Late Triassic Kuta Formation Fossils from Papua New Guinea

The dataset documents Late Triassic (Norian to Rhaetian) fossils from the Kuta Formation in Papua New Guinea. It includes identified specimens of conodonts, ammonites, bivalves, and brachiopods, which are used for stratigraphic dating and paleogeographic analysis.

Use Cases

• Analyze the distribution of Tethyan Provincial fossils like the conodont Misikella posthernsteini versus the Gondwanan brachiopod Clavigera for paleobiogeographic studies.
• Use the ammonite Arcestes cf. sundaicus and brachiopod genera like Zugmeyerella and Sinucosta for precise late Norian to Rhaetian age dating of marine sequences.
• Correlate the fossil assemblage, including bivalves and brachiopods such as Robinsonella and ?Hagabirhynchia, to establish uninterrupted Triassic sedimentation records in the region.

Strengths

• Provides definitive late Norian to Rhaetian (Late Triassic) age dating for the Kuta Formation, resolving previous age uncertainties.
• Includes multiple fossil groups (conodonts, molluscs, brachiopods) for cross-verification in stratigraphic interpretation.
• Contains biogeographically significant data, noting a Tethyan Provincial aspect for most fossils and a Gondwanan link for Clavigera.

Limitations

• Sample data and structured columns (e.g., specimen counts, measurements) are unavailable, limiting quantitative analysis.
• Primary data is presented in narrative PDF/HTML formats, not in a machine-readable tabular structure.
• The dataset's scope is geographically specific to the Kubor Anticline in Papua New Guinea.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

null

Time Range

Late Triassic (Norian to Rhaetian)

Freshness

null

Geography

Kubor Anticline, Central Highlands, Papua New Guinea