Gracilitheca and Nephrotheca (Hyolitha,Orthothecida) in the Cambrian of the Barrandian area,Czech Republic

VALENT, M., FATKA, O. & MAREK, L., iFirst article. Gracilitheca and Nephrotheca (Hyolitha, Orthothecida) in the Cambrian of the Barrandian area, Czech Republic. Alcheringa, 1–10. ISSN 0311-5518.

Five orthothecid hyoliths, Gracilitheca mirabilis sp. nov., Gracilitheca triangularis sp. nov., Gracilitheca sp., Nephrotheca betula sp. nov. and Nephrotheca sp. are described from the ‘middle’ Cambrian Buchava Formation of the Skryje–Tý?ovice Basin in the Czech Republic. The new forms are based on about forty well-preserved external and internal moulds of conchs; opercula of all species remain unknown. Stratigraphic ranges and geographic distributions within the Skryje Tý?ovice Basin are established for all taxa.     

Fauna and biostratigraphy of the Cambrian (Series 2, Stage 4; Ordian) Tempe Formation (Pertaoorrta Group), Amadeus Basin,Northern Territory

A new faunal assemblage is reported from the Tempe Formation (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 4; Ordian) retrieved from the Hermannsburg 41 drillcore, Amadeus Basin, central Australia. Two trilobite taxa, including one new species Gunnia fava sp. nov., four brachiopod taxa, including the age-diagnostic Karathele napuru (Kruse), Kostjubella djagoran (Kruse) and Micromitra nerranubawu Kruse, together with a bradoriid, helcionellids, hyoliths, echinoderms, chancelloriids, sponges and problematic tubes are described. The fauna has close links to those of the neighbouring Daly, Georgina and Wiso basins and suggests that the Tempe Formation correlates with the Australian Ordian stage (either the Redlichia forresti or Xystridura negrina assemblage zones). The Giles Creek Dolostone in the eastern Amadeus Basin, previously regarded as coeval with the Tempe Formation, has recently been reported to be of early Templetonian age in its type section. The described taxa from the Tempe Formation confirm that these two sedimentary units are not contemporaneous and that regional stratigraphic schemes should be amended.     

Investigation of ancient noodles,cakes, and millet at the Subeixi Site,Xinjiang, China

Ancient foodstuffs, including noodles, cakes, and common millet, were excavated from the Subeixi Cemeteries (cal. 500–300 years BC), Turpan District in Xinjiang, China. Starch grain and phytolith analyses were undertaken to identify the plant species involved. These indicate that the noodles and cakes were made from Panicum miliaceum. Ancient food preparation technologies were also investigated by cooking experiments.     

The early bivalve radiation in the Ordovician Gondwanan basins of Argentina

The Ordovician diversification is marked by an increase in both marine diversity and ecospace occupation. Bivalves, like other groups, underwent a remarkable diversification in the Early Ordovician. The early phases of such a bivalve diversification took place in the Gondwanan basins of western Argentina. In the Northwestern Argentina (NWA) Basin, three clades originated during late Tremadocian–Floian times. In the Floian successions of the Famatina Basin, a probable basal arcoid is recorded. Genera from these two basins belong to 13 families. Phylogenetic analysis of the NWA heteroconchian bivalves indicates that redoniids and coxiconchinids may have originated during this radiation event. This taxonomic radiation also implies an ecological diversification. Ten guilds are recognized on the basis of bauplan, mode of life, and feeding types. Lifestyles included free endofaunal, free semi-endofaunal, semi-endobyssate, and epibyssate; feeding types included suspensivorous and detritivorous habits. Physiological changes imposed by colonization of low-salinity environments also account for guild definitions. Recent discoveries of Tremadoc to early Darriwilian bivalves from the NWA and Famatina basins indicate that the dominance of higher groups (e.g. Heteroconchia, Pteriomorphia) deviates from the patterns evident in other Gondwanan basins. This agrees with previous ideas supporting the importance of local radiations during the Ordovician diversification. Two new taxa are described, Eoredonia orientalis gen. et sp. nov. and Babinka notica sp. nov., and Coxiconchia sellaensis Sánchez & Babin is first reported from the NWA Basin.     

