Ordovician Biomarker and Microfossil Data from the Canning Basin

Middle Ordovician data from four boreholes in the Goldwyer Formation, Canning Basin, Western Australia. The dataset integrates palynological, petrographic, molecular, and stable isotopic analyses to determine depositional environments and microbial diversity. It was published in a 2017 study by researchers including Gemma Spaak and Kliti Grice.

Use Cases

• Analyze correlations between lipid biomarker assemblages (e.g., 3-methylhopane indices) and redox conditions across different geological units.
• Study the distribution of specific organisms like Gloeocapsomorpha prisca and its associated δ13C-depleted biomarkers to infer ecological relationships with methanotrophs.
• Map the temporal and lateral variation of cryptospores and terrestrial biomarkers (e.g., benzonaphthofurans) to understand early land plant evolution in the Middle Ordovician.
• Compare acritarch, chitinozoan, conodont, and graptolite presence data between lower and upper Goldwyer Formation units to assess marine biodiversity changes.

Strengths

• Multi-disciplinary data integrating palynological, petrographic, molecular, and stable isotopic analyses from four distinct boreholes.
• Includes the oldest identified record of cryptospores from land plants in Australian Middle Ordovician strata.

Limitations

• Sample size is limited to cores from four boreholes in a single basin, restricting geographical generalizability.
• Data is derived from a specific 2017 study, and the underlying raw measurement files or row counts are not provided.

Provenance

Source

Study published in 'Global and Planetary Change', Volume 159, 2017, by authors including Gemma Spaak and Kliti Grice.

Collection Method

Multi-disciplinary analysis of rock core samples from four boreholes intersecting the Goldwyer Formation.

Time Range

Middle Ordovician period.

Freshness

null

Geography

Canning Basin, Western Australia.