Youngest Permian Marine Fossils from Eastern Australia's Bowen and Sydney Basins

12 genera and 13 species of marine invertebrate macrofauna are described from the upper Permian strata of eastern Australia. The fauna includes one newly recognized genus, Pseudonucula, and one new species, and is used to define three biostratigraphic zones. This dataset from Geoscience Australia provides evidence for a depositional hiatus and correlations between formations in the Bowen Basin.

Use Cases

• Biostratigraphic correlation based on the described Martiniopsis magna, pelicanensis, and havilensis zones.
• Analyzing faunal diversity trends based on the described low-diversity assemblage relative to older Permian faunas.
• Reconstructing paleoenvironments based on the described fauna reflecting restricted marine conditions at the end of the open sea.
• Studying taxonomic descriptions and comparisons based on the 12 genera and 13 species, including new taxa.

Strengths

• Includes taxonomic descriptions for 12 genera and 13 species, providing concrete paleontological data.
• Defines three distinct biostratigraphic zones (Martiniopsis magna, pelicanensis, havilensis) for regional correlation.
• Documents one newly recognized genus (Pseudonucula) and one new species.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic/temporal bias inherent to data_gov_au.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Scientific description and analysis of collected fossil specimens.

Time Range

Permian period, specifically younger than Kungurian but not younger than Kazanian.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-14 03:09:39.335171; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Bowen Basin and Sydney Basin, eastern Australia.