The age of the formation is between 1474 and 1436 million years, and detrital zircon geochronology of its sediments provides clues for reconstruction the supercontinent, Rodinia.

The Yankee Joe Formation consists of 900 meters (3,000 ft) of argillaceous (clay-rich) sediments.

The middle member is 200 to 300 meters (500 to 1,000 ft) of tan to white mudstone with some silty shale.

The upper member is 100 to 500 meters (350 to 1,500 ft) of brown slate that grades upwards into quartz-rich arkose.

Detrital zircon age spectrums and isotope ratios from the formation support a reconstruction of the supercontinent, Rodinia, in which Australia was a source of sediments for southwestern Laurentia.