| Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh/Naracoorte)* | |
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| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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| State Party |  Australia |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | viii, ix |
| Reference | 698 |
| Region** | Asia-Pacific |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1994 (18th Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO. |
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Riversleigh, in North West Queensland, is Australia's most famous fossil site. The 100 km² area has fossil remains of ancient mammals, birds and reptiles of Oligocene and Miocene age. The site was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1994 and is an extension of the Lawn Hill National Park.
Fossils at Riversleigh are found in limestone by lime-rich freshwater pools, and in caves, when the ecosystem was evolving from rich rainforest to semi-arid grassland community. Thirty-five fossil bat species have been identified at the site, which is the richest in the world. The skull and nearly complete dentition of a fifteen million-year-old monotreme, Obdurodon dicksoni, provide a window into the evolution of this characteristically Australian group. Fossil ancestors of the recently extinct Thylacinus cynocephalus, the marsupial Tasmanian tiger, have also been identified among Riversleigh's fauna.
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Creatures of Riversleigh
- Yalkaparidon, a bizarre marsupial
- Ekaltadeta, a carnivorous rat-kangaroo
- Wakaleo, a marsupial lion
- Priscileo, a marsupial lion
- Burramys, the Mountain Pygmy Possum
- Nimbacinus, a precursor of the Tasmanian wolf
- Obdurodon, a giant platypus
- Nimiokoala, an ancient koala
- Yarala, a tube-nosed bandicoot
- Pengana, a flexible-footed bird of prey
- Menura tyawanoides, a prehistoric lyrebird
- The first fossil record of the Orthonychidae (logrunner) family
- Trilophosuchus, a tree-dwelling crocodile
- Baru, the cleaver-headed crocodile
- Yurlunggur, and Wonambi, extinct snakes (Madtsoiidae)
See also
- List of fossil sites (with link directory)
External links
- World heritage listing for Riversleigh
- UNESCO site with information on Riversleigh, Australia
- Australian site about Riversleigh
- Information about fossils from Riversleigh, Australian Museum
- The Riversleigh Society supports scientific research at Riversleigh
References
- Archer, M. et al. 1991. Riversleigh: the Story of Australia's Inland Rainforests, (Sydney: Reed Books).
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