Palynology of Cenomanian Marine Sediments from Bathurst Island Wells

104 dinoflagellate cyst and 16 acritarch species were differentiated from samples taken from 20 cores drilled in two wells on Bathurst Island, Australia. The data, presented in a bulletin, includes descriptions of 40 spore and 23 pollen species, with eight new dinoflagellate cyst species and two new genera proposed. The samples are from Cenomanian to possibly lower Turonian age marine sediments.

Use Cases

• Reconstructing ancient temperate vegetation based on described spore and pollen grains.
• Stratigraphic correlation of Cenomanian marine sequences using the defined dinoflagellate zones.
• Taxonomic study of Cretaceous microplankton based on the 104 dinoflagellate cyst species.

Strengths

• Data is derived from 20 continuously cored samples from two wells drilled to over 300 meters.
• Includes taxonomic work on 104 dinoflagellate cyst and 16 acritarch species, varieties, and species groups.
• Systematic study documents 40 spore species and 23 pollen species, proposing new genera and species.

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 data_gov_au, focusing on a single island location.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Palynological study of core samples from two drilled wells.

Time Range

Cenomanian to possibly lower Turonian age (Cretaceous period).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-23 01:13:54.281528; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Bathurst Island, Northern Territory, Australia.