Riversleigh World Heritage Area
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
---|---|
Location | Gregory, Queensland, Australia |
Part of | Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh / Naracoorte) |
Criteria | Natural: (viii), (ix) |
Reference | 698-001 |
Inscription | 1994 (18th Session) |
Area | 10,029 ha (38.72 sq mi) |
Coordinates | 19°2′S 138°38′E / 19.033°S 138.633°E |
Riversleigh World Heritage Area is Australia's most famous
The fossils at Riversleigh are unusual because they are found in soft freshwater limestone which has not been compacted.[2] This means the animal remains retain their three-dimensional structure, rather than being partially crushed like in most fossil sites. The area is located within the catchment of the Gregory River.[3] Many of the fossil sites were crevices and
Fossils were first noted to exist in the area in 1901.[4] An initial exploration survey was conducted in 1963. Since 1976, the area has been the subject of systemic exploration.[4] The site was co-listed with the Naracoorte Caves National Park in South Australia as a World Heritage Site in 1994, and by itself, it is an extension of the Boodjamulla National Park.[5]
Description
Fossils at Riversleigh are found in limestone by lime-rich freshwater pools, and in caves, when the ecosystem was evolving from rich rainforest to semiarid grassland community. Some of the fossils at Riversleigh are 25 million years old.[6] High concentrations of calcium carbonate have meant the fossils are extremely well preserved.[6] The fossil collection reveals mammalian evolution across more than 20 million years.[3] Fossils have been found in more than 200 individual locations.[4] The fossil record here is significant because it provides evidence on evolution and the distribution of species across Gondwana.
The presence of Riversleigh fauna in the Oligo-Miocene has been classified by four "faunal zones", and used to denote the presence of fossil taxa in these time periods.[7] These may be summarised as
- Faunal Zone A (FZA): Late or Upper Oligocene, 28.4 to 23.03 million years ago
- Faunal Zone B (FZB): Early or Lower Miocene, 23.03 to 15.97 Ma
- Faunal Zone C (FZC): Middle Miocene, 15.97 to 11.608 Ma
- Faunal Zone D (FZD): Late or Upper Miocene, 11.608 to 5.332 Ma
Thirty-five fossil
The skull and nearly complete dentition of a 15-million-year-old
Other fossils have provided evidence of how the
The fossil species identified at the sites are collectively known as the Riversleigh fauna.[16]
Research
Scientific studies are mostly conducted by a group of
See also
- List of fossil sites
- Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
- Santa Rosa local fauna
- Messel pit
- Laguna del Hunco Formation
- Posidonia Shale
References
- ^ Archer M; Hand, Suzanne J. & Godthelp H. [1991] 2000. Australia's lost world: Riversleigh, World Heritage Site. Reed, Sydney.
- ^ Anna Salleh (16 February 2006). "Huge skulls clues to snake evolution". ABC Science. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
- ^ a b c "Australian Fossil Mammal Site - Riversleigh more information". Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. 15 May 2008. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
- ^ ISBN 978-0643102309. Archivedfrom the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
- ^ "Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh / Naracoorte)". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 10 May 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- ^ a b c "Riversleigh World Heritage Site, Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park: Nature, culture and history". Department of Environment and Resource Management. 14 December 2011. Archived from the original on 13 September 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
- ^ "Faunal zones". Faunal encyclopedia. wakaleo.net. Archived from the original on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ "Cave yields marsupial fossil haul". BBC News. 19 July 2010. Archived from the original on 8 August 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
- ^ Fossils reveal prehistoric life cycle[permanent dead link]. Australian Geographic. 20 July 2010.
- ^ Jonathan Marker (10 April 2014). "This meat-eating marsupial may have hunted prey larger than itself". Science Recorder News. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
- PhysOrg. PhysOrg.com. Archivedfrom the original on 30 June 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
- doi:10.26879/602.
- doi:10.1071/MU98004.
- .
- .
- ^ "wakaleo.net — Riversleigh News and Faunal Encyclopedia". Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
- ^ Queensl, The University of; Lucia, Australia Brisbane St; Gatton, QLD 4072 +61 7 3365 1111 Other Campuses: UQ; Maps, UQ Herston; Queensl, Directions © 2022 The University of. "20 million year old koala named after Dick Smith". UQ News. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
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Further reading
- Archer, M. et al. 1991. Riversleigh: the Story of Australia's Inland Rainforests, (Sydney: Reed Books)