Oligocene-Miocene Pollen and Spore Assemblages from Oakvale-1 Corehole

Palynological analysis of the marine Oligocene-Miocene sequence from the Oakvale-1 corehole in the western Murray Basin, South Australia. The study documents diverse and well-preserved assemblages of spores, pollen, and dinoflagellate cysts, providing fossil records for numerous extant Australian taxa. Research was published by the Australian Ocean Data Network, with metadata last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyze pollen frequency data for taxa like Nothofagus, Myrtaceae, and Podocarpaceae to reconstruct paleovegetation and climate.
• Use the quantitative zonation based on major pollen taxa frequencies to establish a local biostratigraphic framework for the Murray Basin.
• Study the presence and absence of specific dinoflagellate cysts, such as the Spiniferites ramosus complex and peridinioid forms, for paleoenvironmental and correlative analysis.
• Investigate the record of first appearances, like Acacia and Gyrostemonaceae pollen in the late Oligocene, for understanding plant evolution and biogeography.
• Examine the occurrence of recycled Permian and early Cretaceous spores to understand sediment provenance and reworking processes.

Strengths

• Diverse and well-preserved palynological assemblages documented throughout the core sequence.
• Quantitative zonation statistically calculated, enabling division into two major zones and four sub-zones.
• Provides first Australian fossil records for pollen of Utricularia and Gardenia.
• Clear temporal coverage focused on the Oligocene-Miocene boundary.

Limitations

• Underlying raw count or measurement data tables are not explicitly available, only described in narrative form.
• Geographic scope is limited to a single corehole (Oakvale-1) in the western Murray Basin.
• Primary data is presented in PDF/HTML formats, which may require extraction for computational analysis.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network (AODN).

Collection Method

Palynological analysis (microscopic identification and counting) of core samples from the Oakvale-1 corehole.

Time Range

Oligocene to Miocene geological epochs.

Freshness

Metadata record indicates an update in 2026, though the original study publication date is unknown.

Geography

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