Marine ostracods from the Khao Pathawi Limestone (Late Triassic), central Thailand

Abstract

Triassic marine ostracods from south-eastern Asia are poorly known, leading to a profound misreading of their biodiversity on the eastern Tethys margin during this critical interval of the history of life. Here we describe the first Late Triassic ostracod assemblage from the Khao Pathawi Limestone exposed in Uthai Thani Province, central Thailand. It comprises 22 relatively poorly preserved species, their taxonomy is discussed and adds to the scientific understanding of marine ostracods during the Late Triassic. The noticeable lack of the archetypal Triassic Metacopina and ornate Bairdiidae is discussed. Although several of the recovered species might be new to science, it is premature to describe them. Two species are shared with Rhaetian communities described from western and southern Tethyan localities and additional shared species may be confirmed in the future, illustrating the largescale distribution of ostracod taxa during the Late Triassic. Overall, the ostracod assemblage described here is in line with the Norian-Rhaetian age proposed for the Khao Pathawi Limestone.