MIDDLE PALEOZOIC CORALS FROM THE SOUTHERN SLOPE OF THE CENTRAL RANGESOF IRIAN-JAYA, INDONESIA

Rugose and tabulate corals of Frasnian (early Late Devonian) and pre-F rasnian Devonian and Silurian(?) ages from Irian Jaya (western New Gui nea), Indonesia, art described and illustrated for the first time. The Frasnian corals are the most important; they occur in the uppermost p art of the Modio Formation (redefined), are well-preserved and suggest a biogeographic linkage to Western Australia. The source carbonates m ay represent a reef environment. The pre-Frasnian corals are from stre am cobbles at two localities. They indicate the presence or former pre sence of a more complete Middle Palaeozoic sequence than was previousl y known in Irian Jaya.