New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics abstracts

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A new Early Jurassic radiolarian fauna from the Murihiku Supergroup of the Otago coast, New Zealand

R. S. HORI

Department of Earth Sciences
Ehime University
Bunkyo-cho 2-5
Matsuyama, 790-77, Japan

J. D. CAMPBELL

Geology Department
University of Otago
P.O. Box 56
Dunedin, New Zealand

J. A. GRANT-MACKIE

Geology Department
The University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract  Lower Jurassic Radiolaria are documented from Aratauran strata of the Murihiku Supergroup at the northern end of Sandy Bay, south of Nugget Point, Otago, New Zealand. The fossils were extracted from small carbonate nodules in fine grey sandstone in the middle part of the Aratauran sequence. The following genera were identified: Eptingium(?), Gigi, Hsuum, Orbiculiforma, Pantanellium, Paronaella(?), Poulpus(?), Saitoum, Spongostaurus(?), and Thetis. Comparison with radiolarian faunas of Europe, southwest Japan, and North America suggests that the study fauna is of Pliensbachian age, probably Early Pliensbachian, indicating the possibility that the Aratauran local stage, previously equated approximately with Hettangian-Sinemurian internationally, extends into the Early Pliensbachian.

Keywords  Lower Jurassic; Radiolaria; Aratauran; Murihiku Supergroup; Pliensbachian; New Zealand

New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 1997, Vol. 40: 397-399

0028-8306/97/4003-0397 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand 1997

Short communication

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (906K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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