Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 86(3), September 2003 
Figure 1. Known outcrop localities of the marine Eocene in the Southern Carnarvon Basin, and the stratigraphic position of the newly 
discovered unit with respect to other Paleocene-Eocene units known in the basin, pb = palaeobathymetry; ph = present height. The 
chronometry, series correlations, and P-Zones follow Berggren & Miller (1988) and Berggren et al. (1995). 
NW SE 
nautiloids and some gastropods); in others the skeleton 
has been replaced by silica, and chalcedony has in-filled 
internal cavities. While silicification has preserved the 
overall morphology, most fine morphological details and 
microstructure have been lost. The rock samples show 
that silicification was pervasive as all carbonate grains 
are replaced and preserved as either casts or moulds. 
Demosponges are the most abundant fossils, and are 
represented by well-preserved intact skeletons, up to 30 
cm across, as well as spicules. Bryozoans are diverse and 
include encrusting types as well as fragments of free 
specimens. Among the molluscs are common high-spired 
gastropods, ornamented and smooth bivalves (most 
equivalved with valves intact), scaphopods, and a few 
nautiloids including Aturia sp (Fig 3Q,R) and an 
unidentified nautiloid with very gently curved septa (Fig 
3S,T). Serpulid worms are encrusted on other 
macrofossils. Among the microfossils, apart from the 
prolific sponge spicules, foraminifers are abundant and 
MURCHISON 
Figure 2. Schematic NW-SE cross-section through new locality 
showing stratigraphic relationships. The line of section is shown 
on Fig 1. 
108 
