The Kuta Formation is a limestone deposit dated as late Norian or Rhaetian, making it the youngest known Triassic formation in Papua New Guinea. Fossils identified include the conodont Misikella posthernsteini, the ammonite Arcestes cf. sundaicus, and bivalves. The data was published by Geoscience Australia Data and last updated on 2026-05-14.
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 stratigraphy of the Kubor Anticline in Papua New Guinea based on the formation's dating.
- Researching the paleobiogeographic connections of the brachiopod Clavigera, previously known only from New Zealand and New Caledonia.
Strengths
- Provides a positive late Norian or Rhaetian (Late Triassic) age for the Kuta Formation.
- Identifies specific index fossils including Misikella posthernsteini and Arcestes cf. sundaicus.
- Clarifies that marine Triassic sedimentation in Papua New Guinea likely continued uninterrupted from Anisian to Rhaetian time.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Data is provided as PDF and HTML files, which may require extraction for computational analysis.
Provenance
- Source
- Geoscience Australia Data
- Time Range
- Late Triassic (late Norian to Rhaetian)
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-05-14 04:42:17.203711; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Kubor Anticline, Central Highlands, Papua New Guinea