McGraths Flat is an Australian research site containing fossils and other evidence of animals and plants that existed in
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...
Australia. Located in central New South Wales, specimens at the site are in an exceptional state of preservation, described in paleontology as a
Konservat-Lagerstätten, deposited in unusual conditions that record microscopic details of soft tissues and delicate structures. Fossil evidence of animals with soft bodies, unlike the bones of mammals and reptiles, is rare in Australia, and discoveries at McGraths' Flat have revealed unknown species of invertebrates such as insects and spiders.
The site, named for its discoverer, occurs on private land near the town of
Gulgong. The degree of preservation at this Lagerstätte has been compared to the quality of that found at
Crato Formation,
Lake Eckfeld
The Eckfelder Maar is a former volcanic lake, that was formed during the Middle Eocene around 44.3 million years ago and is thus the oldest known maar. It lies in the southwestern Eifel mountains near Manderscheid in Germany. , and
Libros
Libros is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE
INE, Ine or ine may refer to:
Institutions
* Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center
* Instituto Nacional ...
. Other fossil sites in Australia, such as Riversleigh, Bullock Creek and Alcoota, are rich in the skeletal remains of Miocene fauna, but none provide the diversity of organisms, their interactions, or exquisite detail found at this site. The finely layered fossiliferous strata is associated with permanent water, perhaps an oxbow lake, in a mesic rainforest, habitat that once dominated the continent.
At the time of deposition of the fossil strata, from 16 to 11 million years ago, the site was a slow moving or still water body, perhaps a
billabong. Along with fish, the fossilised remains of insects include an abundance of pupae and adult stages of aquatic species. Evidence of an isolated ecosystem at a stable and permanently wet site is supported by preliminary examination of taxa that includes midges.
References
* {{Cite journal , title=A Lagerstätte from Australia provides insight into the nature of Miocene mesic ecosystems , first1 = Matthew , last1 = McCurry , first2 = David , last2 = Cantrill , first3 = Patrick , last3 = Smith , display-authors = etal , date = 2022 , doi = 10.1126/sciadv.abm1406 , journal = Science Advances, volume=8 , issue=1 , pages=eabm1406 , pmid = 34995110 , pmc = 8741189 , bibcode = 2022SciA....8M1406M
* https://australian.museum/blog/amri-news/discovery-of-new-Australian-fossil/
Lagerstätten
Paleontological sites of Australia