Biostratigraphy of the Mesozoic Baie de St.-Vincent Group, New Caledonia

摘要

A stratigraphic map of Baie de St.-Vincent Group (Upper Triassic#x2014;Lower Jurassic) is presented, and the succession of fauna in the Moindou #x2014; T#xE9;remba area compared with that in other areas of New Caledonia and in New Zealand. The lowest beds recognised (Ouarai Formation) are Upper Oretian (Karnian to Lower Norian), represented byc.160 m. Otamitan strata (Lower to Middle Norian) are represented byc.400 m (Ouamoui Formation) and are subdivisible into five informal zones characterised by distinctive faunal assemblages. Warepan strata (Middle to Upper Norian) are widely developed (Lepredour Shellbeds;c.520 m), richly fossiliferous and readily subdivided into five formalMonotiszones, each characterised by a single species ofMonotis. Otapirian and Aratauran (Norian to Sinemurian) faunas and strata are poorly represented but constitute the youngest Mesozoic rocks within the area. Earlier biostratigraphic studies of Piroutet and Avias are discussed and Piroutet#x2019;s zonal scheme is correlated with that presented here.