Permian Brachiopod Species From Western Australian Basins

Australian Ocean Data Network hosts a fossil catalog detailing the brachiopod super-family Productacea in Permian faunas of Western Australia. The collection comprises over 3,000 specimens representing at least 34 species across genera like Aulosteges, Dictyoclostus, and Taeniothaerus. This record was last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyze species distribution across the Canning, Carnarvon, and Irwin Basins using location and species occurrence data.
• Study shell structure, musculature, and attachment scar features to infer taxonomic relationships and functional morphology.
• Compare species counts across genera like Aulosteges (7 species) and Dictyoclostus (3 species) for biodiversity assessments.
• Investigate the stratigraphic context using data on glacial sediments and over 12,000 feet of marine and non-marine sediment thickness.

Strengths

• Catalog of over 3,000 fossil specimens provides a substantial sample size.
• Documents at least 34 species across seven genera, offering taxonomic breadth.
• Covers three major geological basins spanning approximately 150,000 square miles of Western Australia.

Limitations

• Primary data format is PDF/HTML, requiring manual extraction for computational analysis.
• Specific columnar data structure, row counts, and individual specimen measurements are not provided.
• Taxonomic assignments include species of doubtful affinities, indicating some label uncertainty.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Study of a physical fossil collection, methodology described in associated publication.

Time Range

Permian period.

Freshness

Record metadata indicates an update in April 2026.

Geography

Western Australia, specifically the Canning Basin, Carnarvon Basin, and Irwin Basin.