Takatika Grit

Takatika Grit
Stratigraphic range: Late Early to Mid Paleocene 63–60 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Type	Formation
Unit of	Tioriori Group
Sub-units	TaP1, TaP2, TaS1, TaS2
Underlies	Tutuiri Greensand
Overlies	Chatham Schist
Thickness	5.7 metres exposed
Lithology
Primary	Grit, sandstone
Location
Region	Chatham Islands (Chatham Island)
Country	New Zealand

The Takatika Grit is a geologic formation in Chatham Islands, New Zealand. It preserves fossils dating back to the Paleocene period, although it also preserves disturbed and re-worked Maastrichtian and Campanian microfossils and tetrapod fossils. A 2017 study found that it dated to late Early to Mid Paleocene on the basis of dinoflagellates. It has been subdivided into two informal units, a lower phosphatic unit containing bones and nodular phosphatic layers, and an upper unit with abundant sponge remains and siliceous microfossils.^[1]