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Cidaroid sea urchin remains (isolated radioles and rare plates) are described from marine strata of the Harnetts Formation (New Zealand Waitakian Stage (=Late Chattian – Early Aquitarian)), part of...

The scope and species content of the pterioid bivalve Monotis Bronn with almost global distribution in Norian (Late Triassic) marine strata are reconsidered. Various infra-generic groupings have been proposed in the last 50 years and all have been subject to some criticism. A scheme which allocates all species to one of eight subgenera (Monotis, Entomonotis Marwick, Eomonotis Grant-Mackie, Inflatomonotis Grant-Mackie, Maorimonotis Grant-Mackie, Pacimonotis Grant-Mackie & Silberling, Baikalomonotis Bychkov and Praemonotis Bychkov) is favoured here and, in line with current trends, these eight are afforded generic status. There is also a growing move away from recognition of subspecies and, when applied here, allows most to be accepted at species level with a few names synonymised.

The ornament on a small external cast in pink chert shows considerable similarity with that of various Middle Palaeozoic and Triassic fish genera. It comes from the Permian–Triassic Oruatemanu Formation of Arrow Rocks, Whangaroa area, eastern Northland. Conodont faunas from a few metres above and below the sample allow correlation with the Neospathodus pakistanensis zone of the Early Triassic, which is assigned to the late Dienerian (late Induan), with adjacent conodont zone faunas in their correct stratigraphic association. The cast is assumed to be that of a small fragment of fin spine, most likely from the junction area of the crown and root on the right-hand side of a dorsal fin spine, possibly anterior, of a marine ctenacanthoid shark, a basal shark order not previously recorded from New Zealand.

The partial skeletons of two marine turtles are reported from Late Eocene strata of Northland, northern New Zealand. One, from the autochthonous Ruatangata Sandstone near Whangarei, is identified as a new species of the previously monotypic cheloniid genus Eochelone Dollo, 1903. It is larger than the European type species, E. brabantica Dollo, 1903. The new species, E. monstigris, represents a geographic range extension for Eochelone and for the group of ‘Eocene stem cheloniines’ to which it belongs, a long-distance interchange that the configuration of Late Eocene–Early Oligocene marine currents and land-sea distribution must have permitted. The other specimen, from the allochthonous Pahi Greensand of northeast Kaipara Harbour, was previously reported as a cheloniid but we believe it more likely to belong to the Toxochelyidae. Given previous records of two dermochelyids (Psephophorus and Maoriochelys), the Middle to Late Eocene of New Zealand hosted at least four species of marine turtle which a...

The new monotid bivalve species, Otapiria diana, is described from Aratauran (Early Jurassic) strata in the Awakino Gorge, Marokopa and Kawhia coast, North Island of New Zealand (Murihiku Terrane). In the Awakino Gorge section it appears immediately above O. marshalli, with which it has been confused in the past. O. marshalli is not recognised in the Kawhia section. O. diana occurs with ammonites that give a latest Hettangian–Early Sinemurian correlation. Its presence a mere 7 m above the youngest latest Triassic O. dissimilis demonstrates the existence of a hiatus in the basal Jurassic sequence on the Kawhia coast. Although not yet known in the South Island or from the New Caledonian Early Jurassic, the new species has potential as a zonal index.

Mesozoic volcanic sediments known as the Yeba Formation are widespread in the northeastern region of Lhasa. Recent fossil collections in the formation allow the establishment of a biostratigraphic framework for the volcanic sediments; bivalves are assigned to 21 genera and 22 species including a new genus and 5 new species: Lhasanella lhasaensis (gen. et sp. nov.), Trigonodus xiabolangensis (sp. nov.), Isocyprina lhasaensis (sp. nov.), Gervillaria tibetica (sp. nov.), and Jurassicorbula fuersichi (sp. nov.). Three benthic assemblages have been recognised: the Trigonodus‐Isocyprina assemblage (Rhaetian‐Hettangian), the Lhasanella‐Propeamussium assemblage (Toarcian‐Bajocian), and the Jurassicorbula‐Neomiodon assemblage (Middle Jurassic). The Yeba Formation ranges in age from latest Triassic to Middle Jurassic. Volcanism in the Lhasa block occurred frequently during this period, corresponding to the fragmentation episode in eastern Gondwanaland and to the northwards drift of the Lhasa block. A stron...

