Oligocene-Miocene Fossil Pollen and Dinoflagellate Data from Oakvale-1 Corehole

Palynological analysis of the Oakvale-1 corehole in the western Murray Basin shows diverse and well-preserved assemblages of spores, pollen, and dinoflagellates throughout the marine Oligocene-Miocene sequence. Pollen of Nothofagus is present throughout, with Nothofagidites emarcidus the most common form, and Myrtaceous pollen is abundant. The site provides good fossil records for extant Australian taxa like Acacia pollen from the late Oligocene and the first Australian fossil record for pollen of Utricularia and Gardenia.

Use Cases

• Reconstructing paleovegetation and climate based on pollen assemblage composition described.
• Studying biostratigraphic zonation based on the statistically calculated quantitative zonation for the corehole sequence.
• Analyzing marine environmental conditions based on dinoflagellate cyst assemblages dominated by the Spiniferites ramosus complex.
• Tracking the evolution and diversity of specific plant families like Myrtaceae, Podocarpaceae, and Cyperaceae based on their pollen frequencies.
• Investigating the persistence and absence of certain microfossil groups, such as peridinioid dinoflagellates, in the late Oligocene of this region.

Strengths

• Diverse and well-preserved assemblages of spores, pollen, and dinoflagellates are reported throughout the sequence.
• Provides fossil records for multiple extant Australian taxa and first Australian records for Utricularia and Gardenia pollen.
• A quantitative zonation based on frequencies of major pollen taxa has been statistically calculated, enabling division into zones and sub-zones.

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 a single corehole location.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Palynological analysis of a geological corehole.

Time Range

Oligocene-Miocene, with specific late Oligocene intervals mentioned.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-16 14:58:20.216205; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Oakvale-1 corehole, western Murray Basin, South Australia.