Givetian rugose corals from the northern margin of the Burdekin Basin, north Queensland

Abstract

The Fanning River Group is among the best exposed marine-dominated Devonian sequences in eastern Australia. It consists of limestone, sandstone and conglomerate of shallow marine origin, which form the basal sequence of the Burdekin Basin. Sixteen species and subspecies (9 new) of rugose corals are described from outcrops of the Fanning River Group exposed in the Kirkland Downs, Boundary Creek and Lime Creek areas; these areas represent the north and northwestern margins of the Burdekin Basin during the early Givetian transgression. The coral taxa are determined as: Lythophyllum proliferum sp. nov., Endophyllum jelli sp. nov., Iowaphyllum schlueteri (Etheridge 1898), Blysmatophyllum isisense Pedder 1970, Blysmatophyllum multigemme sp. nov., Blysmatophyllum? sp., Sanidophyllum kirklandense sp. nov., Spongophyllum (Beugniesastraea) variabilis sp. nov., Australophyllum cyathophylloides yohi subsp. nov., Xystriphyllum dotswoodense sp. nov., Xystriphyllum sp., Taimyrophyllum crassiseptatum sp. nov., Acanthophyllum (Acanthophyllum) sp., Amaraphyllum amoenum Pedder 1970, Argutastrea sp., and Aristophyllum planotabulatum sp. nov.

Keywords:

• Givetian
• Rugosa
• new taxa
• Fanning River Group
• biostratigraphy
• north Queensland