Lower Carboniferous Ostracod Species from the Bonaparte Basin, Australia

Northwestern Australia's Bonaparte Basin provides Early Carboniferous ostracod fauna data. The dataset describes at least 29 species across 18 genera, including eight new species and an interim biostratigraphic scheme of eight assemblages. Geoscience Australia Data published this paleontological study, last updated in May 2026.

Use Cases

• Biostratigraphic correlation based on the succession of eight defined ostracod assemblages.
• Taxonomic analysis of Beyrichicopida and Kirkbyocopa based on descriptions of 29 species and 18 genera.
• Paleoecological inference based on the suggested Bairdiacea-Paraparchitacea ecozone indicating warm climatic conditions.
• Study of morphological evolution based on detailed SEM examination of reticulation patterns and cell-division during ecdysis.

Strengths

• Describes at least 29 species referable to 18 genera, providing a substantial taxonomic inventory.
• Includes eight newly described species with formal names.
• Presents an interim biostratigraphic scheme consisting of eight ostracod assemblages calibrated against conodont and foraminiferal zonations.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to data_gov_au, focusing on the Bonaparte Basin.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Time Range

Early Carboniferous (Tournaisian to Visean stages)

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-14 04:07:43.051399; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Bonaparte Basin, northwestern Australia; comparisons also made to Canning Basin, Western Europe, Russian Platform, Kazakhstan, and Tibet.