Indo-Pacific Biostratigraphy for the Oligocene-Miocene Transition

Nannofossil and planktic foraminiferal evidence from three marginal-marine sections in the Indo-Pacific region challenges the timing of the Oligocene-Miocene boundary. The dataset suggests the planktic foraminiferal zones N.3 and N.4 should be combined, as the first appearance of Globigerinoides quadrilobatus primordius is depth-dependent and occurs earlier in shallow settings. It proposes a buffer zone between the extinction of Sphenolithus ciperoensis and the appearance of Sphenolithus belemnos to account for transitional biostratigraphic events.

Use Cases

• Refining planktic foraminiferal zonation (N.3/N.4) based on the lowest occurrence of Globigerinoides quadrilobatus primordius.
• Correlating shallow marginal-marine and deep oceanic sediment sections across the Oligocene-Miocene transition.
• Investigating bathymetric controls on microfossil datum events as suggested by depth-related appearance differences.
• Calibrating the Oligocene-Miocene boundary using proposed buffer zones between nannofossil datums.

Strengths

• Analysis is based on evidence from three specific marginal-marine sections within the Indo-Pacific region.
• Cross-references published data to validate observed overlaps of species like Globorotalia opima opima.
• Dataset is associated with Geoscience Australia, a national geological survey organization.

Limitations

• Key metadata is missing: row count, column names, file size, and specific license are all listed as 'unknown' or 'None'.
• The description is a single, dense scientific abstract, suggesting the underlying data tables or measurements are not directly described.
• Conflicting update dates (2026-04-20 and 2026-03-07) on the same platform indicate potential metadata inconsistency.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia

Collection Method

Likely contains biostratigraphic measurements and fossil occurrence data from field sections and literature review.

Time Range

Late Oligocene to Early Miocene

Freshness

2026-04-20 02:24:33.939314

Geography

Indo-Pacific region