Puritjarra rock shelter (Layer 1)
Basic information
Sample name: Puritjarra rock shelter (Layer 1)
Reference: M. A. Smith. 2009. Late Quaternary landscapes in Central Australia: sedimentary history and palaeoecology of Puritjarra rock shelter. Journal of Quaternary Science 24(7):747-760 [ER 3687]
Geography
Country: Australia
State: Northern Territory
Coordinate: 24° 50' S, 131° 51' E
Latlng basis: stated in text
Time interval: Holocene
Max Ma: 0.0083
Min Ma: 0.0007
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "Puritjarra is situated in the Cleland Hills, 60 km west of the MacDonnell Ranges on the northern rim of the Amadeus basin" in central Australia.
Deposition of the fossiliferous Layer 1 began 8.3 ka with the earliest remains dating to less than 0.7 ka (dates for the underlying Layer II are uncalibrated, so these are also presumed to be such)
Deposition of the fossiliferous Layer 1 began 8.3 ka with the earliest remains dating to less than 0.7 ka (dates for the underlying Layer II are uncalibrated, so these are also presumed to be such)
Environment
Lithology: sandstone
Taphonomic context: human accumulation, rock shelter
Archaeology: hearths, stone tools, other structures
Habitat comments: "Layer 1 is a consolidated layer of sand and rock spall ... grading into aeolian sediments outside the rock shelter".
"The matrix of Layer 1 is made up of light-brown sand, sandstone rubble and numerous fine rock fragments".
"The layer contains lenses of rockfall, intact hearths and pits, well-distributed pieces of charcoal and finely fragmented bone". Numerous flaked stone artefacts are also present.
"The matrix of Layer 1 is made up of light-brown sand, sandstone rubble and numerous fine rock fragments".
"The layer contains lenses of rockfall, intact hearths and pits, well-distributed pieces of charcoal and finely fragmented bone". Numerous flaked stone artefacts are also present.
Methods
Life forms: rodents, other large mammals, other small mammals
Excluded forms: lizards, snakes
Sampling methods: quarry, screenwash
Sample size: 95 specimens
Net or trap nights: 0
Basal area status: not applicable
Sampling comments: "All sediments were weighed and screened through 3 mm and 6 mm sieves".
Note: In addition to the mammal counts below, remains of several unidentified species of reptiles were also found in Layer 1, including 1 snake and 12 lizards belonging to the Agamidae, Varanidae, and Scincidae families.
Note: In addition to the mammal counts below, remains of several unidentified species of reptiles were also found in Layer 1, including 1 snake and 12 lizards belonging to the Agamidae, Varanidae, and Scincidae families.
Metadata
Sample no: 3858
Contributor no: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-01-21 16:06:07
Modified: 2023-04-03 09:06:58
Abundance distribution
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts. Values are logged.
Statistics
9 species
3 singletons
total count 95
geometric series index: 17.0
Fisher's α: 2.441
geometric series k: 0.5935
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.5045
Shannon's H: 1.1726
Good's u: 0.9684
Register
| Pseudomys hermannsburgensis | 3 | |
| also 6 Muridae indet. | ||
| Dasyuridae indet. | 1 | |
| possibly Dasyurus geoffroii | ||
| Peramelidae indet. | 7 | |
| possibly Isoodon auratus | ||
| Bettongia lesueur (boodie) | 1 | |
| also 8 Bettongia sp. | ||
| Lagorchestes hirsutus (rufous hare wallaby) | 3 | 1.5 kg |
| Petrogale lateralis (black-flanked rock wallaby) | 1 | |
| Macropus sp. | 65 | |
| Osphranter rufus (red kangaroo) | 3 | |
| "Macropus rufus" | ||
| Osphranter robustus (common wallaroo) | 11 | |
| "Macropus robustus" | ||