Fossil Deposits of Riversleigh, The: An Extraordinary Australian discovery

Cover title: Uncovering Australia’s Dreamtime.

The fossil fields of Riversleigh in far north western Queensland provide one of the world’s richest Oligo-Miocene faunal records, linking this period (15 to 25 million years ago) to the modern assemblages of later geological epochs.

The first European to note the presence of fossil bones at Riversleigh was WE Cameron in 1900. However it was not until the mid-1970s that its treasure trove of paleontological riches truly began to be uncovered. In 1994, 10,000 hectares of the fossil fields – comprising part of Boodjamulla National Park – gained World Heritage status (along with Naracoorte Caves in SA), based on their contribution to the understanding of key stages in the evolution of Australia’s fauna. Nonetheless, outside of the scientific community, relatively few Australians are even aware of the fossil fields, let alone their significance, despite the fact that David Attenborough has described Riversleigh as one of the four most important fossil deposits in the world.

• 32 p. : ill., maps ; 28 cm. #1218
• • Palaeontology — Queensland — Riversleigh.
  • Riversleigh (Qld.) — History.
  • Palaeontology.