Grasstree Hill (B6) (Permian of Australia)

Where: Tasmania, Australia (42.8° S, 147.4° E: paleocoordinates 78.0° S, 142.8° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Ferntree Formation, Wuchiapingian (259.9 - 254.2 Ma)

• 37 m below top of group. Fossils occur through about 6 m of beds, in clusters and scattered sparsely.

•The Ferntree Fm is the youngest marine Permian unit in Tasmanian, of late Lymingtonian age. Briggs (1998) correlated the late Lymingtonian with his mainland brachiopod zones, ranging from the Echinalosia wassi zone to the Echinalosia deari zone and with palynological zones APP4.3 and APP5. Radiometric calibration of these palynologyical zones by Laurie et al. (2016) suggests that APP4.3 is mid-Wuchiapingian and APP5 spans the late Wuchiapingian and Changhsingian. A Wuchiapingian age is assigned to the Ferntree Formation here.

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: coastal; lithified siliciclastic sediments

Size class: macrofossils

Preservation: mold/impression

Primary reference: M. J. Clarke. 1973. Faunas from the Ferntree Group of south-eastern Tasmania. Technical Reports - Tasmania Department of Mines 16:50-65 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 105431: authorized by Matthew Clapham, entered by Matthew Clapham on 20.02.2011

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Gastropoda
 Murchisoniina - Gosseletinidae
Ptychomphalina sp. Fischer 1885 snail
Bivalvia
 Nuculida - Nuculidae
Nuculopsis sp. Girty 1912 nut clam
 Cardiidia - Sanguinolitidae
Vacunella curvata Morris 1845 clam
"Myonia carinata" = Myonia (Myomedia) carinata Morris 1845 clam
 Pholadomyida - Megadesmidae
"Megadesmus grandis" = Megadesmus (Cleobis) grandis Dana 1847 clam
Astartila intrepida Dana 1847 clam
 Cardiida - Kalenteridae
Stutchburia cf. compressa Morris 1845 clam
 Ostreida - Pterineidae
Merismopteria macroptera Morris 1845 oyster
 Pectinida - Heteropectinidae
Etheripecten leniusculus Dana 1847 scallop
Stenolaemata
 Trepostomida - Stenoporidae
Stenopora crinita Lonsdale 1845
Strophomenata
 Productida - Linoproductidae
Rhynchonellata
 Spiriferida - Ingelarellidae
"Martiniopsis magna" = Tomiopsis (Johndearia) magna
"Martiniopsis magna" = Tomiopsis (Johndearia) magna Campbell 1960