Ferruaspis brocksi: 15-Million-Year-Old Fish Fossil in Australia
Why in the news
A palaeontologist’s team described a well-preserved fish fossil that reveals Australia once had dense, wet rainforest where dry eucalyptus land lies today.
Key facts
- Species: Ferruaspis brocksi, from the Miocene, about 15 million years ago.
- Site: McGraths Flat, New South Wales.
- Group: Osmeriformes; first fossil of this group in Australia.
- Researcher: Dr Matthew McCurry; palaeontology studies ancient life through fossils, unlike archaeology which studies human history.
Preservation details
- Skeleton, skin and stomach contents survived, which is very rare.
- Diet: phantom midge larvae and a small mussel.
- Melanosomes indicate dark back, pale belly and two side stripes.
- A freshwater mussel larva (glochidium) was attached as a parasite.
Climate meaning
- The Miocene was a climate transition.
- Fossils add information beyond pollen records.
- Drivers: tectonic drift (Australia moving north), changed ocean currents and Antarctic glaciation.
Earlier find at the site
| Feature | Giant trapdoor spider |
|---|---|
| Preserved in | Goethite (iron-rich rock) |
| Family | Barychelidae |
| Modern relatives | Wetter regions such as Singapore and Papua New Guinea |
| Size | Five times larger than present mainland species |
| Likely cause of extinction | Increasing aridity |
Exam angle
- Epoch: Miocene.
- Related terms: melanosomes, glochidium, goethite.
- Site name: McGraths Flat.