Early Pliocene Ostracoda from the Jemmys Point Formation, Gippsland Basin, southeastern Australia: nearshore and offshore origins of biodiversity

Abstract

Early Pliocene ostracod faunas of the Jemmys Point Formation, onshore Gippsland Basin, yield a rich and well-preserved marine ostracod fauna of mixed shallow marine and deep marine origins. The ostracod faunas evidence a marine continental shelf palaeoenvironment that, during the deposition of one stratigraphic interval, was influenced by a strong, persistent upwelling current. This upwelling current allowed the migration of deep-sea Ostracoda (Philoneptunus sp.) onto the continental shelf. The deeper marine aspect of this early Pliocene fauna, and of modern ostracod faunas from the Bass Strait region, evidence the adaptation of deep shelf taxonomic clades to shallow cool temperate shelf environments and highlights one unusual evolutionary mechanism that has contributed to modern Bass Strait shallow marine biodiversity. Four species are newly described: Neonesidea chapminuta sp. nov., Tasmanocypris salaputia sp. nov., Oculocytheropteron jemmyensis sp. nov., and Philoneptunus plutonis sp. nov.

Abbey P. McDonald* [[email protected]], School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia; Elizabeth A. Weldon [[email protected]], School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Deakin Marine Research and Innovation Centre, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia; Mark T. Warne [[email protected]], School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Deakin Marine Research and Innovation Centre, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia, and Museums Victoria, GPO Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia.

Keywords:

• Ostracoda
• upwelling
• early Pliocene
• southeastern Australia
• taxonomy

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Correction

Acknowledgements

A.P.M. acknowledges funding from a Deakin University postgraduate scholarship, and University access to laboratory facilities and equipment. Tom Cacopardo assisted with field work. Michelle Gray assisted with the design of the lithology columns. John Ward (Deakin University) assisted in the use of the SEM and preparation of SEM samples. Marie-Béatrice Forel, Stephen McLoughlin and another anonymous reviewer are thanked for suggested improvements to the manuscript.

Correction Statement

This article was originally published with errors, which have now been corrected in the online version. Please see Correction (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03115518.2024.2365277)