(ARCHBOLD, 1993; ARCHBOLD & SHI, in press). Conodont elements recovered from the Callythara. Formation of the Carnarvon Basin are all Pa elements.
Lower Permian conodonts from Western Australia, and their biogeographic and palaeoclimatological implications I. METCALFE I& R.S. NICOLL
The lack of conodonts in the marine Permian of Australia, despite extensive sampling, led NICOLL (1976) to conclude that the absence of conodonts in the Lower Permian was due to the glacial-related lowered temperatures of marine water being below the tolerance of the conodont animal. Subsequently, NICOLL (1984) reported a very limited, and at that time not specifically identified, Permain conodont fauna from the Noonkanbah Formation of the Canning Basin. Additional Permian conodont material has now been recovered from the Noonkanbah Formation and also from the Callythara Formation of the Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia. We here report the first unequivocal Pennian conodonts from Australia and
discuss their biostratigraphic, biogeographic and palaeoclimatological
si
gnifi cance.
Conodonts have been recovered from both surface exposures and borehole samples of the Noonkanbah
2
The genus Vjalovognatftzs occurs with typical pelagic-facies conodont faunas and appears, together
with Neostreptognathodus leonoyae Kozur, to be restricted to the eastern Gondwanaland margin and may define an Eastern Gondwanaland Province as suggested by KOZUR (1994a,1994b). It is also suggested here that Vjalovognathus may have been tolerant to cool/cold-water conditions which allowed it to invade
the still-cool post-glacial marine environment of Western Australia.
REFBRENCES
ARCHBOLD, N.W. & DICKINS, J.M. (1991).: Australian Phanerozoic Timescales: 6. A standard for the Permian System in Australia.
Formation of the Canning Basin and from surface exposures of the Callythara Formation of the Carnarvon Basin (figure 1). Faunas from the
Bureau of Mineral Resources, Australia, Record 1989/36. ARCHBOLD, N.W. L993): A zonation of the Permian brachiopod faunas of western Australia.
Noonkanbah Formation of the Canning Basin include N eo gondolella idaho ens is (YOLINGQI"IST, HAWLEY
& VEEVERS, J.J. (eds) Gondwana Eight:
& MILLER)
and Vjalovognathus shindyensis
(KOZUR) which suggests a Middle/Upper Leonardian age for this Formation at the sampled localities and this is in accord with the previously assigned age
based on other palaeontological evidence (ARCHBOLD, 1993; ARCHBOLD & SHI, in press). Conodont elements recovered from the Callythara Formation of the Carnarvon Basin are all Pa elements of Vjalovognathus sp. nov. KOZUR, a form regarded by KOZUR and MOSTLER as the transitional form between Neostreptognathodus pequopensis Behnken and Vjalovognathus shindyensis. KOZUR (1978) utilised Vjalovognathus sp. nov. KOZUR to designate an early Late Leonardian Subzone of the Neostrepto gnathodus pequopensis Zone. Other faunal elements indicate an upper Sakmarian age for the
Callythara Formation (ARCHBOLD & DICKINS, 1991; ARCHBOLD, 1993; ARCHBOLD & SHI, in press). In view of the occurrence of Vjalovognathus shindyensis with Sakmarian ammonoids in Timor (van den BOOGAARD, 1987). the occurrence of Vjalovognathil.r sp. nov. KOZUR (considered a more primitive species of Vjalovognathus ) in Australian Sakmarian strata is consistent with this age assignment based on other fossil types.
In; FINDLAY, R.H., BANKS, M.R.
Assembly, Evolution and Dispersial, Balkema, Rotterdam, 313-321. ARCHBOLD, N.W. & SHI, G.R. in press: Permian
brachiopod faunas of Western Australia: Gondwanan - Asian relationships and Permian climate. Journal of Southeast Asian Earth Sciences.
KOZUR, H. (1977): Beitriige zur Stratigraphie
des
KOZUR, H. 1978. Beitriige zur Stratigraphie
des des
Perms, Teil I: Probleme der Abgrenzung und Gliederung des Perms. Freiberger Forschungsheft C319,79-121 Perms, Teil
II: Die Conodontenchronologie
Perms. Freiberger Forschungsheft C334, pp. 85-161.
KOZUR, H. (1994a): Preliminary report on the Permian conodont fauna of Darvas and SE Pamir and its importance for the Permian timescale. Permophiles No. 24, 13-15. KOZUR, H. (1994b): Permian pelagic and shallowwater conodont zonation. Permophiles No.24, l6-20.
& MOSTLER, H. (1976): Neue Conodonten aus dem Jungpaliiozoikum und der
KOZUR, H.
Trias. Geol. Pallont. Mitt. Insbruck 6, l-33. NICOLL, R.S. (1976): The effect of Late Carboniferous - Early Permian glaciation on the
l. Department of Geology & Geophysics, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.. 2, Australian Geological Survey Organisation, P.O. Box 378. Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia Author's addresses:
559
distribution of conodonts in Australia. Ceol. Assoc. Canada Special Paper 15, 273-278.
NICOLL, R.S. 1984. Conodont Studies in
rhe
Canning basin - A Review and Update, pp. 439443 in, Purcell, P.G. (ed.) The Canniig
Basin, W.A.: Proceedings of
Aust.IPet.
Expl. Soc. Aust.
van den BOOGAARD, M. (1987): Lower permian conodonts from western Timor (Indonesia). Proceedings of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetbnschappen, SeriesB 90, 15-39.
Geol.
Soc. Symposium,
Perth, 1984. (n
cl
E
BRACHIOTICD
STAGES
lrl (n
ZONATION
CARNARVON BASIN STRATICRAPHY
WATER TEMPETTATURE
CANMNGBASIN STRATIGRAI'HY
tuP
sF.r,
Coot
wrm-1.^9rb L
T,mF auLT.6ilttopH
Dorasha-
z za\3
rI]
A E]
mian
?
Dzhulfian HARDMAN FM
z s& h F
/
Uwia$tilgnifu
Midian
F Fl
CONDREN
Kazanian
SANETONE
EINI]IAII'YA
Ufimian
MUNCADAN
FM.
S5T.
E,.rqtil. UGFrITACX
(bwalw
BXmtu. Irrqr.
a &
rrftud
Eliryri.1a
i.! oi a=
kian
tI]
NALATA S5T. WANDAGEE TM.
dndLXocns
'ffsf#&,,
C1JNDLECO FM.
0
BULC|ADOO SHAI.E
rgspnla lycroB lv"dh-
STONE
WOORAMELGROUP
-i;
C.{
J &
(S,
c Fu,rpiifa
Arlins-
FORT{AIIOh'
SST.
fr6!@
Kungurian
z
COOLKLYA
POCES
ir Sak-
6E
marian !
ia.l
SDolhtlos
fr@E
lri!|tut adilotCb
=ot."r*ro**o
Q
cenneNorssv-\LL
ronvanoru /
F
NUNA NUNA MBR
maw
FORM ION
WNIFRED
Lyau lyai
il.
LYONS CROUP
Asselian
B€TTY FORMATION
Text-tr'ig' 1: Simplified Permian strarigraphy -?_ and brachiopod zones for western Australia and water-temperature
curve showing Permian conodont zonation (after ARCHIBoLb and sHI, in press).
Q
Conodont faunal horizons.
560
