Fossil Assemblages from Vening Meinesz Seamounts

Biostratigraphy data from eight dredge hauls collected during BMR cruise 107 on seamounts south of Christmas Island. The dataset contains calcareous nannofossils, foraminiferids, and macrofossils with ages ranging from Late Cretaceous to Holocene. It was published by the Australian Ocean Data Network and last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Dating seamount volcanic activity using fossil assemblage ages like Late Cretaceous rudists and Inoceramus.
• Reconstructing paleobathymetry by analyzing depth indicators such as shallow-water benthic foraminiferids in Eocene samples.
• Investigating paleoclimate through evidence of subtropical water temperatures in late Early to Middle Eocene assemblages.
• Modeling sediment transport processes by studying mixed-age samples indicative of debris flows.
• Tracking tectonic plate movement via latitudinal shifts inferred from warm-water fossils in now-temperate regions.

Strengths

• Covers a long temporal range from Late Cretaceous to Holocene.
• Includes multiple fossil groups: calcareous nannofossils, foraminiferids, and macrofossils.
• Samples collected from eight distinct dredge hauls across several seamounts.

Limitations

• Sample size is limited to eight dredge hauls.
• Many samples are mixtures of different ages, complicating direct interpretation.
• Data is presented in PDF/HTML reports, not a structured, machine-readable table.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Samples collected from eight dredge hauls during BMR cruise 107.

Time Range

Late Cretaceous to Holocene.

Freshness

null

Geography

Vening Meinesz seamounts chain, south of Christmas Island, northeastern Indian Ocean.