Emsian (Early Devonian) microvertebrates from the Buchan and Taemas areas of southeastern Australia

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 9 years ago

Abstract - Microvertebrates obtained from measured stratigraphic sections near Buchan in northeastern Victoria and Taemas in southern New South Wales have been dated as dehiscens and perbonus conodont zones (early Emsian). The two microvertebrate faunas are similar; the areas are separated by only about 300 km and were both shallow marine environments during the Early Devonian. Thelodonts are a rare component in the otherwise abundant microvertebrate fauna recovered from four sections containing almost 450 samples; 18 turiniid scales have been found. It is considered likely that only one species of turiniid is represented. Trunk and transitional scales share similarites with scales of at least five species of turiniids from eastern Gondwana, recovered from the Aztec Siltstone in Antarctica, the Cravens Peak Beds in western Queensland, the Officer Basin in South Australia and the Silverband Formation in western Victoria. Some head scales show a previously undescribed crown morphology of sharply incised, parallel-sided notches separating wide radiating ribs. The scales are referred to Turinia sp. cf. T. australiensis.