Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand abstracts
Late Triassic-Early Jurassic palynofloral assemblages from Murihiku strata
of New Zealand, and comparisons with China
Zhang Wangping* and J. A. Grant-Mackie**
*Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological
Sciences, 26 Baiwanzhuang Road, Beijing 100037, PR of China.
**Department of Geology, University of Auckland, Private Bag
92 019, Auckland, New Zealand.
Marine deposition in the Murihiku Terrane gave apparently continuous sequences
across the Triassic-Jurassic boundary which were sampled in sections in
south-west Kawhia and the Awakino Gorge, south-west Auckland, and in the
Hokonui Hills, Southland. Palynological analysis shows diverse microfloras
totalling 71 genera and 119 species. These floras come from the Ngutunui,
Arataura, Rewarewa, and Arawhero Formations of the Newcastle Group, Kawhia, the
Ngutunui Formation and undifferentiated Newcastle strata, Awakino Gorge, and
the Trechmann Siltstone and associated unnamed units in Southland. Four
palynofloral assemblages can be distinguished among samples from these
sequences. In ascending order they are: Assemblage I, Otamitan (Early-Middle
Norian),
Polycingulatisporites crenulatus-Annulispora
microannulata-Aratrisporites flexibilis Assemblage; Assemblage II,
Otapirian (Rhaetian),
Foveosporites moretonensis-
Densoisporites
psilatus-Steevesipollenites claviger Assemblage; Assemblage III, late
Otapirian-early Aratauran (Hettangian),
Toripustulatisporites
hokonuiensis-Kyrtomisporis minor-Polycingulatisporites radiatus Assemblage;
Assemblage IV, Aratauran (Hettangian-Sinemurian),
Classopollis
chateaunovi-Lycopodiumsporites austroclavatidites Assemblage. The
Triassic-Jurassic boundary is judged to lie between Assemblages II and III, and
thus within the upper part of the local Otapirian Stage, which occurs at about
the top of the Ngutunui Formation in the Kawhia section.
Keywords Triassic; Jurassic; palynology; New Zealand; Murihiku Terrane;
China; comparisons; Triassic-Jurassic boundary
R99008 Received 3 May 1999; accepted 28 February 2001
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