TY - JOUR
T1 - Insights into the pre-European mammalian fauna of the southern Flinders Ranges, South Australia
AU - Liddle, Nerida R.
AU - McDowell, Matthew C.
AU - Prideaux, Gavin J.
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Many Australian mammal species have suffered significant declines since European colonisation. During the first century of settlement, information on species distribution was rarely recorded. However, fossil accumulations can assist the reconstruction of historical distributions. We examine a fossil vertebrate assemblage from Mair's Cave, one of few known from the southern Flinders Ranges, South Australia. The Mair's Cave assemblage was dominated by mammals but also included birds and reptiles. Of the 18 mammals recovered, two have not previously been recorded from the southern Flinders Ranges, at least one is extinct and seven are recognised as threatened nationally. Characteristics of the assemblage suggest that it was accumulated by a Tyto owl species. Remains of Tyto delicatula and a larger unidentified owl were recovered from the assemblage. Most mammals identified from the assemblage presently occupy Australia's semiarid zone, but a single specimen of the broad-toothed rat (Mastacomys fuscus), which primarily occurs in high-moisture, low-temperature environments was also recovered. This suggests either that the southern Flinders Ranges once experienced higher past precipitation, or that M. fuscus can tolerate a broader climatic range than its current distribution suggests. Our study contributes new knowledge on the biogeography and ecology of several mammal species, data useful for helping to refine restoration targets.
AB - Many Australian mammal species have suffered significant declines since European colonisation. During the first century of settlement, information on species distribution was rarely recorded. However, fossil accumulations can assist the reconstruction of historical distributions. We examine a fossil vertebrate assemblage from Mair's Cave, one of few known from the southern Flinders Ranges, South Australia. The Mair's Cave assemblage was dominated by mammals but also included birds and reptiles. Of the 18 mammals recovered, two have not previously been recorded from the southern Flinders Ranges, at least one is extinct and seven are recognised as threatened nationally. Characteristics of the assemblage suggest that it was accumulated by a Tyto owl species. Remains of Tyto delicatula and a larger unidentified owl were recovered from the assemblage. Most mammals identified from the assemblage presently occupy Australia's semiarid zone, but a single specimen of the broad-toothed rat (Mastacomys fuscus), which primarily occurs in high-moisture, low-temperature environments was also recovered. This suggests either that the southern Flinders Ranges once experienced higher past precipitation, or that M. fuscus can tolerate a broader climatic range than its current distribution suggests. Our study contributes new knowledge on the biogeography and ecology of several mammal species, data useful for helping to refine restoration targets.
KW - environmental preferences
KW - Flinders Ranges
KW - mammal declines
KW - owl accumulation
KW - Quaternary
KW - taphonomy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85049260371&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/ARC/FT130101728
U2 - 10.1071/AM17035
DO - 10.1071/AM17035
M3 - Article
VL - 40
SP - 262
EP - 268
JO - Australian Mammalogy
JF - Australian Mammalogy
SN - 0310-0049
IS - 2
ER -