A Lagerstatte from Australia provides insight into the nature of Miocene mesic ecosystems.

ABSTRACT: Reduced precipitation in the Miocene triggered the geographic contraction of rainforest ecosystems around the world. In Australia, this change was particularly pronounced; mesic rainforest ecosystems that once dominated the landscape transformed into the shrublands, grasslands, and deserts of today. A lack of well-preserved fossils has made it difficult to understand the nature of Australian ecosystems before the aridification. Here, we report on an exceptionally well-preserved rainforest biota from New South Wales, Australia. This Konservat-Lagerstätte hosts a rich diversity of microfossils, plants, insects, spiders, and vertebrate remains preserved in goethite. We document evidence for several species interactions including predation, parasitism, and pollination. The fossils are indicati

SUBMITTER: McCurry MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8741189 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature