Miocene palynofloras from subsurface sediments in the Bundaberg district

Well-preserved palynofloras extracted from flavial sediments of the Cainozoic Elliott Formation in the Bundaberg Trough, central-eastern Queensland enable dating the formation, the age of which hitherto has been poorly constrained. Representation of the pollen taxon, Canthiumidites bellus (Stover & Partridge) Mildenhall & Pocknall, in association with spores referable to Polypodiidites usmensis (van der Hammen) Khan & Martin, both of which are restricted to Early Miocene and younger sediments in the Capricorn Basin, confirm an age no older than the Early Miocene, and enable correlation of the Bundaberg sequence with Early Miocene fluvio-deltaic sediments penetrated by GSQ Sandy Cape 1-3R on Fraser Island. Records of Polypodiidites usmensis in the Fairymead beds, which underlie the Elliott Formation, indicate that the Fairymead beds are also no older than Early Miocene. □ Elliott Formation, palynofloras, Miocene, Capricorn Basin