Gogo Formation Explained

Gogo Formation
Period:Frasnian
Type:Geological formation
Prilithology:Shale, Siltstone
Otherlithology:Limestone
Underlies:Virgin Hills Formation
Overlies:Unconformity with Prices Creek Group
Thickness:Up to 700m (2,300feet)
Location:Kimberley, Western Australia
Paleocoordinates:-16.7°N 136.7°W
Region:Western Australia
Namedfor:Gogo Station
Thickness Ts:~425m (1,394feet)

The Gogo Formation in the Kimberley region of Western Australia is a Lagerstätte that exhibits exceptional preservation of a Devonian reef community. The formation is named after Gogo Station, a cattle station where outcrops appear and fossils are often collected from,[1] as is nearby Fossil Downs Station.

History

The reef, which now stands up abruptly in the western Australian desert (as the Windjana Limestone), was first identified in 1940 by paleontologist Curt Teichert, who discovered the first fossil fish from the region.[2]

Sedimentology

Unweathered sections of the Gogo Formation are made of siltstone, shale and calcarenite with numerous limestone concretions. These concretions are resistant to weathering, producing extensive nodule fields on the ground in areas where the surrounding rock has eroded away.[3]

The Gogo sediments represent deep, hypoxic seafloor deposits in the vicinity of a large tropical reef composed primarily of algae and stromatoporoids during the Frasnian faunal stage of the Late Devonian.[4] Associated stratigraphic units which comprise this ancient reef system are the Windjana Formation (the actual reef structures), Pillara Limestone (reef platform) and the Sadler Formation (fore-reef deposits).[3]

Deposition

The formation was deposited in the Frasnian (late Devonian).

Fossil preservation

The fossils of the Gogo Formation display three-dimensional soft-tissue preservation of tissues as fragile as nerves and embryos with umbilical cords.[5] Over fifty species of fish have been described from the formation, and arthropods, including phyllocarids[6] and eurypterids[7] are similarly well-preserved.[5] Nautiloids, goniatites and tentaculids are also known from the formation, but their soft tissue is not preserved.[5]

The calcareous concretions formed around objects from the shallow reef areas which sank into the deep anoxic basins. The concretions sometimes contain the remains of fish, whose bodies are often preserved complete in three-dimensions due to rapid encasement and the slow rate of decay in the oxygen-poor surroundings. By repeated baths in a dilute acid solution, the matrix is dissolved away via a process of acid etching to reveal delicate fish fossils, some retaining impressions of soft tissues.

The discovery of Materpiscis, a placoderm preserved with an embryonic juvenile still attached by its umbilical cord, has revealed that at least some placoderms gave birth to live young.[8]

Fossil content

Placodermi

Genus Species Notes Images
AustroptyctodusA. gardinieri
BothriolepisIndeterminate [9]
BruntonichthysB. multidens[10]
BullerichthysB. fascidens
CampbellodusC. decipiens[11]
CamuropiscisC. concinnus[12]
C. laidlawi[13]
CompagopiscisC. croucheri
EastmanosteusE. calliaspis[14]
FallacosteusF. turneri[15]
HarrytoombsiaH. elegans[16]
HolonemaH. westolli[17]
IncisoscutumI. ritchei
I. sarahae[18]
KendrickichthysK. cavernosus
KimberleyichthysK. bispicatus
K. whybrowi
MaterpiscisM. attenboroughi[19]
LatocamurusL. coulthardi[20]
McnamaraspisM. kaprios[21]
PinguosteusP. thulborni
RolfosteusR. canningensis
SimosteusS. tuberculatus[22]
TorosteusT. tuberculatus
T. pulchellus
TubonasusT. lennardensis[23]

Actinopterygii

Genus Species Notes Images
GogosardinaG. coatesi[24]
MimipiscisM. toombsi[25]
MoythomasiaM. durgaringa
M. lineata

Sarcopterygii

Genus Species Notes Images
AdololopasA. moyasmithae
ChirodipterusC. australis[28]
cf. DiplocercidesIndeterminate align=center [29]
GogodipterusG. paddyensis [30]
GogonasusG. andrewsae[31]
GriphognathusG. whitei
Holodipterus"H" (Holodipteroides) elderae
H. gogoensis
H. meemanae
OnychodusO. jandemarrai[32]
PillararhynchusP. longi[33]
RhinodipterusR. kimberleyensis
RobinsondipterusR. longi[34]
XeradipterusX. hatcheri[35]

Conodonta

Genus Species Notes
PolygnathusP. varca[36]
P. normalis
P. asymmetrica asymmetrica
P. asymmetrica ovalis
PlayfordiaP. primitiva
GnamptognathusG.? lipperti
G.? cf. G.? lipperti
AncyrodellaA. rotundiloba alata
A. rotundiloba rotundiloba
IcirodusI. symmetricus
RoundyaA. aurita

Ammonoidea

Genus Species Notes
TimanitesT. angustus
TornocerasT. (T.) simplex

Arthropoda

Genus Species Notes Images
MontecarisM. gogoensisPhyllocarid arthropod, reaching length up to 60cm (20inches).[37]
M. sp. indet.
SchugurocarisS. wamiPhyllocarid arthropod.
S. sp. indet.
DithyrocarisD. sp. indet.
ConcavicarisC. campiThylacocephalan arthropod.[38]
C. glenisteri
C. milesi
C. playfordi
C. sp.
HarrycarisH. whittingtoni
AdelophthalmusA. waterstoniAn eurypterid. Originally described as a species of Rhenopterus.[39]
Undescribed eurypterid[40]
'Mushia'Common fossil from Gogo Formation, undescribed arthropod with unknown affinity.
Chemical analysis shows that is likely to be a crustacean.

