Nettle Cave (Pleistocene of Australia)

Also known as Nettle Cave of the Jenolan Caves Reserve on the Gread Dividing Ridge

Where: New South Wales, Australia (33.8° S, 150.0° E: paleocoordinates 33.8° S, 150.0° E)

• coordinate stated in text

When: Late/Upper Pleistocene (0.1 - 0.0 Ma)

Environment/lithology: cave; carbonate and brown, sandy claystone

• The gross stratigraphy of the bone-rich sediment suggests these sediments had formed as a result of a series of deposits of air-fall debris. The dark organic layer indicates a stable surface. The sediment changed below this layer to a brown, gritty, sandy clay that contained an increased amount of charcoal and soil particles, but a reduced amount of bone. Two discrete lenses of charcoal were evident. Between these lenses was a white, calcareous, cemented layer which may represent a former water saturation level.

Size class: macrofossils

Primary reference: D. A. Morris, M. L. Augee, D. Gillieson and J. Head. 1997. Analysis of a late Quaternary deposit and small mammal fauna from Nettle Cave, Jenolan, New South Wales. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 117:135-161 [M. Uhen/J. Joo/M. Uhen]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 181897: authorized by Mark Uhen, entered by Joshua Joo on 07.10.2016

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
Mammalia
 Peramelemorphia - Peramelidae
Perameles nasuta, Isoodon obesulus
Perameles nasuta Geoffroy 1804 long-nosed bandicoot
Isoodon obesulus Shaw 1797 short-nosed bandicoot
 Dasyuromorphia - Dasyuridae
Sminthopsis murina, Dasyurus viverrinus, Phascogale tapoatafa, Antechinus swainsonii, Antechinus stuartii, Antechinus flavipes
Sminthopsis murina Waterhouse 1837 Slender-tailed dunnart
Dasyurus viverrinus Shaw 1800 eastern quoll
Phascogale tapoatafa Meyer 1793 brush-tailed phascogale
Antechinus swainsonii Waterhouse 1840 Dusky antechinus
Antechinus stuartii Macleay 1841 Brown antechinus
Antechinus flavipes Waterhouse 1838 Yellow-footed antechinus
 Diprotodontia - Pseudocheiridae
Petauroides volans, Pseudocheirus peregrinus
Petauroides volans Kerr 1792 ringtail possum
Pseudocheirus peregrinus Boddaert 1785 common ringtail possum
 Diprotodontia - Potoroidae
Bettongia sp., Potorous tridactylus
Bettongia sp. Gray 1837 bettong
Potorous tridactylus Kerr 1792 long-nosed potoroo
 Diprotodontia - Acrobatidae
Acrobates pygmaeus
Acrobates pygmaeus Shaw 1794 feathertail glider
 Diprotodontia - Petauridae
Petaurus breviceps
Petaurus breviceps Waterhouse 1839 sugar glider
 Diprotodontia - Burramyidae
Cercartetus nanus, Cercartetus lepidus, Burramys parvus
Cercartetus nanus Desmarest 1818 eastern pygmy possum
Cercartetus lepidus Thomas 1888 Tasmanian pygmy possum
Burramys parvus Broom 1896 mountain pygmy possum
 Diprotodontia - Macropodidae
Thylogale thetis
Thylogale thetis Lesson 1828 Red-necked pademelon
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Oryctolagus cuniculus
Oryctolagus cuniculus Linnaeus 1758 European rabbit
 Rodentia - Muridae
Mus musculus, Rattus fuscipes, Rattus rattus, Mastacomys fuscus
Mus musculus Linnaeus 1758 house mouse
Rattus rattus Linnaeus 1758 black rat
Mastacomys fuscus broad-toothed rat
 Rodentia -
Pseudomys oralis, Pseudomys gracilicaudatus, Pseudomys australis, Pseudomys novaehollandiae, Pseudomys fumeus, Conilurus albipes
Pseudomys oralis Australian mouse
Pseudomys gracilicaudatus Australian mouse
Pseudomys australis Australian mouse
Pseudomys novaehollandiae Australian mouse
Pseudomys fumeus Australian mouse
Conilurus albipes rabbit rat