Biostratigraphic potential of Middle Cambrian hyoliths from the eastern Georgina Basin

Fourteen hyolith taxa are documented from the Middle Cambrian (Templetonian to Floran) of the eastern (Queensland) portion of the Georgina Basin, Australia, as a contribution toward a prospective Australian Cambrian hyolith biozonation. The described fauna is from the Beetle Creek Formation (including Monastery Creek Phosphorite Member) and Gowers Formation. Additionally, the enigmatic Cupittheca and some indeterminate hyoliths are figured to illustrate aspects of hyolith morphology. Guduguwan hardmani, widespread in Ordian-early Templetonian strata of northern Australia, is here recorded from the early Templetonian of the eastern Georgina Basin. A new family Gakidae is established for sulcavitide hyolithomorphs with a conch of pentagonally tabernacular transverse section, to include Gaka, Kalkatungu gen. nov. and possibly Dorsolinevitus. New genera are the hyolithid Yalarrnga mara gen. et sp. nov., sulcavitid Kulangarra kutjurru gen. et sp. nov., gakid Kalkatungu murlu gen. et sp. nov. and angusticornid Yuku tjurtu gen. et sp. nov.; new species are Loculitheca kunka sp. nov., Carinolithes tjikilirri sp. nov., ?Sololites kankari sp. nov., ?Shandongolithes thakal sp. nov., ?Gerkella thuka sp. nov. and ?Yacutolituus rakatju sp. nov. Taxa in open nomenclature are Foersteotheca cf. dubecensis, ?Holmitheca sp. and ?Dorsojugatus sp. On present knowledge, the potential for an Australian Cambrian hyolith biozonation is limited in the Early Cambrian, but for the Middle Cambrian, G. hardmani is a widespread Ordian-early Templetonian indicator, while hyolith distribution in the Monastery Creek Phosphorite Member suggests a faunal turnover at or about the incoming of Acidusus atavus which may provide a basis for biozonation in the Floran stage.     

Pennsylvanian (Carboniferous) brachiopods from the Itaituba Formation of the Amazon Basin,Brazil

A new brachiopod fauna is described from the lower Itaituba Formation at the Caima Quarry 2 section in the Itaituba area, Amazon Basin, Brazil. The Amazonoproductus amazonensis-Anthracospirifer oliveirai Assemblage is proposed for this fauna, which is considered early Pennsylvanian (Morrowan) as constrained by associated conodont and fusulinacean faunas. Nine brachiopod taxa are described herein, including Amazonoproductus amazonensis gen. et sp. nov., and Buxtonioides itaitubensis sp. nov. and Linoproductus caima sp. nov. The new tribe Marginovatini of the Linoproductoidea (the Productida) is also proposed.     

Late Carboniferous marine invertebrate zones of eastern Australia

Brachiopods of the Marginirugus barringtonensis and Levispustula levis Zones comprise the youngest of three major Carboniferous biostratigraphic units in eastern Australia. The remarkable change in the composition of marine invertebrates between the second and third of these units, a transition that only two brachiopod species are known to survive, has been attributed to the isolation of eastern Australia and to a drop in temperature. The Marginirugus barringtonensis and Levipustula levis Zones are redefined from reference sections in the Myall region, N.S.W.; the L. levis Zone now includes the Syringothyris bifida Zone of Campbell (1961). Faunal sequences show that these two zones are closely related and that there is no hiatus between them, as formerly proposed by McKellar (1965). Conodonts identified by Mr. D. Crane indicate a late Viséan to early Namurian age for the Marginirugus barringtonensis Zone, and an age of early Namurian for the base of the Levipustula levis Zone; brachiopod evidence indicates that the L. levis Zone extends into the Westphalian. The younger Auriculispina levis Zone from the Yarrol Basin may be coeval with the Trigonotreta campbelli Zone from N.S.W. Faunas from both the L. levis and A. levis Zones are present in Argentina and many species from the L. levis Zone have affinities with forms from the Baikal region, U.S.S.R. Correlations based on the zones have eliminated the need for a hiatus between the Branch Creek and Baywulla Formations in the Yarrol Basin.

Taxa described from the Marginirugus barringtonensis and Levipustula levis Zones in the Myall region include Yagonia gibberensis Roberts gen. et sp. nov., Bulahdelia myallensis Roberts gen. et sp. nov., Alispirifer yagonensis Thompson sp. nov., A. alatus Thompson sp. nov., Licharewia bootiensis Thompson sp. nov., Spirifer pristinus (Maxwell), Spiriferi sp., Neospirifer campbelli Maxwell and N. senilis Maxwell.     

