Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand abstracts

Zeilleria spiculata, a new terebratulide brachiopod from the latest Triassic-earliest Jurassic of New Zealand

D. A. B. MacFarlan*

Department of Geology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand.
*Present address: 13 Fairfax Tce, New Plymouth, New Zealand.

J. D. Campbell†

†Deceased; late of Department of Geology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Abstract   Zeilleria spiculata is described from the latest Triassic and earliest Jurassic rocks of the Murihiku Supergroup of New Zealand. The new species is a thick-shelled, subcircular, rectimarginate terebratulide, which is placed in the cosmopolitan genus Zeilleria. It is present in the late Otapirian and is an important element in the earliest Aratauran faunas of the Otapiri Stream section in Southland, but is rare elsewhere. It appears unrelated to other New Zealand Triassic-Jurassic species of Zeilleria. Most specimens are preserved as moulds, and this study is based mainly on the interpretation of natural and latex moulds.

Keywords  Zeilleria spiculata; Brachiopoda; Triassic; Jurassic; New Zealand

R02042 Received 13 September 2002; accepted 11 February 2003; published 30 April 2003
© Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 33, Number 1, March 2003, pp 213-221

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