Lancefield Swamp (Classic Site - 2004-2005 excavations)
Basic information
Sample name: Lancefield Swamp (Classic Site - 2004-2005 excavations)
Reference: J. Dortch, M. Cupper, R. Grün, B. Harpley, K. Lee, and J. Field. 2016. The timing and cause of megafauna mass deaths at Lancefield Swamp, south-eastern Australia. Quaternary Science Reviews 145:161-182 [ER 3693]
Geography
Country: Australia
State: Victoria
Coordinate: 37° 17' S, 144° 43' E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Max Ma: 0.0594
Min Ma: 0.0441
Age basis: OSL
Geography comments: "Lancefield Swamp is a spring-fed swamp adjacent to the small town of Lancefield, in southern-central Victoria, Australia".
"The swamp is located on a 10 km wide shallow basalt plain in the upper catchment of the Maribyrnong Basin at 500 m above sea level".
OSL dates on the bone beds from the Classic site of the 2004-2005 excavations range from 59.4 ± 5.1 to 44.1 ± 3.5 ka BP.
"The swamp is located on a 10 km wide shallow basalt plain in the upper catchment of the Maribyrnong Basin at 500 m above sea level".
OSL dates on the bone beds from the Classic site of the 2004-2005 excavations range from 59.4 ± 5.1 to 44.1 ± 3.5 ka BP.
Environment
Lithology: siliciclastic (mixed)
Taphonomic context: lake deposit
Habitat comments: "The swamp features two depressions, one each at the western and eastern ends".
"The western depression is known as the Classic Site and the eastern depression as the Mayne Site".
The bone beds consist of mottled or speckled clay with >5% gravel. The sediment is unconsolidated and contains a dense, interlocking matrix of bones".
Taphonomic analysis indicates the faunal remains "represent an accumulation of multiple waterhole death events, impacted by some carnivore activity, with isolated areas of channel cutting and filling".
"The western depression is known as the Classic Site and the eastern depression as the Mayne Site".
The bone beds consist of mottled or speckled clay with >5% gravel. The sediment is unconsolidated and contains a dense, interlocking matrix of bones".
Taphonomic analysis indicates the faunal remains "represent an accumulation of multiple waterhole death events, impacted by some carnivore activity, with isolated areas of channel cutting and filling".
Methods
Life forms: other large mammals,other small mammals
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 101 specimens
Years: 2004, 2005
Sampling comments: "Systematic excavation involved extending the Classic and Mayne Site trenches".
"The excavation at the Classic Site was undertaken 50 cm into the original trench walls at locations along the trench to provide 50 × 100 cm sample areas across the swamp".
"All sediment was wet-sieved through 3 and 5 mm mesh screens".
"The excavation at the Classic Site was undertaken 50 cm into the original trench walls at locations along the trench to provide 50 × 100 cm sample areas across the swamp".
"All sediment was wet-sieved through 3 and 5 mm mesh screens".
Metadata
Sample number: 3879
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-02-03 17:07:23
Modified: 2022-02-03 06:33:41
Abundance distribution
6 species
2 singletons
total count 101
geometric series index: 10.6
Fisher's α: 1.397
geometric series k: 0.4163
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.3510
Shannon's H: 0.7732
Good's u: 0.9802
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| Trichosurus sp. | 1 | |
| †Macropus titan | 80 | |
| "Macropus giganteus titan" | ||
| Osphranter sp. | 1 | |
| also 1014 Macropodinae indet. | ||
| Protemnodon sp. | 11 | |
| †Sthenurus cf. andersoni | 4 | |
| also 2 Sthenurus sp. | ||
| †Diprotodon optatum | 4 | |
| also 1 Diprotodontidae indet. | ||