Fossil Trackways
The Karoo Supergroup is an important geological formation that encompasses several Karoo towns and its surroundings. The Beaufort Group, one of the five geological groups of the Supergroup, comprises the Teekloof Formation. This formation is part of the uppermost formations and consists of Middle to Late Permian-aged deposits and four biozones.
For those who are not familiar with geological terms, the town of Fraserburg is situated in an area with geological importance, meaning the ground gets studied and analysed for scientific purposes. The Teekloof Formation is rich in fossil material and is particularly renowned for its diverse therapsid fossil fauna (dinosaur remains) which can be found near Fraserburg in the form of fossil trackways.
The Geological Society of South Africa has done extensive research in the Fraserburg area, and found that the ground gives us a glimpse into the life and environment of the Karoo some 250 million years ago. A lowland floodplain and meandering rivers used to be part of the Karoo ecosystem, but as it dried it left sediment with various plant and animal remains coming to the surface.
If you find yourself in Fraserburg, you can visit various sites to see exposed rock formations and fossil trackways.