Vegetation,land, and wood use at the sites of Bat and Al‐Khashbah in Oman (fourth–third millennium BC)

About 4200 charcoal fragments have been identified from the fourth‐ to third‐millennium BC archaeological sites of Bat and Al‐Khashbah in order to gain an understanding of plant resources available at the sites. Acacia sp., Ziziphus sp., and Tamarix sp. were the main taxa identified at both sites and indicate a similar vegetation composition as today. Phoenix sp. (date palm) charcoal also has been found at both sites. Whereas the cultivation of date palm for the 2700–2300 BC layers from Bat was likely, given other circumstantial evidence (i.e. local cereal cultivation and floodwater irrigation), it is unclear whether date palm was cultivated at Al‐Khashbah. Especially for the older periods (3300–2700 BC) it is possible that nomadic pastoralists were exploiting and/or managing wild date palms. The find of Avicennia marina at Al‐Khashbah indicates long‐distance contacts with the coast.     

Middle Ordovician (early Dapingian) conodonts in the Central Andean Basin of NW Argentina

Carlorosi, J., Heredia, S. & Aceñolaza, G, 2013. Middle Ordovician (early Dapingian) conodonts in the Central Andean Basin of NW Argentina. Alcheringa 37, 1–13. ISSN 0311-5518.

This paper describes and analyzes the significance of a conodont fauna from the Alto del Cóndor Formation, exposed in the Los Colorados region of the Argentine Eastern Cordillera. Identified taxa are Baltoniodus triangularis, Baltoniodus sp. cf. B. triangularis, Drepanodus sp., Drepanoistodus basiovalis, Drepanoistodus sp. B., Erraticodon patu, Gothodus costulatus, Oistodus sp., Trapezognathus diprion, T. quadrangulum, Triangulodus sp. and Triangulodus? sp. The presence of Baltoniodus triangularis indicates the base of the Dapingian stage (Middle Ordovician). In addition, we report the coexistence of T. diprion and T. quadrangulum. The conodont association suggests a faunal affinity with Baltica and South China, both belonging to the Shallow-Sea Realm of the Temperate-Cold Domain.

Josefina Carlorosi [josefinacarlorosi77@gmail]com], INSUGEO—Universidad Nacional de Tucumán—CONICET, Miguel Lillo 205, (4000) Tucumán, Argentina; Guillermo F. Aceñolaza [acecha@webmail.unt.edu.ar], Universidad Nacional de Tucumán—CONICET, Miguel Lillo 205, (4000) Tucumán, Argentina; Susana Heredia [sheredia@unsj.edu.ar], CONICET–CIGEOBIO and Instituto de Investigaciones Mineras, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Urquiza y Libertador, (5400) San Juan, Argentina. Received 22.8.2012; revised 18.10.2012; accepted 24.10.12.     

Lepidopteris callipteroides,an earliest Triassic seed fern of the Sydney Basin,southeastern Australia

Earliest Triassic shales in the Coal Cliff Sandstone, Caley Formation, Widden Brook Conglomerate and Dooralong Shale (all basal Narrabeen Group) of the Sydney Basin contain a low diversity fossil flora that survived the greatest mass extinction of all time at the Permian-Triassic boundary. Only one species of seed fern is known from this flora and its affinities were unclear until discovery of its reproductive organs and complete large leaves. An ovuliferous reproductive organ, Peltaspermum townrovii sp. nov., can be attributed to the same plant as the leaves because of their identical stomatal apparatus, which is cyclocytic with papillae overhanging the stomatal pit. Polleniferous organs, Permotheca helbyi sp. nov., may have belonged to the same plant, but are only linked by evidence of association on the same bedding plane yielding no other gymnosperms. Pollen masses found within the polleniferous organ include grains identified as Falcisporites australis (de Jersey) Stevens (1981) when found dispersed. The leaves of this plant have long been enigmatic and attributed to ‘Thinnfeldia’ callipteroides or ‘Dicroidium’ callipteroides; however, these genera had very different cuticular structure. Reassessment of the frond architecture of this plant, based on a large, nearcomplete specimen together with information from cuticles and ovuliferous organs, allows reassignment to Lepidopteris callipteroides (Carpentier) comb. nov. The remarkable cuticle thickness, small stomatal size and low stomatal index of these leaves reflect a time of unusually high atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide. This plant was an invader of the Sydney Basin from northern Gondwana, spreading southward during the post-apocalyptic earliest Triassic greenhouse.     

