Sample name: Tight Entrance Cave (Unit E*)

Reference: G. J. Prideaux, G. A. Gully, A. M. C. Couzens, L. K. Ayliffe, N. R. Jankowski, Z. Jacobs, R. G. Roberts, J. C. Hellstrom, M. K. Gagan, and L. M. Hatcher. 2010. Timing and dynamics of Late Pleistocene mammal extinctions in southwestern Australia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 107(51):22157-22162 [ER 3720]

Lithology: sandstone

Taphonomic context: pitfall trap

Habitat comments: Tight Entrance Cave occurs within the Tamala Limestone, a coarse to medium-grained aeolian calcarenite".
"The ten superposed strata are composed predominantly of ‘clean’ quartz sands. Most units are separated by marker layers composed of moonmilk and limestone clasts, which accumulated as a slow ‘rain’ from the ceiling during hiatuses in sediment infilling".
"Most animals in the deposit were evidently pitfall victims, falling in alongside sediments and charcoal that were washed in via now-blocked solution pipes, although tooth marks on some bones suggest that carnivores played a minor accumulating role".

Life forms: rodents,other large mammals,other small mammals

Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash

Sample size: 166 specimens

Years: 1996-2008

Sampling comments: "The Prideaux-Flinders University excavation commenced in January–February 1996. The excavation area was divided into a series of variably sized grids, with excavation proceeding according to unit using standard paleontological methods. Excavated sediment was sieved and resultant residues of small vertebrate remains then dried and sorted (picked) for taxonomically identifiable remains. Larger bones were cleaned, dried and stabilized with polyvinyl butyrate dissolved in acetone".
Prideaux et al. (2010) did not report the number of identified specimens. The counts below were obtained by the sample enterer during a July 2022 visit to the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Western Australian Museum, where the specimens were reposited.

Sample number: 3950

Contributor: Benjamin Carter

Enterer: Benjamin Carter

Created: 2022-07-21 17:20:05

Modified: 2023-05-30 01:01:46