Biomarker And Cryptospore Data From Middle Ordovician Australian Formation

Molecular biomarker and palynological data from the Middle Ordovician upper Goldwyer Formation provides evidence for the earliest land plants in Australia. The dataset includes distributions and isotopic compositions of n-alkanes, alongside cryptospore microfossil records. It was published by the Australian Ocean Data Network, with data presented at the 2016 Australian Organic Geochemistry Conference.

Use Cases

• Correlate cryptospore microfossil presence with n-alkane distributions to trace early non-vascular plant colonization.
• Analyze the isotopic composition of n-alkanes to distinguish terrestrial organic matter sources from aquatic macrophytes.
• Investigate the occurrence of retene in pre-Silurian rocks to challenge its exclusive association with gymnosperms.
• Use combined biomarker and palynology data to model the geographical distribution of early land plants in the Middle Ordovician.

Strengths

• Combines two distinct data types: molecular biomarker distributions and palynological microfossil evidence.
• Focuses on a critical but data-scarce period: the Middle Ordovician, prior to the Silurian appearance of vascular plants.

Limitations

• Sample size and row count are unknown, limiting statistical power.
• Data is presented in a PDF format, requiring extraction for computational analysis.
• Geographic coverage is limited to the Canning Basin and upper Goldwyer Formation in Australia.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Geochemical analysis of rock extracts for biomarkers combined with palynological preparation for microfossils.

Time Range

Middle Ordovician period

Freshness

null

Geography

Canning Basin, upper Goldwyer Formation, Australia