| Survey/Project Number: | 1047 Total No. of Sites: 0 |
| Survey/Project Name: | Lessons of past climate change - Robertson Cave |
| Abstract: | This project aims to examine past climate change through an analysis of fossils preserved within a deposit in Robertson Cave Entrance Chamber (5U17), Naracoorte Caves National Park, South Australia. Project involved fossil excavations, geochronological and sedimentary analyses, and plant and vertebrate fossil analyses. Links to Projects 1045, 1046 and 1042: Lessons of past climate change - Bat Cave and Lessons of past climate change - Blanche Cave; and Assessing the potential for aDNA research at Naracoorte Caves by Alicia Grealy. REFERENCES: Macken, A.C. and Reed, E.H. 2013. Late Quaternary small mammal faunas of the Naracoorte Caves World Heritage Area. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 137, 53-67. Patricia Fuentes-Cross 2015. Humans as agents of landscape change in Australia: vegetation turn over and domestication. PhD Thesis. The University of Adelaide, South Australia. |
| Start Date: | 01/01/2011 End Date: 01/02/2012 |
| Survey Type: | Fauna only |
| Study Area Description: | Entrance Chamber, Robertson Cave (entrances 5U17, 18, 19), Naracoorte Caves National Park: Zone 54, Easting 485378, Northing 5894423. |
| Objectives | |||
| Vegetation: | *** No vegetation survey objectives recorded | ||
| Fauna: | Refer to Abstract. | ||
| Methodology | |||
| Vegetation: | *** No vegetation methodology recorded | ||
| Fauna: | SAMPLE COLLECTION: Excavation of two adjacent 1 m3 pits (1 and 2) within the entrance chamber to Robertson Cave. Each pit was divided into four 50 x 50 cm sections (A, B, C and D). Material was collected from each of paired sections A/B and C/D, across 12 discrete layers (1-12). The layers were excavated in sections of up to 5 cm thick. VERTEBRATE FOSSIL PREPARATION: Small mammal craniodental material from Pit 1 was identified by Dr Amy Macken. Fossil and other palaeoecological materials from Pit 2 are partially sorted from screened sediment bags. VERTEBRATE FOSSIL REGISTRATION: Small mammal craniodental material from Pit 1 was registered to the South Australian Museum by Dr Amy Macken (SAM P47215-47682). SEDIMENTARY ANALYSES: 1 kg of sediment was reserved from each layer for sedimentary, geochronological and fossil pollen analysis. GEOCHRONOLOGICAL ANALYSES: 1 kg of sediment was reserved from each layer for sedimentary, geochronological and fossil pollen analysis. Sediment core samples collected from Robertson Cave in 2004 as a pre-cursor to this project. OTHER: Plant macrofossils were examined by Dr Patricia Fuentes-Cross. | ||
| Data Distribution Rules: | Public Dataset |
| Project Basis: |
Fauna
:
Fossil excavation
Fauna : Climate and climate change related investigations |
| Information Authority: |
Department for Environment and Heritage (BDBSA:South East)
South Australian Museum |