The Cape Supergroup
The Cape Supergroup forms its base at the Malmesbury Group of sedimentary rocks which formed about 600 million years ago in a chain of shallow basins along the South-West coast. 50 million years later, these sediments were intruded by the Cape Granites.
Then, thousands of years after that, the partially eroded Cape Granites were covered by a series of shales and sandstones. This whole mess was subsequently crumpled and bent into the epic, twisted beauty of the Cape Fold Mountains. As a final flourish, the uppermost layer of the Cape Supergroup was the Table Mountain Group, a cap of grey sandstone made famous by the eponymous mountain and neighbouring cliffs of the Cape Peninsula.
Shortly after the formation of the Cape Supergroup, 500 million years ago, crustaceans start to appear on the fossil record. They are followed by the first evidence of coral reefs and land plants, then by shells and fish skeletons. The first reptiles appeared about 300 million years ago.
By David Fleminger