Early Miocene brachiopods of the Waitemata and Waitakere groups, Auckland and Northland, New Zealand

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe Early Miocene Waitemata and Waitakere group strata from Auckland and lower Northland, New Zealand encompass shallow rocky-shore, shallow soft-sediment and shallow-water through to outer-shelf facies. They contain an interesting brachiopod fauna comprising eight genera in six families and include the type localities for three species. Terebratella neozelandica is transferred to the genus Magasella and is confirmed as a separate species based on morphology and paleoecology. For the first time the type specimens of the species Liothyrella gravida and Magasella neozelandica are figured, Magadina browni and ‘Pachymagas’ are described and figured from North Island strata and Terebratulina suessi is described and figured from the Waitemata and Waitakere groups. The brachiopod fauna described here inhabited the margins of a subsiding marine basin in the Auckland and lower Northland area for c. 5 Ma in marginally tropical conditions in the Early Miocene. Six genera were also living in the warm–temperate Canterbury–Otago Basin at this time suggesting brachiopods may not be a reliable indicator of faunal provinces in New Zealand in the Early Miocene.