LATE PALEOZOIC (TAMARIAN LATE CARBONIFEROUS EARLY PERMIAN) COLD-WATER BRACHIOPODS FROM TASMANIA

Twelve species of brachiopods belonging to five families are described from the oldest Late Palaeozoic (Tamarian; Late Carboniferous-Early Permian) faunas of Tasmania. Taxa include species assigned to the genera Grumantia, Strophalosia, Licharewiella, Trigonotreta, Sulciplica, Tomiopsis and Pseudosyrinx. A new ingelarellid taxon Kelsovia gen. nov. with type species Kelsovia superba sp. nov. is introduced together with the new species Grumantia costeltata, Strophalosia concentrica, Sulciplica crassa and Sulciplica subglobosa. The brachiopods form part of a larger fauna, mostly molluscan, which is listed but not described. Correlation of the fauna with those elsewhere in eastern Australia and beyond is briefly discussed. The Tasmanian faunas are important as they represent the best preserved, most abundant and most diverse suite of brachiopod assemblages within the older parts of the characteristic Gondwanan cold-water Eurydesma fauna anywhere in eastern Australia and probably the world. © AAP.