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

Fossil identifications and descriptions from the Kuta Formation, a limestone deposit in Papua New Guinea's Central Highlands. The collection includes conodonts, ammonites, bivalves, and brachiopods used to definitively date the formation as late Norian or Rhaetian (Late Triassic). This work was published by the Australian Ocean Data Network, with metadata last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Classify fossil specimens like the conodont *Misikella posthernsteini* or the ammonite *Arcestes (Arcestes) cf. sundaicus* to refine Late Triassic biostratigraphic zones.
• Analyze the geographic distribution of brachiopod genera such as *Clavigera*, *Zugmeyerella*, and *Sinucosta* to study Tethyan provincial faunal connections.
• Use the described fossil assemblage to correlate the Kuta Formation with other late Norian/Rhaetian deposits globally for regional stratigraphic interpretation.
• Study the taxonomic composition of the mollusc and brachiopod community to infer paleoecological conditions in the marine basin of Papua New Guinea.

Strengths

• Provides a definitive late Norian/Rhaetian age for the Kuta Formation, clarifying previously uncertain Permian to Permo-Triassic age estimates.
• Includes identified fossils with specific taxonomic names (e.g., *Misikella posthernsteini*, *Arcestes cf. sundaicus*) enabling precise biostratigraphic analysis.
• Documents fossils with both Tethyan provincial affinities and the unique *Clavigera* genus, previously known only from New Zealand and New Caledonia.

Limitations

• The underlying dataset of fossil specimens (e.g., row counts, measurement columns) is not provided; only descriptive text in report formats (PDF, HTML) is available.
• Sample size and completeness of the fossil collection are unknown, limiting statistical analysis of biodiversity or abundance.
• Temporal coverage is restricted to a specific late Triassic interval (late Norian/Rhaetian) from a single formation.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Fossil collection and taxonomic identification from outcrops of the Kuta Formation, likely for stratigraphic analysis.

Time Range

Late Triassic (late Norian or Rhaetian age).

Freshness

Metadata indicates a last update in April 2026, though the core fossil data is from a published study of an unspecified vintage.

Geography

Kuta Formation, on the flanks of the Kubor Anticline in the Central Highlands of Papua New Guinea.