Middle Ordovician Conodont and Fish Fossils from the Stairway Sandstone

Australian Ocean Data Network hosts a dataset on the Middle Ordovician Stairway Sandstone, a siliciclastic shallow marine unit in the Amadeus Basin. The dataset includes information on early arandaspid fish fossils and conodonts from a field sample, used for high-resolution biozonation correlation. The dataset was last updated on 2026-06-05.

Use Cases

• Correlating rock units based on conodont biozonation schemes mentioned in the description.
• Studying early vertebrate (arandaspid fish) fossil distribution in the Middle Ordovician.
• Assessing hydrocarbon reservoir potential for the Larapinta Petroleum System as noted in the description.

Strengths

• Data is associated with well-preserved micro-vertebrate and conodont fossils enabling high-resolution correlation.
• Dataset is hosted by an authoritative organization, the Australian Ocean Data Network.
• The description provides specific stratigraphic context, positioning the unit between the Horn Valley and Stokes Siltstones.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The unit has not been directly dated, relying on fossil correlation for age.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Field sample collection from the uppermost Stairway Sandstone.

Time Range

Middle Ordovician period.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-05 07:40:34.928178; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Amadeus Basin, Australia.