Lower Carboniferous Spore Assemblages from the Bonaparte Gulf Basin, Australia

Well-preserved plant microfossil assemblages from Lower Carboniferous, Visean-age sediments in the Bonaparte Gulf Basin of Western Australia and Northern Territory. The data includes 55 recognized species distributed among 32 genera of trilete sporae dispersae, including one new genus, Exallospora. The palynological flora is dominated by the species Granulatisporites frustulentus, which accounts for 44-83 percent of the spore populations.

Use Cases

• Biostratigraphic correlation and age dating based on identified spore species and assemblages.
• Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of marine and marginal marine settings from microfossil composition.
• Taxonomic study of Carboniferous spores, including the analysis of the new genus Exallospora.
• Comparative analysis of pan-Australian versus northern hemisphere spore forms for paleobiogeography.

Strengths

• Well-preserved assemblages recovered from four boreholes, providing multiple sample points.
• Includes 55 recognized species distributed among 32 genera, offering taxonomic detail.
• Contains one newly instituted genus, Exallospora, for distally annulate cingulate forms.
• Dominant species Granulatisporites frustulentus is quantified, accounting for 44-83% of populations.

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 the specific boreholes in the Bonaparte Gulf Basin.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network via data_gov_au

Collection Method

Recovered from Lower Carboniferous sediments in four boreholes in the Bonaparte Gulf Basin.

Time Range

Lower Carboniferous, Visean age.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-16 08:54:32.483070; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Bonaparte Gulf Basin, Western Australia and Northern Territory, Australia.