Shelly fauna from the Cambrian (Miaolingian,Guzhangian) Shannon Formation and the SPICE event in the Amadeus Basin,Northern Territory

Smith, P.M., Brock, G.A. & Paterson J.R. 20 September 2019. Shelly fauna from the Cambrian (Miaolingian, Guzhangian) Shannon Formation and the SPICE event in the Amadeus Basin, Northern Territory. Alcheringa 44, 1–24. ISSN 0311-5518

A low-diversity assemblage of linguliformean brachiopods, hyoliths, molluscs, bradoriid arthropods and echinoderms (ten taxa in total) is documented from the upper Shannon Formation (Cambrian, Miaolingian, Guzhangian; Mindyallan) in the Ross River Syncline and Todd River Anticline area, NE Amadeus Basin, central Australia. Taxa described include: the linguliformean brachiopods Treptotreta jucunda Henderson & MacKinnon, 1981, Opisthotreta sp., Stittia? sp., an undetermined acrotretid and an undetermined linguloid; the molluscs Kobayashiella? heritagensis Webers, Pojeta & Yochelson, 1992 (a paragastropod), and Apoptopegma joyceae sp. nov. (a rostroconch); the bradoriid Mongolitubulus sp.; Hyolithida gen. et sp. indet.; and isolated echinoderm plates. All fauna (including previously documented trilobites) from the upper Shannon Formation disappear at the beginning of a ～5‰ positive shift in δ¹³C, identified as the Steptoean Positive Isotopic Carbon Excursion (SPICE). Despite previous links between SPICE and a global extinction, as well as the disappearance of all faunal elements in the uppermost Shannon Formation, certain taxa reported herein range through the event elsewhere in the world. The occurrence of Treptotreta jucunda and Kobayashiella? heritagensis in younger (Furongian) deposits indicates these species survived the SPICE extinction event. This study advocates for more systematic and comprehensive sampling through stratigraphic intervals where the SPICE event occurs, especially for range data of complete faunas (rather than individual taxonomic groups), to facilitate a more complete picture of diversity trends through this important phase.

P.M. Smith* [patrick.smith@austmus.gov.au], Palaeontology Department, Australian Museum Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, 2010, Australia; G.A. Brock [glenn.brock@mq.edu.au], Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia. J.R. Paterson [jpater20@une.edu.au], Palaeoscience Research Centre, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia. *Also affiliated with: Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia.     

Microflora of the H.Y.C. Pyritic Shale Member of the Barney Creek Formation (McArthur Group), middle Proterozoic of northern Australia

The H.Y.C. Pyritic Shale Member of the Barney Creek Formation (ca 1 500 my old; northern Australia) contains several stratiform base metal sulfide deposits of economic significance. Black cherts within these mineral deposits preserve a diverse assemblage of bacterial and algal microfossils. The assemblage differs from most other Precambrian biotas so far described in that it was deposited in deep water, it is not associated with stromatolites or algal mats, and it is dominated by filamentous bacteria, most of which are pyritized. Analysis of the assemblage suggests that the depth of the depositional basin exceeded that of the photic zone, that the bacteria inhabited the basin floor where they maintained anoxic conditions through heterotrophic degradation of detrital organic matter, and that the algae inhabited overlying near surface waters. Most of the algal fossils have been assigned to the Cyanophyta, although two of the described species are potentially referable to the eukaryotic green or red algae. Differences between this assemblage and other biotas described from the McArthur Group suggest that a workable system of biostratigraphic zonation for the Group is feasible.

Fossils in the H.Y.C. assemblage are here referred to 21 species and 16 genera, of which 14 species and 6 genera are new. The new taxa are: Bacteria, Biocatenoides incrustata sp. nov., B. pertenuis sp. nov., Ramacia carpentariana gen. et sp. nov., Coleobacter primus gen. et sp. nov., Ferrimonilis variabile gen. et sp. nov.; Chroococcales (Cyanophyta), Nanococcus vulgaris gen. et sp. nov., Bisacculoides tabeoviscus gen. et sp. nov., B. vacua gen. et sp. nov., B. grandis gen. et sp. nov.; Nostocales (Cyanophyta), Oscillatoriopsis schopfii sp. nov., Cyanonema inflatum sp. nov., C. minor sp. nov.; Incertae sedis, Clonophycus elegans gen. et sp. nov., Globophycus minor sp. nov. In addition, the new combination Gunflintia septata (Schopf) is proposed.     

