AN EARLY CAINOZOIC (PALEOCENE) FORAMINIFERAL FAUNA WITH FABIANIA FROMOFFSHORE EASTERN AUSTRALIA

Early Paleocene marine sediments are recorded from a single dredge sam ple taken from the continental slope (3533-3306 m) off the central coa st of New South Wales. They probably belong to the Early Paleocene NP4 calcareous nannoplankton zone (Pie or P1d/P2 in standard foraminifera l zonal terms) and thus are the first Palaeogene marine rocks known fr om the region and the first record of marine biota of this age from th e Australian margin other than Western Australia. The age is based on analysis of calcareous nannofossils. The sediment accumulated in very shallow, warm, fully marine conditions, apparently off a coast of peri odically low runoff, and the fauna lacks any planktonic foraminiferal species. While it is dominated by several typically Paleocene benthic forms well known from southern and southwestern Australia, several oth erwise typical Australian forms appear to be absent. Fabiania (the new species F. macgowrani) is recorded for the first time from Australia, apparently the earliest known occurrence of the genus. Paleocene rock s of this age are also known from the Perth Basin and Northwest Shelf of Western Australia and it seems these indicate the need for recognit ion of a new sedimentation cycle in the Cainozoic of Australia.