NEW PERMINERALIZED FLORA AND TRILOBITES FROM THE MID TOURNAISIAN (EARLY CARBONIFEROUS) RUXTON FORMATION, CLARKE RIVER BASIN, NORTH-EAST AUSTRALIA

Abstract:  An association of a new permineralized flora with preserved anatomy and decalcified trilobite remains is described from early crenulata Zone (mid Tournaisian; Early Carboniferous) calcareous siltstones in a predominantly shale and minor limestone sequence low in the Ruxton Formation of the eastern Clarke River Basin, north-east Queensland. Whereas the trilobites belong to Linguaphillipsia , a common and diversified taxon in eastern Australia, the plants (with the exception of Stauropteris that was earlier identified from the Burdekin Basin) were known previously only from the Mississipian (Lower Carboniferous) of Western Europe. The plants represent a diverse assemblage comprising lycopsids, cladoxylaleans, a variety of fern rachises and seed plants, including stems ( Tristichia -type), Lyginorachis petioles and a new cupule, Ruxtonia minuta gen. et sp. nov., containing Hydrasperma ovules.