Tertiary megafossil flora of Maslin Bay,South Australia: numerical taxonomic study of selected leaves

Four taxa of fossil leaves from Eocene strata at Maslin Bay, South Australia, are described with particular reference to architectural and epidermal features. Comparisons with extant and fossil taxa indicate that the families Podocarpaceae (Decussocarpus maslinensis sp. nov.), Proteaceae (Banksieaephyllum incisum sp. nov., Maslinia grevilleoides gen. et sp. nov.) and Araliaceae (Parafatsia subpeltata gen. et sp. nov.) are represented. The taxonomic affinities of the fossils support the interpretation of a wet, subtropical climate during the Middle Eocene in the Maslin Bay region.     

A new assemblage of graptolites,rhabdopleuran hemichordates and chitinous hydroids from the late Arenig (Ordovician) of the Banestan area,east-central Iran

A rich benthic and planktonic graptolite fauna is associated with encrusting rhabdopleuran hemichordates and chitinous hydrozoans in the late Arenig (Ordovician) part of the Katkoyeh Formation at Banestan, east-central Iran.

New taxa described here are the dendroid graptolites Callograptus huckriedei sp. nov. and Dictyonema bitubulata sp. nov. Other dendroid graptolites Dendrograptus sp. cf. D. flexuosus J. Hall, 1865; Acanthograptus divergens Skevington, 1963; and Thallograptus ?succulentus Ruedemann, 1904 are described. The tuboid graptolite Galeograptus sp., the rhabdopleuran hemichordates Rhabdopleura sp. aff. R. primaevus (Kozlowski, 1967) and Kystodendron sp., and the chitinous hydroid Palaeotuba sp. are also described. Graptoloid graptolites described here are Aulograptus? sp., Didymograptus incertus Perner, 1895, Undulograptus formosus (Mu & Lee, 1958), and Yutagraptus sp. cf. Y. mantuanus Riva, 1994. All but two species-level taxa are described from Iran for the first time.

The fauna is confirmed as being late Arenig or, less likely, early Llanvirn and thus probably correlates with the early part of the Darriwilian stage. It resembles the Atlantic cold water faunas in lacking isograptids and sinograptids.     

Bat cave and Hobbit hole,microbats of Liang Bua (Flores,Indonesia)

Liang Bua is a limestone cave on the island of Flores, Indonesia. Palaeontological and archaeological excavations at this site have unearthed one of the best insular records of fossil bats to date. The assemblage is numerically dominated by the horseshoe bat species Rhinolophus euryotis, followed by the leafnosed bat Hipposideros diadema. In addition to these species, remains of Rhinolophus simplex, Hipposideros sp. cf. H. sumbae, Murina sp. aff. M. florium, Taphozous sp., Kerivoula sp. and Miniopterus sp. have also been recovered. Two taxa found in Liang Bua, Rhinolophus euryotis and Miniopterus sp., are not apparent in the modern bat fauna of Flores. Some specimens, found during the more recent excavations, are known from specific depths. Two age-groups are represented. The stratigraphically oldest is 74–61 ka and includes Murina sp. aff. M. florium and Rhinolophus euryotis. Conversely, the younger, Holocene, assemblage is much more diverse. Despite the relatively small amount of microbat material collected thus far, it displays a higher diversity than the rodents from the site. This is presumably related to the better dispersal ability of bats relative to other, non-volant mammals.     

Middle Devonian gastropods from Xiangzhou and Wuxuan,Guangxi, South China

Eighteen taxa of Middle Devonian (Givetian) gastropods, including two new genera and five new species, are présent in the Tungkangling and Yingtang Formations, Wuxuan and Xiangxhou counties, Guangxi Province, China. Pingtianispira tuberculata gen. et sp. nov., Wuxuanella nodusa gen. et sp. nov. and Wuxuanella luifengshanensis sp. nov., Crenulazone wuxuanensis sp. nov. and Murchisonia luifengshanensis sp. nov. are erected from this distinct fauna. The fauna is dominated by nodose and unusual murchisonioids and has strong European and other Old World realm affinities.     

