Tupuangi Formation facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tupuangi FormationStratigraphic range: Cenomanian-Turonian ~99–89Ma |
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Tupuangi Formation at Waihere bay, Pitt Island
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| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Waihere Bay Group |
| Sub-units | Kokowai Allomember, Waihere Allomember, Morgan's Hollow Allomember |
| Underlies | Kahuitara Tuff |
| Overlies | Unseen |
| Thickness | Not bounded, 430 m (1,410 ft) exposed onshore, possibly 700 m (2,300 ft) offshore |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Sandstone, siltstone |
| Other | Conglomerate |
| Location | |
| Region | Oceania |
| Country |  New Zealand |
| Extent | Pitt Island, Chatham Islands |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Tupuangi, Pitt Island |
| Location | Northern end of Waihere Bay |
| Coordinates | 44°15′32.8″S 176°14′57.1″W / 44.259111°S 176.249194°W |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 78°54′S 135°54′W / 78.9°S 135.9°W |
| Thickness at type section | ~400 m (1,300 ft) |
The Tupuangi Formation is a special type of rock layer found only on Pitt Island in New Zealand. This island is part of the Chatham Islands. It's the oldest rock layer we can see in this group of islands.
This rock layer formed a very long time ago, during the Late Cretaceous period. Back then, the Chatham Islands were connected to Antarctica. They were much further south, almost inside the Antarctic Circle. The rocks formed in areas like river deltas and coastal swamps.
Contents
What is the Tupuangi Formation Made Of?
The Tupuangi Formation is mostly made of different kinds of rock. At the bottom, you'll find a type of rock called conglomerate. This rock is made of many different sized pebbles and rocks cemented together.
As you go higher up in the rock layer, the rocks change. They become more like Sandstone and a darker rock called carbonaceous siltstone. Carbonaceous means it contains a lot of plant material.
Amazing Fossils Found Here
The Tupuangi Formation is famous for its many fossils. These fossils tell us a lot about what the world was like millions of years ago.
Ancient Plants and Trees
Scientists have found many types of plant fossils in these rocks. These include:
- Lots of different conifer trees, like those related to modern-day Araucariaceae, Podocarpaceae, and Cupressaceae.
- Other ancient trees like Ginkgo and Ginkgoites.
- Smaller plants such as mosses, ferns, liverworts, and lycopodians.
Fossilized Insects and More
It's not just plants! Scientists have also discovered fossilized insects. These include:
- Compression fossils of beetles, like those from the Carabidae and Buprestidae families.
- Tiny, single-celled organisms called acritarchs, like Introvertocystis.
Amber: Ancient Tree Sap
You can also find amber in the Tupuangi Formation. Amber is fossilized tree sap. The amber found here came from an ancient conifer tree called Protodammara reimatamoriori. This tree was a type of Cupressaceae.
