QML796 (Horizon A4)
Basic information
Sample name: QML796 (Horizon A4)
Reference: G. J. Price and G. E. Webb. 2006. Late Pleistocene sedimentology, taphonomy and megafauna extinction on the Darling Downs, southeastern Queensland. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences 53(6):947-970 [ER 3685]
Geography
Country: Australia
State: Queensland
Coordinate: 28° 56' S, 152° 51' E
Latlng basis: estimated from map
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Section: 3685
Unit number: 2
Unit order: above to below
Max Ma: 0.0912
Min Ma: 0.0777
Age basis: U/Th
Geography comments: "Site QML796 is located in the northern bank of Kings Creek, in the Darling Downs, southeastern Queensland, around 200 m downstream from site QML1396".
Three U/Th dates on fossilised teeth from Horizon A4 range from 91.2 ± 0.6 ka to 77.7 ± 0.8 (Price et al. 2011).
Earlier U/Th and C14 dates on bivalve shells are considered to be unreliable.
Three U/Th dates on fossilised teeth from Horizon A4 range from 91.2 ± 0.6 ka to 77.7 ± 0.8 (Price et al. 2011).
Earlier U/Th and C14 dates on bivalve shells are considered to be unreliable.
Environment
Lithology: siliciclastic (mixed)
Taphonomic context: fluvial deposit
Habitat comments: "The modern Kings Creek catchment is fed from the east by shallow, ephemeral watercourses".
The QML796 deposit contains both high-velocity lateral accretion (channel) and low-velocity vertical accretion (overbank) deposits with three highly fossiliferous horizons".
"The middle A4 horizon represents minor stacked channel elements interpreted as small tributaries on the interfluve deposited during high rainfall periods".
"Taphonomic data suggest that most of the identifiable material was accumulated and transported into the deposit from the surrounding proximal floodplain, with the small size of the palaeocatchment precluding any long distance transport of the material".
The QML796 deposit contains both high-velocity lateral accretion (channel) and low-velocity vertical accretion (overbank) deposits with three highly fossiliferous horizons".
"The middle A4 horizon represents minor stacked channel elements interpreted as small tributaries on the interfluve deposited during high rainfall periods".
"Taphonomic data suggest that most of the identifiable material was accumulated and transported into the deposit from the surrounding proximal floodplain, with the small size of the palaeocatchment precluding any long distance transport of the material".
Methods
Life forms: rodents, other large mammals, other small mammals, birds, lizards, snakes, turtles, other reptiles, frogs, fishes, snails
Excluded forms: clams, snails
Sampling methods: quarry, screenwash
Sample size: 671 specimens
Net or trap nights: 0
Basal area status: not applicable
Sampling comments: "Fossils were recovered from an exposed vertical section by in situ collecting and removal of bulk sediment to target smaller specimens".
"A 3x2 m plot was surveyed on the ground above the site, and 1x1 m quadrats were excavated in 10 cm increments using trowels and brushes".
"The excavation continued to a depth of 2.3 metres, yielding a total of 24 cubic metres of sediment and material processed".
"Excavated sediment was washed using 10 and 1 mm graded sieves".
"Specimens of Velesunio ambiguus, Corbicula australis (bivalves) and Plotiopsis balonnensis (a freshwater gastropod) were extremely common in each main fossiliferous horizon (represented by several thousand individuals), and thus, their abundance data were not recorded".
"A 3x2 m plot was surveyed on the ground above the site, and 1x1 m quadrats were excavated in 10 cm increments using trowels and brushes".
"The excavation continued to a depth of 2.3 metres, yielding a total of 24 cubic metres of sediment and material processed".
"Excavated sediment was washed using 10 and 1 mm graded sieves".
"Specimens of Velesunio ambiguus, Corbicula australis (bivalves) and Plotiopsis balonnensis (a freshwater gastropod) were extremely common in each main fossiliferous horizon (represented by several thousand individuals), and thus, their abundance data were not recorded".
Metadata
Sample no: 3852
Contributor no: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-01-19 16:55:59
Modified: 2023-04-29 04:56:06
Abundance distribution
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts. Values are logged.
Statistics
46 species
15 singletons
total count 671
geometric series index: 83.9
Fisher's α: 11.192
geometric series k: 0.8944
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.8875
Shannon's H: 2.7435
Good's u: 0.9777
Register
| Ornithorhynchus anatinus | 1 | |
| Tachyglossus sp. | 1 | |
| Sminthopsis sp. | 2 | |
| Dasyurus viverrinus (eastern quoll) | 4 | |
| also 13 Dasyurus sp. "possibly D. viverrinus" | ||
| Antechinus sp. | 1 | |
| also 1 Dasyuridae indet. | ||
| †Thylacinus cynocephalus (thylacine) | 1 | |
| Perameles nasuta (long-nosed bandicoot) | 1 | 992.0 g |
| †Perameles sobbei (bandicoot) | 5 | |
| also 6 Perameles sp. | ||
| Isoodon obesulus (southern brown bandicoot) | 2 | |
| also 4 Isoodon sp. and 15 Peramelidae indet. | ||
| Vombatidae indet. | 2 | |
| Diprotodon sp. | 42 | |
| †Thylacoleo carnifex | 1 | |
| Bettongia sp. | 1 | |
| Aepyprymnus sp. | 3 | |
| †Sthenurus andersoni (short-faced kangaroo) | 1 | |
| also 2 Sthenurinae indet. | ||
| †Troposodon minor | 10 | |
| Macropus sp. | 1 | |
| "sp. A" | ||
| Notamacropus agilis siva (agile wallaby) | 18 | |
| "Macropus agilis siva" | ||
| †Macropus titan (kangaroo) | 11 | |
| also 3 Macropus sp. | ||
| †Protemnodon brehus (giant kangaroo) | 8 | |
| †Protemnodon roechus (giant kangaroo) | 7 | |
| †Protemnodon anak (giant kangaroo) | 12 | |
| also 18 Protemnodon sp. and 112 Macropodidae indet. | ||
| Pseudomys australis | 20 | |
| Pseudomys sp. | 1 | |
| "sp. A" | ||
| Rattus sp. | 6 | |
| "R. tunneyi or R. sordidus" | ||
| Hydromys chrysogaster | 2 | |
| also 905 Muridae indet. | ||
| Dromaius novaehollandiae | 1 | 32.0 kg |
| Anatidae indet. | 2 | |
| Crocodylidae indet. | 4 | |
| Elapidae indet. | 37 | |
| Varanus priscus | 51 | |
| "Megalania prisca"; also 1 Varanus sp. | ||
| Tiliqua rugosa | 20 | |
| Sphenomorphus sp. 1 | 4 | |
| "Sphenomorphus Group sp. 1" | ||
| Sphenomorphus sp. 2 | 6 | |
| "Sphenomorphus Group sp. 2" | ||
| Sphenomorphus sp. 3 | 3 | |
| "Sphenomorphus Group sp. 3" | ||
| Intellagama lesueurii | 1 | |
| "Physignathus leseurii" | ||
| Tympanocryptis lineata | 31 | |
| Chelidae indet. | 20 | |
| Limnodynastes tasmaniensis | 4 | |
| also 1 Limnodynastes sp. "possibly L. spenceri" | ||
| Teleostei indet. | 152 | |
| Austrosuccinea sp. | 1 | |
| Gyrocochlea sp. | 29 | |
| Coencharopa sp. | 6 | |
| Paralaoma caputspinulae | 1 | |
| Gyraulus gilberti | 133 | |
| Glyptophysa gibbosa | 1 | |