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However, excavations begun in 2004 by Dortch et al. suggest that the
Lancefield megafauna remains have not been disturbed since deposition. Therefore, is it is hoped that dates assigned to the Lancefield bones are reliable and therefore represent their true age since burial. If age estimates turn out
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On the other hand, if the dates are comparatively recent, say less than 35ka, then humans would be exculpated as a causative agent of the decline of megafauna. However, if the estimate falls somewhere close to 46ka, then human arrival, and the final demise of the megafauna, could be associated.
142:, that complete skulls are lacking, that the majority of bones are large, and that they tend to be aligned along a common axis, indicative of the direction of water flow. Therefore, it appeared probable that lighter bones had been washed away whereas heavier bones remained in situ. Dating of
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However, when
Lancefield Swamp was investigated by van Huet, it was found that the bones had been reworked by fast-flowing water at some time after the animals had died. That conclusion was based upon observations that the bones show signs of post-depositional wear, that they are all
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The Huet excavations were in a different part of the site to the original excavations. Also, Gillespie et al. did not find evidence of reworking, just the reverse. The deposits were clearly in situ in their part of the site.
134:. Horton therefore claimed that Lancefield is a decisive example of the survival of Australian Megafauna for many thousands of years after the arrival of modern humans in prehistoric Sahul.
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Human artefacts were found in the bone bed and in the overlying clay, but evidence of reworking by water flow has been noted. Thus it appears possible such artefacts are intrusions.
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gravel between layers of clay. The layer of bones is estimated to contain the remains of perhaps 10,000 individual
Pleistocene animals. A total of at least six
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to be on the high side, say 60ka or greater, the
Lancefield bones may contribute less to our understanding of the effects of human activities upon the
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The
Lancefield Swamp fossil site is important in the debate over the time of and causes of the extinction of
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van Huet S. "The
Taphonomy of the Lancefield Swamp Megafaunal Accumulation, Lancefield, Victoria".
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Initial radiocarbon dates yielded estimates of 31ka, a comparatively young age, approaching the
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species are represented, although the majority of bones are from the eastern grey kangaroo (
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Gillespie R. et al. "Lancefield Swamp and the
Extinction of the Australian Megafauna",
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van Huet S. et al. "Age of the
Lancefield Megafauna: a reappraisal".
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The site consists of a bone bed lying directly atop a layer of
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teeth from the bone bed yielded ages of 46-56ka by means of
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Fossil deposit near
Lancefield, Victoria, Australia
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320:Pleistocene paleontological sites of Australia
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290:Dortch 2004:Lancefield Megafauna Excavation
112:. Humans are estimated to have arrived in
246:Records of the Western Australian Museum
62:was discovered in the 19th century near
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305:Dr. Steve Wroe, Australian Megafauna
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55:is a rich fossil deposit from the
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235:, Allen & Unwin, Sydney 2000.
295:Monash University Palaeontology
248:, supplement 57, 331-340, 1999.
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271:Dortch 2004:Formal Report
233:The Pure State of Nature
37:37.283833°S 144.723617°E
259:Australian Archaeology
42:-37.283833; 144.723617
300:Monash Science Centre
193:(with link directory)
123:, at anything from 60
190:List of fossil sites
185:Lancefield, Victoria
180:Australian Megafauna
160:Australian Megafauna
132:Last Glacial Maximum
110:Australian megafauna
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222:200, 1978, 1044-8.
93:Macropus giganteus
119:, or prehistoric
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114:Pleistocene
78:Description
57:Pleistocene
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28:144°43′25″E
231:Horton D.
199:References
166:in Sahul.
144:Diprotodon
64:Lancefield
25:37°17′02″S
152:Carbon-14
117:Australia
88:megafauna
72:Australia
314:Category
174:See also
154:dating.
68:Victoria
220:Science
84:fluvial
121:Sahul
60:epoch
51:The
148:ESR
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207:^
125:ka
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