Macrofossils discovered in the Battye Glacier Formation (Pagodroma Group) of the Prince Charles Mountains, East Antarctica, provide important insight into marine life of the mid-Tertiary, rarely preserved elsewhere on the continent. Recorded are five species of macroinvertebrates; these are Adamussium n. sp.? cf. colbecki (Smith, 1902) (Bivalvia), Laternula? sp. (Laternulidae), Mytilidae genus and species indeterminate (Bivalvia), Bivalvia genus and species indeterminate, and Polychaeta genus and species indeterminate. Based on stratigraphical data and faunal composition, the clasts are dated as no younger than Early Miocene. This is one of the oldest reports of Adamussium from Antarctica, previously known from the Late Pliocene to Recent with a possible record in the Late Oligocene - Early Miocene. Palaeoecological data and facies analysis indicate that these taxa inhabited a shallow- to mid-shelf marine environment of normal salinity that was oligotrophic. The substrate was a soft, pebbly and sandy bottom that was sufficiently mobile to sponsor deep burrowing forms.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Earth Sciences
Research Group:	Geology
Research Field:	Palaeontology (incl. palynology)
Objective Division:	Environmental Policy, Climate Change and Natural Hazards
Objective Group:	Understanding climate change
Objective Field:	Climate variability (excl. social impacts)
UTAS Author:	Whitehead, JM (Dr Jason Whitehead)
ID Code:	32530
Year Published:	2002
Web of Science® Times Cited:	9
Deposited By:	IASOS
Deposited On:	2005-03-21
Last Modified:	2005-03-21
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