Several new ammonite assemblages are described from the uppermost Temaikan and basal Heterian regional stages of New Zealand, Auckland Province, consisting mainly of the east Pacific Eurycephalitinae (Family Sphaeroceratidae). Four successive faunas are distinguished in the upper Awakino valley: all include the Andean genus Araucanites, here occurring with both sex‐morphs. Fauna 1 includes Araucanites awakino n. sp., Iniskinites cf. crassus Riccardi & Westermann, and Xenocephalites grantmackiei Westermann & Hudson ?/m × Lilloettia aff. steinmanni (Spath) ?/M—latest Bathonian; Fauna 2 includes Araucanites postawakino n. sp. and Xenocephalites cf. stipanicici Riccardi et al.—Early/earliest Callovian; Fauna 3 with Araucanites ponganui n. sp., Iniskinites gr. cepoides (Whiteaves), and Choffatia gr.furcula (Neumayr)—Early Callovian; Fauna 4 with Araucanites spellmani n. sp.—? Middle Callovian. The Oraka Sandstone at Kawhia Harbour is now placed entirely in the uppermost Bathonian and Lower Callovian (...

A relatively rich, previously unknown fauna of Ammonitina is described from the Bajocian of southwest Auckland. The great majority are Sphaeroceratidae. The Chondroceras fauna has yielded C. orbignyanum and C. (Defonticeras) cf. oblatum, clearly indicating the Humphriesianum Chron. Also associated is the bivalve index Retroceramus inconditus. The superjacent fauna of Waikatoceratinae (n. subfam.) is almost exclusively endemic to New Zealand, with Waikatoceras crassum, W. hudsoni, Opuatia circularis, O. inflata, and O. challinori n. genn. et spp. Accessory taxa include Chondroceras cf. orbignyanum, and Toxamblyites aff. densicostatus, previously known only from the upper Lower Bajocian of Europe and North Africa. However, stratigraphic evidence together with the bivalve index Retroceramus marwicki clearly date the Waikatoceratinae fauna as mostly post‐Humphriesianum Chron (i.e., early Late Bajocian). The presence of Toxamblyites in this fauna suggests that its range was one chron longer in the Sou...

A new thin‐section study of limestones from Wherowhero Point, Orua Bay, Northland, has produced a fauna of 24 fusuline taxa and 19 smaller foraminifers. The fusulines are much more diverse than earlier records have shown and include genera and species not previously recorded (e.g., Pseudokahlerina compressa Sosnina, Reichelina cf. lamarensis Skinner & Wilde, Rauserella cf. breviscula Sosnina, Chusenella urulungensis Wang et al., Yabeina ampla Skinner & Wilde, Dunbarula, and Pseudo‐fusulina). A species previously recorded as Yabeina parvula Skinner & Wilde is re‐identified as Y. globosa (Yabe), and that identified earlier as Lepidolina multiseptata (Deprat) is determined to be its evolutionary precursor L. shiraiwensis Ozawa. The latter species, together with Kahlerina pachytheca Kochansky‐Devide & Ramovs, Neoschwagerina margaritae Deprat, and Yabeina archaica Dutkevich, are the most widespread species in the eight collections studied from four localities, and these four species and Yabeina ampla ...

Fossil bivalves of the family Pholadomyidae are described from Jurassic sequences of the Murihiku T errane of New Zealand (Murihiku Supergroup) and New Caledonia (Baie de St‐Vincent Group). Four new species and two new subgenera are erected: Pholadomya (Pholadomya) oretiensis n. sp., Hettangian‐Sinemurian (Aratauran local stage); Pholadomya (P.) beaumontensis n. sp., probably Aalenian‐Callovian (Temaikan); Pholadomya (Kanakimya) uitoe n. subgen. et sp., Aalenian‐Callovian (Temaikan); and Pholadomya (Moewakamya) hudsoni n. subgen. et sp., Oxfordian (Heterian). An isolated specimen from the type Temaikan sequence (c. Aalenian), Kawhia Harbour, does not warrant formal naming but is closely related to P. oretiensis. Neither of the new subgenera is yet recognised elsewhere but an exhaustive review of relations within this large genus is long overdue. P. oretiensis and P. teaumontensis show some similarities with contemporary English species, but this is not thought to imply any particularly close evol...

