The Kuta Formation is a limestone deposit in Papua New Guinea's Central Highlands, positively dated as late Norian or Rhaetian (Late Triassic). Fossils identified include the conodont Misikella posthernsteini, the ammonite Arcestes cf. sundaicus, bivalves, and brachiopods like Clavigera. This assemblage, hosted by the Australian Ocean Data Network, establishes the formation as the youngest known Triassic formation in the region.
Use Cases
- Dating Late Triassic marine strata based on described conodont, ammonite, and brachiopod fossils.
- Studying Tethyan provincial biogeography based on the described fossil assemblage with a Tethyan aspect.
- Analyzing the paleogeographic distribution of the brachiopod genus Clavigera, previously known only from New Zealand and New Caledonia.
- Reconstructing marine sedimentation history in Papua New Guinea from the Middle Triassic (Anisian) to the Late Triassic (Rhaetian).
Strengths
- Provides a definitive late Norian or Rhaetian (Late Triassic) age for the Kuta Formation, resolving previous dating uncertainties.
- Describes specific, identified fossils including Misikella posthernsteini and Arcestes cf. sundaicus, which are important for biostratigraphy.
- Highlights the biogeographic significance of the brachiopod Clavigera, extending its known range to Papua New Guinea.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Data is presented in HTML and PDF formats, which may require extraction for quantitative analysis.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Fossil identification and description from geological fieldwork.
- Time Range
- Late Triassic (late Norian to Rhaetian)
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-06-23 00:27:07.756130; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Kuta Formation, Kubor Anticline, Central Highlands, Papua New Guinea