An Upper Jurassic outlier in the Pyke Valley, North-West Otago, and a note on Upper Jurassic belemnites in the South Island

Abstract

Upper Jurassic sediments are preserved in a narrow infaulted outlier extending north-eastwards from the Barrier River, and to the west of the Livingstone Fault. Belemnopsis of the aucklandica (Hochstetter) group, probably of Puaroan age, is recorded from these sediments exposed in the Barrier River. The distribution of Upper Jurassic belemnites in the South Island is discussed, and four new occurrences from North Canterbury are recorded: Belemnopsis sp. indet. and Hibolithes aff brownei (Marshall) from the Hurunui River; Belemnopsis aucklandica from the Okuku River; and Belemnopsis ex gr. aucklandica from Gorge Stream, a tributary of the Waiau River.