Palynological Studies in the Lower Cretaceous Surat Basin, Australia

Australian Ocean Data Network hosts a palynological study of Aptian and Albian sediments from the Surat Basin in southeastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales. The work documents 38 genera and 72 species of spores, 18 genera and 21 species of pollen grains, and 35 genera and 60 species of dinoflagellates, proposing several new species. It outlines a system for classifying Australian fossil dinoflagellate cysts and uses statistical records to approach environmental reconstruction.

Use Cases

• Stratigraphic correlation based on defined spore and pollen zones (Osmundacidites dubius Zone, Crybelosporites striatus Zone, Coptospora paradoxa Zone).
• Taxonomic classification of microfossils based on the systematic study of dinoflagellates, spores, and pollen.
• Reconstructing past environments and palaeogeography based on analysis of proportional abundances of spore, pollen, dinoflagellate, and acritarch groups.
• Studying the early appearance of angiosperm pollen grains (e.g., Clavatipollenites hughesii) in the Albian sequence.

Strengths

• Documents a specific taxonomic inventory: 38 genera and 72 species of spores, 18 genera and 21 species of pollen grains, and 35 genera and 60 species of dinoflagellates.
• Proposes new species, including four new spore species and eight new fossil dinoflagellate species.
• Provides stratigraphic coverage of distinct Aptian and Albian zones for both spore/pollen and dinoflagellate sequences.

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/temporal bias inherent to data_gov_au.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Palynological analysis of marine and terrestrial sediment samples.

Time Range

Aptian to middle Albian age (Lower Cretaceous).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 05:38:51.547429; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Surat Basin, southeastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales, Australia.