Late Triassic Marine Fossils from the Kuta Formation, Papua New Guinea

The Kuta Formation is the youngest known Triassic formation in Papua New Guinea, dated to the late Norian or Rhaetian period. Fossils identified include the conodont Misikella posthernsteini, the ammonite Arcestes cf. sundaicus, and several bivalves and brachiopods. The dataset, hosted by the Australian Ocean Data Network, provides taxonomic descriptions that clarify regional stratigraphy and show a Tethyan Provincial aspect for most species.

Use Cases

• Biostratigraphic dating and correlation based on described conodont, ammonite, and brachiopod assemblages.
• Paleobiogeographic analysis of Tethyan faunal provinces based on the described fossil taxa.
• Refining regional stratigraphic models for Papua New Guinea based on the formation's confirmed Late Triassic age.

Strengths

• Provides a definitive late Norian or Rhaetian (Late Triassic) age for the Kuta Formation, resolving previous conflicting age assignments.
• Includes specific fossil identifications, such as Misikella posthernsteini and Arcestes cf. sundaicus, with taxonomic references.
• Clarifies that marine Triassic sedimentation in Papua New Guinea likely continued uninterrupted from the Anisian to the Rhaetian.

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

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Fossil identification and description from limestone deposits in the Kubor Anticline.

Time Range

Late Triassic (late Norian to Rhaetian)

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 22:03:00.487250; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Kubor Anticline, Central Highlands, Papua New Guinea