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OFR 151.pdf - CRC LEME

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4.2.4 South-West Australia<br />

1. Yilgarn Craton<br />

A depauperate Oligo-Miocene (Proteacidites tuberculatus Zone Equivalent) microflora is<br />

preserved at ca. 50 m depth in Rollo's Bore near Norseman in south-west Western Australia<br />

(M.K. Macphail unpubl. results). Some reworking is evident in that the assemblage also<br />

includes the Early Jurassic species Exesipollnites tumulus. Otherwise the assemblage is<br />

wholly dominated by Nothofagus (Brassospora) spp. (74%) and Casuarinaceae (15%).<br />

Uncommon (< 3%) to rare taxa include lycopods (Foveotriletes balteus, Latrobosporites<br />

marginis), Gleicheniaceae (cf. Sticherus), Cyathea and related trilete spores (Cyathidites<br />

minor), Araucariaceae (cf. Agathis), Dacrydium, Lagarostrobos, Podocarpus-Prumnopitys,<br />

Microcachrys (Microcachrydites antarcticus, Podosporites microsaccatus), Ericales,<br />

Sparganiaceae (Aglaoreidia qualumis), Strasburgeriaceae, Trimeniaceae (Periporopollenites<br />

demarcatus), two Beauprea spp. (Beaupreaidites elegansiformis, B. verrucosus) and a<br />

distinctive but as yet unidentified tetracolporoidate species.<br />

The closest recorded analogues are Oligo-Miocene microfloras preserved in the Alice Springs<br />

District (Macphail 1997a). Frequent Nothofagidites falcatus demonstrates the microflora is<br />

no older than Middle Eocene. The minimum age is more difficult to determine since all<br />

species are long-ranging or (B. verrucosus) possibly have extended time distributions in<br />

south-west Western Australia. However, geological data (P. de Broekert, pers. comm.)<br />

indicate the unit is younger than palaeochannel deposits that preserve diverse Late Eocene,<br />

Middle N. asperus Zone Equivalent microfloras.<br />

Inferred climate<br />

The microflora appears to represent floristically impoverished Nothofagus rainforest or scrub<br />

growing around a freshwater reed swamp. Such a community is ecologically consistent with<br />

relatively cool (lower mesotherm) but uniformly wet (humid) conditions during the Eocene-<br />

Oligocene transition although similar conditions may have persisted into Early Miocene time.<br />

4.2.5 Central southern Australia<br />

1. St. Vincent Basin<br />

Probable Proteacidites tuberculatus Zone Equivalent and Canthiumidites bellus Zone<br />

Equivalent microfloras occur in marine facies in the Barossa Valley (Alley 1989) and St.<br />

Vincent Basin (Rowett 1993b), respectively. In both cases, the age determination is based on<br />

the absence or presence of species that first appear in the late Early Miocene in the Gippsland<br />

Basin, e.g. Canthiumidites bellus.<br />

Pollen dominance in the older (Barossa) microfloras is shared between Blechnaceae (7-13%),<br />

Lagarostrobos (4-36%), Casuarinaceae (5-27%) and Nothofagus (11-29%) associated with<br />

occasionally frequent to common Dacrydium (4-6%), Halocarpus (up to 13%), Proteaceae<br />

(up to 13%) and a possible Meliaceae (8%). A short sequence of three microfloras provide a<br />

broad-brush record of floristic and vegetation change during the late Early-Middle Miocene in<br />

the St. Vincents Basin. The lowermost assemblage is characterised by Lagarostrobos (9%),<br />

Podocarpus-Prumnopitys (6%), Casuarinaceae (13%) and Nothofagus (13%) associated with<br />

rare occurrences of Asteraceae (Tubuliflorae) and Sparganiaceae. The higher microfloras are<br />

characterised by higher values of Cyatheaceae, Podocarpaceae (Dacrydium, Podocarpus-<br />

Prumnopitys), Casuarinaceae, Myrtaceae (5-9%) and Restionaceae (Milfordia<br />

homeopunctata). Araucariaceae (Araucaria, Agathis/Wollemia) and Phyllocladus are<br />

254

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