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https://theconversation.com/unusual-red-rocks-in-australia-are-rewriting-the-rules-on-exceptional-fossil-sites-266904>
"Hidden beneath farmland in the central tablelands of New South Wales lies one
of Australia’s most extraordinary fossil sites – McGraths Flat. It dates back
between 11 million and 16 million years into the Miocene epoch, a time when
many of today’s familiar plants and animals evolved.
It is here that palaentologists and geologists from the Australian Museum
Research Institute have made remarkable fossil discoveries. Where dust and
drought now dominate, a lush rainforest once flourished. In stunning ecological
detail, fossils at McGraths Flat reveal this ancient ecosystem.
Strikingly red in appearance, the sedimentary rocks here are composed entirely
of goethite – a fine-grained mineral that contains iron. This iron has
preserved a range of plants, insects, spiders, fish and feathers with
exceptional detail.
Our new study, published in the journal
Gondwana Research, shows there’s
another reason these rocks are so intriguing. They fundamentally challenge
ideas about where well-preserved fossil sites on Earth can be found, and why."
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
