Devonian microvertebrates and marine-nonmarine correlation in East Gondwana: Overview

Systematic and biostratigraphic studies on Devonian fish microremains from East Gondwana have established a framework for comparison of micro- and macrovertebrate zonal schemes. Co-operative work over the past decade, and especially the period covered by IGCP 328 (1991-96), has led to a preliminary unified scheme, here formalised in 13 numbered microvertebrate assemblage zones for East Gondwana. The scheme is based on thelodont and shark remains, augmented by ongoing studies of acanthodians and placoderms. This brief overview summarises the occurrences of the most useful fossil groups from 35 localities across Australia, provides an update of Devonian timescale calibration and micro- and macrovertebrate zonal schemes for East Gondwana, and presents 10 composite stratigraphic sections for important Devonian vertebrate localities across the continent. Updated summaries are given on current research dealing with marine-nonmarine correlation and microvertebrate-macrovertebrate integration for the Devonian of East Gondwana.