An ostracod fauna from the Great Artesian Basin, SW. Queensland, Australia, is described from the Allaru Mudstone, Rolling Downs Group, of Albian-Cenomanian age. New are:
Majungaella margaritata n. sp.,
M. queenslandensis n. sp.;
Tickalaracythere n. g.,
T. ticka n. sp.,
T. scheibnerovae n. sp.;
Artesiocythere n. g.,
A. artesica n. sp.;
Rostrocytheridea ?
allaruensis n. sp.;
Allaruella n. g.,
A. australiensis n. sp. Two species of
Majungaella GREKOFF 1963 and two species of
Hystricocythere ? BATE 1972 are described under open nomenclature.
For the genera
Majungaella,
Novocythere,
Tickalaracythere n. g. and
Artesiocythere
n. g., the tribus Majungaellini n. trib. is established; it is attributed to the subfamily Cytherideinae SARS 1925.
The stratigraphic value of the ostracod species described is at present restricted because essentially all species and most genera are new.
The Tickalara fauna is, however, interesting in regard to its palaeobiogeographic distribution, because the Majungaellini n. trib. is known to occur in SE. and E. Africa, Madagascar, W. Australia, Argentina (published), NE. Brazil (unpublished) and probably also in the Mediterranean region, i. e. the essential members of this fauna appear to have an austral ("marine gondwanic") distribution.