Palynology is the principal biostratigraphic tool employed to correlate among the thick fluvial to shallow marine successions of the Permian-Early Triassic of the Bowen and Sydney basins of eastern Australia. The regional palynofloras can be utilised for intra-continental comparisons but are only broadly correlative across Gondwana and rarely applicable as stage or sub-stage level of global tie-points. High precision CA-IDTIMS dating of Middle Permian-Early Triassic ashfall tuffs in these basins has provided a unique opportunity to confidently tie the endemic fossil biota to the international timescale. Carbonaceous siltstones and coals bracketing the tuff beds have been processed for their palynological content thus enabling precise chronometric ages to be ascribed to the fossil biotas. Tying these biozones to the internationally accepted Geologic Timescale will greatly enhance the event and biozonation correlation to areas outside Australia.

Palynology is the principle biostratigraphic tool employed to correlate thick fluvial to shallow marine successions of the Permian-Early Triassic of the Bowen and Sydney basins of eastern Australia. The regional palynofloras can be utilised for intra-continental comparisons but are only broadly correlative across Gondwana and rarely applicable as stage or sub-stage level global tie-points. High-precision CA-IDTIMS dating of Middle Permian-Early Triassic ashfall tuffs in these basins has provided a unique opportunity to confidently tie the endemic fossil biota to the international timescale. Carbonaceous siltstones and coals bracketing the tuff beds have been processed for their plant microfossil content thus enabling precise chronometric ages to be assigned to the identified palynozones. Tying these biozones to the internationally accepted Geologic Timescale will greatly enhance correlation to areas outside of Australia, allowing specific global events to be recognised. Results from the Sydney Basin, previously published, suggested significant modifications to the ages currently assigned to some of the Late Permian and Early Triassic palynozones. These results are now coupled with results from the Bowen Basin to provide a regional synthesis of eastern Australian basin palynofloras.

Earlier reports on the Permian conodont biostratigraphy of Western Australia have documented faunas from the Canning Basin (Noonkanbah Formation) and Carnarvon Basin (Callytharra, Coyrie, Wandagee and Coolkylia formations) that ranged in age from the Late Sakmarian to the Roadian. New studies have now documented additional Permian conodont faunas from the Perth Basin (Beekeeper Formation, and a single specimen of 'Clarkina jolfensis' from the basal Kockatea Shale) and from the Canning Basin (Nura Nura Member of the Poole Formation, from throughout the Noonkanbah Formation, in the Lightjack Formation and from the Kirkby Range and Cherrabun Members of the Hardman Formation). These faunas range in age from the Late Sakmarian to the Wuchiapingian and possibly Changhsingian. This study has been able to recognise a total of 9 species of the Genus 'Vjalovognathus' based on prominent morphologic trends. Unfortunately several of the key taxa have yet to be recognised in localities outside Australia.

Mississippian and Pennsylvanian conodonts are known from both eastern and Western Australia (WA), but only Pennsylvanian faunas are found in New Zealand (NZ). Mississippian faunas are widely distributed in WA in the Carnarvon, Canning and Bonaparte basins as well as from marine facies in New South Wales and Queensland. In WA Pennsylvanian conodonts are known from only a single locality in the offshore Bonaparte Basin. A more diverse fauna has been described from near Murgon in southeast Queensland. In NZ Pennsylvanian conodonts have been found within the Toreless Terrane (Rakaia Sub-terrane) Complex. ... In Australia, Pennsylvanian conodonts are known only from the Early Bashkirian 'Declinognathus noduliferus' - 'Idiognathoides corrugatus' Zone level in the Bonaparte Basin and from near Murgon in the southeastern Queensland. This may reflect the early onset of glaciation at this time in the southern hemisphere. In NZ Pennsylvanian conodonts occur at Meyers Pass, Kakahu and Conical Peak, all in the Rakaia Terrane. Preservation is poor and the only generic level identification of 'Gondolella', 'Idiognathodus' and 'Streptognathodus' is possible. The faunas could be as old as Bashkirian or as young as Gzhelian.