Notes and References

  1. http://www.dpc.wa.gov.au/GuidelinesAndPolicies/SymbolsOfWA/Pages/FossilEmblemGogoFish.aspx "The Fossil Emblem of Western Australia"
  2. Book: Long, John . John A. Long (paleontologist) . Swimming in Stone: the Amazing Gogo Fossils of the Kimberley . Fremantle, W.A. . Fremantle Arts Centre . 2007.
  3. Web site: Australian Stratigraphic Names Database . Australian Government Geoscience Australia . 2010-09-29 . 2011-03-28.
  4. Web site: Gogo Reef Formation . 28 May 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180307165801/http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/palaeofiles/lagerstatten/Gogo/index.html . 7 March 2018 . dead .
  5. Long . J. A. . Trinajstic . K. . Kate Trinajstic . 2010 . The Late Devonian Gogo Formation Lägerstatte of Western Australia: Exceptional Early Vertebrate Preservation and Diversity . Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences . 38 . 255–279 . 2010AREPS..38..255L . 10.1146/annurev-earth-040809-152416.
  6. Ian Rolfe . W. D.. Phyllocarid Crustacean Fauna of European Aspect from the Devonian of Western Australia. Nature. 209. 192. 1966. 10.1038/209192a0. 1966Natur.209..192R . 5019. 129316791.
  7. Tetlie . O. E.. Braddy . S. J.. Butler . P. D.. Briggs . D. E. G.. A New Eurypterid (Chelicerata: Eurypterida) from the Upper Devonian Gogo Formation of Western Australia, with a Review of the Rhenopteridae. Palaeontology. 47. 4. 801. 2004. 10.1111/j.0031-0239.2004.00390.x. 2004Palgy..47..801T. free.
  8. http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23776422-2761,00.html "Aussie fish fossil gives birth to history"
  9. Patten . W. . New facts concerning Bothriolepis . Biological Bulletin . July 1904 . 7 . 2 . 113–124 . 10.2307/1535537. 1535537 .
  10. DENNIS, K. and MILES, R. S. (1980), New durophagous arthrodires from Gogo, Western Australia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 69: 43–85.
  11. Long, J.A. 1997. Ptyctodontid fishes (Vertebrata, Placodermi) from the Late Devonian Gogo Formation, Western Australia, with a revision of the European genus Ctenurella Orvig, 1960. Geodiversitas 19(3): 515–555.
  12. Dennis. Kim. R. S. Miles. A second eubrachythoracid arthrodire from Gogo, Western Australia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. September 1979. 67. 1–29. 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1979.tb01102.x.
  13. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=172213 Locality No. 20, Stromatoporoid Camp Area
  14. Dennis-Bryan . K. . A new species of eastmanosteid arthrodire (Pisces: Placodermi) from Gogo, Western Australia . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society . 1987 . 90 . 1 . 1–64 . 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1987.tb01347.x .
  15. Long, J. A. 1990a, "Two new arthrodires (placoderm fishes) from the Upper Devonian Gogo Formation, Western Australia", Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 28, De Vis Symposium Volume, pp. 51–64.
  16. Web site: Fossilworks: Harrytoombsia. fossilworks.org.
  17. Denison, Robert (1978). Placodermi Volume 2 of Handbook of Paleoichthyology'. Stuttgart New York: Gustav Fischer Verlag. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-89574-027-4
  18. J. A. Long. 1994. A second incisoscutid arthrodire (Pisces, Placodermi) from the Late Devonian Gogo Formation, Western Australia. Alcheringa 18(1-2):59-69
  19. Long . J. A. . Trinajstic, K. . Young, G. C. . Senden, T. . 2008 . Live birth in the Devonian period . Nature . 453 . 7195 . 650 - 652 . 10.1038/nature06966 . 18509443 . 2008Natur.453..650L . 205213348 .
  20. Long. J. A.. A new camuropiscid arthrodire (Pisces: Placodermi) from Gogo, Western Australia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 1988. 94. 3. 233–258. 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1988.tb01194.x.
  21. Long, J. (1995). "A new ploudosteid arthrodire from the Upper Devonian Gogo Formation of Western Australia". Palaeontology. 38: 39–62.
  22. Dennis. K.. Miles. R. S. . A eubrachythoracid arthrodire with a snubnose from Gogo, Western Australia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 1982. 75. 2. 153–166. 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1982.tb01945.x.
  23. Dennis. K.. Miles. R. S.. Eubrachythoracid arthrodires with tubular rostra1 plates from Gogo, Western Australia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 1979. 67. 4. 297–328. 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1979.tb01118.x.
