Fossils from Australia

Australia is a vast country with a rich fossil record, and several sites across the continent have yielded important and sometimes spectacular finds.

Canowindra, in New South Wales, is especially well known for its Late Devonian fish fossils. A single rock slab unearthed here revealed dozens of articulated fish, preserved in fine detail — one of the most significant Devonian fossil finds in Australia.

Lightning Ridge is better known for its opal than for its fossils, but the two go hand in hand. Fossils found here — often bones of dinosaurs, turtles, and mammals — are sometimes partially or fully replaced with opal. These opalised fossils are unique to the region and highly prized by collectors.

The Wellington Caves, also in New South Wales, have produced a range of Pleistocene mammal fossils, including Diprotodon and other megafauna. The caves are formed in limestone, which helped preserve these remains over thousands of years.

Talbragar, a Jurassic site, is one of the better known locations for fossil fish in Australia. The preservation at this site is quite good, and the fine-grained sediments allow for clear detail. In addition to fish, occasional plant and insect fossils are also found.

The Naracoorte Caves, in South Australia, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contain a rich Pleistocene record. They acted as pitfall traps for thousands of years, accumulating the bones of many now-extinct animals, including marsupial lions and giant kangaroos.

Australia’s fossil record is varied and important, particularly for understanding the evolution of vertebrates in isolated ecosystems. Many of the sites are still actively studied and continue to yield new material.

Further reading

• https://australian.museum/learn/australia-over-time/fossils/sites/

Australia