Quaternary plant macrofossils from Robertson Cave, Naracoorte, South Australia: reproductive structures

Abstract

Abstract The World Heritage Naracoorte Caves in southeastern South Australia are important palaeontological sites known primarily for their diverse vertebrate fossils. Some of the caves also contain well-preserved Quaternary plant macrofossils, but little palaeobotanical research has been undertaken to date. Here, we describe the angiosperm plant taxa represented by macrofossils of reproductive structures that have been extracted from the Robertson Cave sediment deposit; this has an age range of 820–24,230 years BP. We identified 29 angiosperm taxa representing 20 families. These represent some of the plant species that grew in the Naracoorte region during the Quaternary, and form a database for future plant identification and palaeovegetation reconstructions. Rachel A. Atkins [rachel.atkins@adelaide.edu.au], School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia and Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia; Robert S. Hill [bob.hill@adelaide.edu.au], School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia and Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia; Kathryn E. Hill [kathryn@debillenvironmental.com.au], School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia and DeBill Environmental, 13 Hawkesbury Ave, Kilburn, South Australia 5084, Australia; Samantha E.M. Munroe [Samantha.Munroe@csiro.au], School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005; Elizabeth H. Reed [liz.reed@adelaide.edu.au], School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia, Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia, and Earth and Biological Sciences (Palaeontology), South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia.