Vertebrate fauna of the Lower Devonian Rookery Limestone Member in central New South Wales

Abstract

The Rookery Limestone Member is exposed in a small area on ‘The Rookery’, southeast of Cobar in central NSW. An Early Devonian, either Lochkovian or Pragian, age for the stratum was previously determined based on the brachiopod, trilobite and conodont faunas preserved. Microvertebrate remains include scales of acanthodians Nostovicina guangxiensis and Trundlelepis cervicostulata; scales and dermal bone fragments possibly of the placoderm Connemarraspis; and scales, dermal bone fragments, and possible gnathal plates of a romundinid placoderm. Alternatively, the gnathal plates could be from the stem osteichthyan Lophosteus incrementus. This fauna indicates a late Lochkovian age based on the stratigraphic distribution of these taxa elsewhere in NSW, and accords with dating suggested by the conodont taxa from the same samples.