Late Triassic-Early Jurassic palynofloral assemblages from Murihiku strataof New Zealand, and comparisons with China

Marine deposition in the Murihiku Terrane gave apparently continuous sequen ces across the Triassic-Jurassic boundary which were sampled in sections in south-west Kawhia and the Awakino Gorge, south-west Auckland, and in the H okonui Hills, Southland. Palynological analysis shows diverse microfloras t otalling 71 genera and 119 species. These floras come from the Ngutunui, Ar ataura, Rewarewa, and Arawhero Formations of the Newcastle Group, Kawhia, t he Ngutunui Formation and undifferentiated Newcastle strata, Awakino Gorge, and the Trechmann Siltstone and associated unnamed units in Southland. Fou r palynofloral assemblages can be distinguished among samples from these se quences. In ascending order they are: Assemblage I, Otamitan (Early-Middle Norian), Polycingulatisporites crenulatus-Annulispora microannulata-Aratris porites flexibilis Assemblage; Assemblage II, Otapirian (Rhaetian), Foveosp orites moretonensis-Densoisporites psilatus-Steevesipollenites claviger Ass emblage; Assemblage III, late Otapirian-early Aratauran (Hettangian), Torip ustulatisporites hokonuiensis-Kyrtomisporis minor-Polycingulatisporites rad iants Assemblage; Assemblage IV, Aratauran (Hettangian-Sinemurian), Classop ollis chateaunovi-Lycopodiumsporites austroclavatidites Assemblage. The Tri assic-Jurassic boundary is judged to lie between Assemblages II and III, an d thus within the upper part of the local Otapirian Stage, which occurs at about the top of the Ngutunui Formation in the Kawhia section.