The five previously reported fossil calcified hydroids from the New Zealand region are discussed, resulting in: a change of generic placement of two species (Stylaster sensu Jones, 1970 to Calyptopora; and Paraerrina sensu Squires, 1962 to Lepidopora), and a query of the identification of Sporadopora mortenseni sensu Squires, 1962. Several records of bryozoans reported as stylasterids are also rectified. Four additional fossil stylasterids are reported from the region: indeterminate species of Inferiolabiata and Conopora from the early Miocene (Otaian) of Pakaurangi Point; a species of Errina from the early to middle Eocene (Waipawan‐Bortonian) of Chatham Island; and a new species, Stylaster gigas, from the early Pliocene (Opoitian) of Kaawa Beach, North Island. S. gigas has one of the most massive coralla of any known stylasterid. The nine fossil stylasterids now known from the New Zealand region range from the early Eocene to the late Pliocene and are found from both North and South Islands as ...

Malayomaorica malayomaorica (Krumbeck) (s.s.) and Inoceramus cf. haasti Hochstetter are recorded in situ from the northern shore of Tawharanui Peninsula. They indicate an Ohauan (Middle Kimmeridgian) age for the Waipapa Group at this locality. The bivalves are associated with the ichnofossil Rhizocorallium, which possibly indicates a shallow infra littoral environment of deposition.

As well as Monotis richmondiana Zittel and its subspecies acuticostata (Trechmann), previously discussed, the subgenus Entomonotis Marwick is represented in the New Zealand region by M. Jalinaria var. intermedia Trechmann, M. ochotica var. gigalltea Avias, and M. (E.) sulbcircularis discordalls n. subsp. The inclusion of Trechmann's variety in the M. subcircularis group by Grant- Mackie is more fully documented and it is judged sufficiently distinct to warrant full specific status. Avias' subspecies is shown to be similar to but separable from typical M. subcircularis and it is given subspecific rank within that species. M. subcircularis discordans has both a more limited geographic range and a shorter time-range than M. s. gigantea and seems to have appeared earlier; these two are judged to be chronosubspecies but stratigraphic documentation for this is not presented herein. Local stratigraphic sequences containing Monotis will be described once the systematic content of the faunas has been esta...

The Mata Series (Piripauan-Haumurian; Upper Santonian-Maastrichtian) of New Zealand contains Austrocardium acherontis n. gen. et sp. The new genus Austrocardium is characterised by radial ornament consisting of a few raised keeled costae and a siphonal margin not gaping or digitate. The genus Schedocardia Stewart, hitherto reported from the Paleocene onwards, may be represented in the Mata Series by the poorly preserved Schedocardia ? waiparana n. sp. “Acanthocardia (s.s.) acuticostata” Freneix, 1958 (non d'Orbigny, 1842) from the Senonia:1 Formation a charbons of New Caledonia, is redescribed as the new species Cardium (Bucardium) lillei n. sp., distinct from Cardium (Bucardium) acuticostatum (d'Orbigny, 1842) from the Quiriquina beds (Maastrichtian) of Chile. A lectotype from d'Orbigny's type collection is selected for the Chilean species.

A two-fold division into the subgenera Monotis Bronn s.s. and Entomonotis Marwick was never fully accepted because it was too coarse and associated together in M. (Entomonotis) species varying greatly in size, inflation, and sculpture. The five species-groups that were proposed by Westermann and new data from New Zealand Monotis laid the basis for the present proposal of five subgenera. Monotis s.s. resembles the salinaria group; M. (Entomonotis) (type species M. richmondiana Zittel) includes the ochotica, subcircularis, and zabaikalica groups; M. (Eomonotis) n. subgen. (type species M. typica (Kiparisova ) is equivalent to the typica group; M. (Maorimonotis n. subgen, (type species M. routhieri Avias) covers the calvata group of Grant-Mackie; and M. (Inflatomonotis) n. subgen, (type species M. hemispherica Trechmann) is erected for a form previously included in the ochotica group. Two species cannot be classified subgenerically. Lower Jurassic species from eastern U.S.S.R. and Italy are tentativ...

