Lower Carboniferous Fossil Spores from Bonaparte Gulf Basin Boreholes

55 species of plant microfossils, including one new genus Exallospora, were identified from Lower Carboniferous sediments in Western Australia and Northern Territory. The palynological flora is dominated by Granulatisporites frustulentus, accounting for 44-83 percent of the spore populations. This dataset, sourced from the Australian Ocean Data Network, represents well-preserved assemblages recovered from four boreholes in the Bonaparte Gulf Basin.

Use Cases

• Biostratigraphic correlation based on the identified 55 species of plant microfossils.
• Paleoenvironmental analysis based on marine sediment origins and lithostratigraphic units.
• Taxonomic study of trilete sporae dispersae, including the new genus Exallospora.
• Age confirmation of Visean sediments based on spore forms similar to northern hemisphere species.

Strengths

• Well-preserved assemblages of plant microfossils recovered from four boreholes.
• 55 species of plant microfossils distributed among 32 genera are recognized.
• One new genus, Exallospora, is instituted for distally annulate cingulate forms.

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 a specific basin.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Recovered from Lower Carboniferous sediments in four boreholes.

Time Range

Lower Carboniferous, Visean age.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-05 00:51:59.155854; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Bonaparte Gulf Basin, Western Australia and Northern Territory.