. D. Tennyson . R. Paul Scofield . 2013 . A bittern (Aves: Ardeidae) from the early Miocene of New Zealand . Paleontological Journal . 47 . 11 . 1331–1343 . 10.1134/s0031030113110154. 2013PalJ...47.1331W . 2328/35957 . 85257680 .
  29. Book: Trevor H. Worthy . Jennifer P. Worthy . Alan J. D. Tennyson . Steven W. Salisbury . Suzanne J. Hand . R. Paul Scofield . 2013 . Miocene fossils show that kiwi (Apteryx, Apterygidae) are probably not phyletic dwarves . Ursula B. Göhlich . Andreas Kroh . Paleornithological Research 2013. Proceedings of the 8th International Meeting of the Society of Avian Paleontology and Evolution, Vienna, 2012 . Naturhistorisches Museum Wien . 63–80 . http://verlag.nhm-wien.ac.at/buecher/2013_SAPE_Proceedings/06_Worthy_et_al.pdf . 978-3-902421-82-1 .
  30. Worthy, Trevor H. . Hand, Suzanne J. . Worthy, Jennifer P. . Tennyson, Alan J.D. . Scofield, R. Paul . amp . 2009 . A large fruit pigeon (Columbidae) from the Early Miocene of New Zealand. . The Auk . 126 . 3 . 649–656 . 10.1525/auk.2009.08244 . 86799657 . free .
  31. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=153885 Site 2, Vinegar Hill
  32. Werner Schwarzhans . R. Paul Scofield . Alan J. D. Tennyson . Jennifer P. Worthy . Trevor H. Worthy . 2012 . Fish remains, mostly otoliths, from the non-marine early Miocene of Otago, New Zealand . Acta Palaeontologica Polonica . 57 . 2 . 319–350 . 10.4202/app.2010.0127 . free . 2440/75818 . free .
  33. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=166739 Blue Lake – St Bathans
  34. Pole, M.S., 1992. Early Miocene flora of the Manuherikia Group, New Zealand. 2. Conifer. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 22, 287–302.
  35. Pole, M.S., 1993. Early Miocene flora of the Manuherikia Group, New Zealand. 6. Lauraceae. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 23, 303–312.
  36. Pole, M.S., 1993. Early Miocene flora of the Manuherikia Group, New Zealand. 8. Nothofagus. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 23, 329–344.
  37. Hill, R.S., Pole, M.S., 1994. Two new species of Pterostoma R.S. Hill from Cenozoic sediments in Australasia. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 80, 123–130.
  38. Pole, M.S., 1997. Miocene conifers from the Manuherikia Group, New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 27, 355–370.
  39. Pole, M.S., 1998. The Proteaceae record in New Zealand. Australian Systematic Botany 11, 343–372
  40. Pole, M., 2007. Conifer and cycad distribution in the Miocene of southern New Zealand. Australian Journal of Botany 55, 143–164. https://www.academia.edu/751084/Pole_2007_Conifer_and_cycad_distribution_in_the_Miocene_of_southern_New_Zealand.pdf
  41. Pole, M., 2007. Lauraceae Macrofossils and Dispersed Cuticle from the Miocene of Southern New Zealand. Palaeontologia Electronica 10 1: 3A, 1–38.
  42. Pole, M., 2007. Monocot Macrofossils from the Miocene of Southern New Zealand. Palaeontologia Electronica 10, Issue 3;15A:21p.
  43. Pole, M., Dawson, J., Denton, T., 2008. Fossil Myrtaceae from the Early Miocene of southern New Zealand. Australian Journal of Botany 56, 67–81.
  44. Pole, M., 2008. Dispersed leaf cuticle from the Early Miocene of southern New Zealand. Palaeontologia Electronica 11 (3) 15A:, 1–117.
  45. Pole, M., 2008. The record of Araucariaceae macrofossils in New Zealand. Alcheringa 32, 405–426.
  46. Pole, M., 2010. Was New Zealand a primary source for the New Caledonian flora? Alcheringa 34, 61–74.

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