Umfolozia Savage, 1971


DESCRIPTION: Repetition of five pairs of opposite, evenly spaced arcuate transverse tracks. The tracks can be transverse or oblique. They generally are arcuate, the convex side facing in the direction along the trackway from which the widths of the natural cycles taper. Chevron patterns may occur on the trailing edge of the footprints and point to the direction of travel. A median drag line is sometimes present and may be divided into two closely placed parallel lines. These drag lines may each deform the adjacent sediment to produce a chevron pattern along the length that point the direction in which the widths of the natural track cycles increase and to which the individual tracks are curved.

BEHAVIOR(S): Locomotion

ENVIRONMENTAL SETTINGS: Glacial deposits in fresh water and nearby saline marginal marine non-glacial deposits

POSSIBLE TRACEMAKERS: Arthropods

GEOLOGIC RANGE: Permian

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES: Savage, 1970; McLachlan, 1973; McLachlan and Anderson, 1973; Anderson, 1981

REMARKS: There is clear a difference between the Umfolozia populations found in the glacial deposits and those found in the overlying non-glacial deposits (Anderson, 1981). U. sinuosa is found in the glacial deposits, U. longula in the non-glacial deposits.