Cambrian Hyolitha of Siberian,Baltican and Avalonian aspect in east Laurentian North America: taxonomy and palaeobiogeography

Malinky, J.M. & Geyer, G., 6 March 2019. Cambrian Hyolitha of Siberian, Baltican and Avalonian aspect in east Laurentian North America: taxonomy and palaeobiogeography. Alcheringa 43, 171–203. ISSN 0311-5518.

Newly identified hyoliths from early Cambrian ‘Small Shelly Fossil’ assemblages in New York State and Quebec extend the geographical ranges of hyolith taxa, otherwise known only from Baltica and Siberia, into eastern Laurentian North America, and in some cases, are accompanied by significant stratigraphical range extensions. The newly recognized taxa from this region include the hyolithids Hexitheca washingtonensis sp. nov., Aimitus sp., A. sp. cf. A. communis, Anabaricornus sp., Similotheca americana, Grantitheca glenisteri, and the orthothecids Decoritheca sp., Contitheca sp., two species of Holmitheca, and two hyolith species that can not be confidently assigned to an order at this time. Early Cambrian limestone clasts within the Lower Ordovician of Quebec have produced the hyolithids Similotheca americana and Nevadotheca princeps. The occurrences of Aimitus, Anabaricornus, and Holmitheca provide a palaeobiogeographical link with hyolith assemblages in Siberia, and Hexitheca to Baltica. Contitheca not only is known from these areas, but also has been found in west Laurentia, Morocco, Korea and Antarctica. A review of previously named species demonstrates that none of their type materials can be confidently referred to genus or species level because of poor preservation.

John M. Malinky [jmalinky@sbcglobal.net], Department of Physical Science, San Diego City College, 1313 Park Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101, USA; Gerd Geyer* [gerd.geyer@uni-wuerzburg.de], Institut für Geographie und Geologie, Bayerische Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.     

Early Carboniferous Bivalvia from western Argentina

González, C. R., Early carboniferous Bivalvia from western Argentina. Alcheringa 18, 169–185. ISSN 0311-5518.

Lower Carboniferous deposits of western Argentina yield invertebrates and plant remains. In the Tournaisian epoch, a transgression from the ‘Pacific’ flooded the Rio Blanco Basin, forming a semi-restricted inland sea. Marine invertebrates of this age comprise the Malimanian fauna, which is based on the Protocanites-Rossirhynchus Assemblage. Eleven species of Bivalvia are here described Palaeoneilo subquadratum sp. nov., Malimania triangularis gen. et sp. nov., Phestia sp., Volsellina? sp. Posidoniella malimanensis sp. nov., Leptodesma? sp., Schizodus sp., Cypricardinia? sp., Edmondia? sp., Sanguinolites punillanus sp. nov., and Vacunella? sp. nov. They are accompanied by gastropods, trilobites, conularids and corals. The Malimanian fauna is regarded as a poorly to moderately varied assemblage that was influenced by some basinal restrictions. It was probably connected to faunas of Chile and Peru, and lived during a stage of mild climate before the beginning of the Late Palaeozoic ice age.     

A rare,late Paleocene molluscan faunule from the Kings Park Formation,Perth Basin,Western Australia

A shallow marine faunule of eight taxa from the Kings Park Formation of the Perth Basin is the first described Paleocene molluscan assemblage from Western Australia. These species are part of a depauperate suite of macroinvertebrates (molluscs, echinoids and corals) derived from deep, onshore caissons in Perth and are inferred to be late Paleocene in age, based on planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy and associated age ranges of the molluscan fauna. Bivalves are Sarepta austranaxa sp. nov. (Sareptidae), Solemya kingsparki sp. nov. (Solemyidae), Periploma vivarirex sp. nov. (Periplomatidae), Parvamussium sp. nov.? (Propeamussiidae), Serripecten? sp. (Pectinidae) and Venericardia (Rotundicardia) petraea Darragh (Carditidae). Gastropods are Levifusus? sp. cf. L.? quadrifunifer Darragh (Buccinidae), and Columbarium rumatoides Darragh (Turbinellidae). Bivalves dominate the fauna in dark, glauconitic siltstone and sandstone facies; gastropods are of relatively poor preservation and low diversity.