Recent evidence for the age of Great Australian Basin cretaceous sediments in New South Wales

Abstract

K-Ar dates on glauconie from Cretaceous sediments in the Great Australian Basin are consistent internally and range from 101.2 to 96.6 (± 2.5) m.y. Palynological and correlated megafaunal data favour Aptian and Albian ages. Foraminiferal faunas of samples which are 101.2, 99.8, and 97.9 m.y. old indicate an Aptian age, while foraminiferal faunas of samples 96.6 m.y. old indicate a late Albian - Vraconian - Cenomanian age. The foraminiferal faunas were correlated with those found in coeval sediments in adjacent oceanic areas and Gondwanic continents as well as with those of the type sequences of the Albian stage. Corre lation of both the benthonic and planktonic forms was possible because of their parallel occurrences in adjacent areas to the north and west