  24. Sallan. Lauren Cole. Coates. Michael I.. 2010-06-01. End-Devonian extinction and a bottleneck in the early evolution of modern jawed vertebrates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. en. 107. 22. 10131–10135. 10.1073/pnas.0914000107. 0027-8424. 20479258. 2890420. 2010PNAS..10710131S. free.
  25. Choo . Brian . Revision of the actinopterygian genus Mimipiscis (=Mimia) from the Upper Devonian Gogo Formation of Western Australia and the interrelationships of the early Actinopterygii . Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 102 . 77–104 . 2012 . 2 . 2012-03-29 . 10.1017/s1755691011011029. 2012EESTR.102...77C . 1885/59192 . 129324004 . free .
  26. Long. John A.. Burrow. Carole J.. Ginter. Michal. Maisey. John G.. Trinajstic. Kate M.. Coates. Michael I.. Young. Gavin C.. Senden. Tim J.. 2015-05-28. First Shark from the Late Devonian (Frasnian) Gogo Formation, Western Australia Sheds New Light on the Development of Tessellated Calcified Cartilage. PLOS ONE. 10. 5. e0126066. 10.1371/journal.pone.0126066. 1932-6203. 4447464. 26020788. 2015PLoSO..1026066L. free.
  27. Burrow. Carole J.. Trinajstic. Kate. Long. John. 2012-08-01. First acanthodian from the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) Gogo Formation, Western Australia. Historical Biology. 24. 4. 349–357. 10.1080/08912963.2012.660150. 2012HBio...24..349B . 128481092 . 0891-2963.
  28. Miles. R. S.. Dipnoan (lungfish) skulls and the relationships of the group: a study based on new species from the Devonian of Australia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 61. 1–3. 1977. 1–328. 0024-4082. 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1977.tb01031.x.
  29. LONG, J.A. & TRINAJSTIC, K. 2010. The Late Devonian Gogo Formation Lagerstatte –Exceptional preservation and Diversity in early Vertebrates. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 38: 665-680
  30. Long. John A.. 1992. Gogodipterus paddyensis (Miles), gen. nov., a new chirodipterid lungfish from the late Devonian Gogo formation, Western Australia. The Beagle: Occasional Papers of the Northern Territory Museum of Arts and Sciences. 9. 11–20.
  31. Long . J. A. . 1985 . A new osteolepidid fish from the Upper Devonian Gogo Formation of Western Australia . Recs. W. A. Mus . 12 . 8 . 361–377 .
  32. Andrews, Mahala . Long, John . Ahlberg, Per . Barwick, Richard . Campbell, Ken . 2006. The structure of the sarcopterygian Onychodus jandemarrai n. sp. from Gogo, Western Australia: with a functional interpretation of the skeleton . Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 96 . 3 . 197–307 . 10.1017/s0263593300001309 . 84910707 . ResearchGate.
  33. Web site: A Late Devonian dipnoan, Pillararhynchus, from Gogo, Western Australia, and its relationships. ResearchGate. en. 2019-06-03.
  34. 2010. New holodontid lungfishes from the Upper Devonian Gogo Formation of Western Australia. Pp. 275-298 in: (eds): Morphology, Phylogeny and Paleobiogeography of Fossil Fishes. Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, München.
  35. Alice M. Clement & John A. Long . 2010 . Xeradipterus hatcheri, a new dipnoan from the Late Devonian (Frasnian) Gogo Formation, Western Australia, and other new holodontid material . . 30 . 3 . 681–695 . 10.1080/02724631003763482. 2010JVPal..30..681C . 83739846 .
  36. Glenister . Brian F. . Klapper . Gilbert . 1966 . Upper Devonian Conodonts from the Canning Basin, Western Australia . Journal of Paleontology . 40 . 4 . 777–842 . 1301879 . 0022-3360.
  37. Briggs. Derek E. G.. Rolfe. W. D. Ian. Butler. Piers D.. Liston. Jeff J.. Ingham. J. Keith. 2011-09-01. Phyllocarid crustaceans from the Upper Devonian Gogo Formation, Western Australia. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 9. 3. 399–424. 10.1080/14772019.2010.493050. 2011JSPal...9..399B . 84353143. 1477-2019.
  38. Web site: CATALOGUE OF TYPE FOSSILS IN THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM Western Australian Museum . 2023-07-05 . museum.wa.gov.au . en.
  39. Bicknell. Russell D. C.. Smith. Patrick M.. Poschmann. Markus. 2020-10-01. Re-evaluating evidence of Australian eurypterids. Gondwana Research. en. 86. 164–181. 10.1016/j.gr.2020.06.002. 2020GondR..86..164B. 225748023. 1342-937X.
  40. Trinajstic . Kate . Briggs . Derek E. G. . Long . John A. . 2021-11-23 . The Gogo Formation Lagerstätte: a view of Australia's first great barrier reef . Journal of the Geological Society . 179 . 1 . 10.1144/jgs2021-105 . 243284735 . 0016-7649. free .

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