Mesozoic Bivalvia Fossils from Northwest Australian Canyons

Northwest Australian continental slope rock samples contain macrofaunas, mainly bivalves, of warm shallow-water origin. Four sets of samples from Clerke and Mermaid Canyons in 3625-4480 m water depth include species indicating Early Jurassic and Norian-Rhaetian ages. The data is provided by the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Use Cases

• Classifying bivalve species based on described morphological features from the rock samples.
• Dating geological strata based on the presence of index fossils like Pseudopecten (Pseudopecten) dugong n.sp.
• Analyzing paleobiogeographic relationships between the Australian slope and Tethyan/southeast Asian regions based on described faunal assemblages.
• Studying the depositional environment of oolitic calcarenite based on the described sample composition.

Strengths

• Samples are from specific geographic coordinates (e.g., 16° 19'S, 118° 23'E) and precise water depths (3625-4480 m).
• Includes taxonomic descriptions with age indicators (Early Jurassic, Norian-Rhaetian) and biogeographic relationships (Tethyan, southeast Asian).
• Data source is the authoritative Australian Ocean Data Network.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Freshness should be verified; last updated 2026-06-27 19:32:46.625365.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Rock samples collected from two submarine canyons.

Time Range

Mesozoic Era (specifically Early Jurassic and Norian-Rhaetian periods).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 19:32:46.625365; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Clerke and Mermaid Canyons, northwest Australian continental slope.