Developing a radiometrically-dated chronologic sequence for Neogene biotic change in Australia, from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area of Queensland

J Woodhead; SJ Hand; M Archer; I Graham; K Sniderman; DA Arena; KH Black; H Godthelp; P Creaser; E Price

Journal article

Developing a radiometrically-dated chronologic sequence for Neogene biotic change in Australia, from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area of Queensland

J Woodhead, SJ Hand, M Archer, I Graham, K Sniderman, DA Arena, KH Black, H Godthelp, P Creaser, E Price

Gondwana Research | Published : 2016

DOI: 10.1016/j.gr.2014.10.004

Abstract

Radiometric U-Pb ages are presented for the Riversleigh World Heritage fossil mammal site in northwestern Queensland, Australia. The ages are determined on speleothems which are generally found in intimate or well-documented association with fossil remains and thus can be assumed to record the age of the latter with a high degree of confidence. The new ages encompass the early (18.2-16.5. Ma) and middle Miocene (15.1-13.5. Ma) deposits at Riversleigh in addition to the younger Rackham's Roost Site which returns early Pleistocene ages. Together, these provide a robust chronological framework for the interpretation of Neogene biotic change in Australia that has, until now, relied almost entire..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Jon Woodhead Author

Kale Sniderman Author

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Grants

Awarded by Riversleigh Society

Funding Acknowledgements

We thank Alan Greig for assistance with the ICPMS trace element analyses. Development of the U-Pb speleothem chronometer at Melbourne University and continued investigations of the Riversleigh World Heritage Sites have been funded by a variety of grants from the Australian Research Council including LE0989067, LP0989969, LP100200486, DP0985214, DP0664621, DP1094569, DP130100197, and DE130100476, and support from the XSTRATA Community Partnership Program (North Queensland); the University of New South Wales; P. Creaser and the CREATE Fund, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service; Environment Australia; the Queensland Museum; the Riversleigh Society Inc.; Outback at Isa; Mount Isa City Council; and private supporters including K. and M. Pettit, E. Clark, M. Beavis and M. Dickson. Assistance in the field has come from many hundreds of volunteers as well as staff and postgraduate students of the University of New South Wales. Dylan Bye in particular is thanked for the discovery of D4 Site speleothems.