Sedimentary rocks within the Whangaparaoa area are divided into two groups. Of these, one group and three formations are newly established and one formation is redefined; another previously accepted formation is discarded. Poorly exposed, unfossiliferous Haumurian-Teurian sediments are included within the Mangatu Group which is not further subdivided. Coarse lithologies which grade up the stratigraphic sequence into interbedded thin sandstones and grey mudstones containing basal Miocene microfaunas are included within the Whakai Formation. The Wharekahika Formation, which was erected by Ongley and MacPherson in 1928 and regarded as of probable Pliocene age, is discarded because it cannot now be readily identified and the fauna listed for it is likely to be a mixed one. Strata of the Runaway Group which crop out over large portions of the Whangaparaoa area comprise two formations—the Te Kahika Formation of Opoitian age and the Whangaparaoa Pumiceous Sandstone of Opoitian to ? Waipipian age. Fossil...

(1972). Correlation Of The Te Papa And Otamaroa Terraces, Eastern Bay Of Plenty. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics: Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 186-191.

Summary Trias-Jura rocks of the Awakino-Mahoenui area constitute part of the western limb of the Kawhia Syncline in its southern-most exposure. The syncline is approximately meridional in alignment and pitches northwards at a low angle. Strata have dips varying from nearly vertical in the west of the area to about 15° east at the top of the succession in the east. The strata form the Herangi Range which originated as a north-south fold or the peneplained surface resulting from the post-Hokonui orogeny. This fold is believed to be faulted on its western edge, but while this is also the case on the eastern limb farther north, in the Awakino-Mahoenui area faulting seems not to have occurred at the surface. The oldest beds exposed are 7,000 ft of Oretian (lower Carnian) which are believed to be the equivalent of 2,100 ft of strata above the Moeatoa conglomerate at Marakopa. These are followed conformably by 2,200 ft of Otamitan strata (Carnian), 1,800 ft to 2,300 ft of Warepan (Norian), 2,800 ft of Otapirian ...

More than 70 macrofossil taxa (including 14 bivalves, 6 gastropods, 8 corals, 4 echinoderms, and 10 barnacles) are recorded from early Miocene (Otaian) Kawau Subgroup strata (Cape Rodney Formation and Motuketekete Limestone, lower Waitemata Group) at Motuketekete Island, Hauraki Gulf, north of Auckland City. Both in situ and transported fossils occur in deposits of greywacke boulder conglomerate, cobble to pebble conglomerate/sandstone, bioclastic calcareous grainstone, and an allochthonous breccia debris event unit, which correspond to lithofacies A, C, D, and E, respectively, of Ricketts et al. Greywacke boulders accumulated at the base of a greywacke paleocliff or sea stack that was planed off at its top to form a shore platform during the Miocene. A >2 m long, 16 cm thick coral colony grew atop a mixed substrate of boulders, pebbles, and sand, and exhibits two successional regrowth phases following debris‐influx events. Boulders and cobbles bored by pholadid bivalves (Parapholas aucklandicum ...

As part of his monographic study of the Tertiary Mollusca of the Gisborne district of North Island, New Zealand, Marwick (1931: 58) described a new glycymeridid, which he called Glycymeris reevei, from the Middle Miocene Tutamoe Formation. Unfortunately, the specific name reevei is preoccupied in the Recent Philippine species Glycymeris reevei (Mayer 1868: 23, as Pectunculus), a name in general used among Japanese and Filipino malacologists. We are not aware of any junior synonym of Marwick’s species, and, therefore, we propose to provide the name Glycymeris marwicki for Glycymeris reevei Marwick, non Mayer.