THE FOSSIL COLLECTOR BULLETIN NO 38 SEPTEMBER 1992 Published by THE FOSSIL COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALASIA Page 2 - September 1992 THE FOSSIL COLLECTOR FOSSIL COLLECTORS' ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALASIA SECRETARY F. C. Holmes, 15 Kenbry Road, Heathmont, Victoria, 3135. (03) 7290447 REPRESENTATIVES AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY Mrs. M. Webb, Fairlight Stn., R.M.B. 141, Weston, 2611. (062) 365123 NEW SOUTH WALES Eric Nowak, 29 Bungalow Rd., Roselands, 2196. (02) 7581728 QUEENSLAND Ian Sobbe, M/S 422, Clifton, 4361. (076) 973372 SOUTH AUSTRALIA John Barrie, 1 George Terrace, Coonalpyn, 5265. (085) 711172 TASMANIA John Fennell, R.S.D. 533, Allport St., Leith, 7315. (004) 282543 VICTORIA Frank Holmes, 15 Kenbry Rd., Heathmont, 3135. (03) 7290447 WESTERN AUSTRALIA Mrs. L. Schekkerman, 3 Pascoe St., Karrinyup, 6018. (09) 3416254 CONTENTS Finances 2 Editorial notes 3 New early mammal find in Japan: Alan Rix 3 A record of Austrosialis Tillyard from the Queensland Palaeocene (Insecta: Magaloptera: Sialidae): Kevin J. Lambkin 4 Middendorp's Quarry: a classic Australian Early Devonian fossil site: Peter Jell 7 A comparison of the origin of the Talbragar River fish beds in Australia, to the Liaoning Province fish beds in China: C. M. Chidley 17 Latex casting fron natural fossil moulds and preparation of specimens for photography 21 Western Australia's Permian plants: Steve McLoughlin 25 In the news : Fossil footprints of cranes discovered in old riverbed 32 Books and book reviews : Trilobites (Fossils Illustrated Series) 32 FINANCES Statement of finances as at 10th September, 1992: Carried forward from previous year $ 1830.69 Add income 1.3.1992 to 10.9.1992 $ 1371.73 $ 3202.42 Less expenditure 1.3.1992 to 10.9.1992 $ 704.27 $ 2498.15 Deduct advance subscriptions $ 92.94 Balance in hand (excluding cost of this Bulletin) $ 2405.21 FRONT COVER: 'Detail' from a painting of Middendorp's Quarry by artist Graeme Krake THE FOSSIL COLLECTOR September 1992 - Page 3 EDITORIAL NOTES Erratum: The caption to the illustration on Page 16, Bulletin 37 (May, 1992) should read "Left: New species of Notofagus (the Antarctic Beech)" - not Notofargus. In Canberra during the second week of February, 1993, the Association of Australasian Palaeontologists are holding a symposium in honour of Professor K. S. W. Campbell. Persons interested in attending should contact Dr Peter Pridmore, Dept, of Geology (Faculties), Australian National University, GPO Box 4, Canberra, ACT 2601, AUSTRALIA A check of the 1992 'Directory of Subscribers' shows mid-year subscriptions have reached an all time high of 233. With complimentary copies of 'The Fossil Collector' sent to various organizations and libraries, initial circulation has finally reached 250. On the other hand, obtaining articles and associated information, to maintain the standard of publication we have achieved over the last decade, is unfortunately a never ending problem. WE URGENTLY NEED YOUR SUPPORT. Material for the next issue should be submitted by 15th December, 1992, unless otherwise agreed. Frank Holmes NEW EARLY MAMMAL FIND IN JAPAN Alan Rix, Brisbane, Queensland. It is not often (if ever) in Australia that the lead article on the front page of the main national daily newspaper is a fossil story, let alone one that features amateur fossil collectors! In Japan, however, the big daily papers often give top billing to important scientific, cultural or anthropological finds. Japan's Asahi shimbun of 21st April, 1992 led with a full quarter- page article on the discovery of the world's second oldest insecti¬ vorous mammal fossil in southern Japan. The Asahi has a daily morning circulation of 8 million, so the lucky discoverers, a schoolteacher and two companions, gave Japanese amateur palaeontol¬ ogy the best publicity it is ever likely to receive. The fossil is part of the lower jaw of a small insectivorous mammal, 9 mm long, with a left molar attached. The tooth is 1.6 mm across, 2.6 mm long and 2 mm high. Its shape, incorporating both shearing and crushing features, is consistent with an insecti¬ vorous animal about the size of a mouse. The fossil comes from a 90 million year old stratum of a Cretaceous deposit near Kumamoto on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu. In the same stratum remains of shellfish, turtle and fish have also been discovered. The newspaper claims the find to be the second oldest specimen of this type of insectivorous mammal, the oldest having been found in Texas in the 1960s. Other similar Cretaceous mammal fossils, not as old as the present Japanese find, come from other North American sites and from Mongolia. THE FOSSIL COLLECTOR Page 4 - September 1992 A RECORD OF AUSTROSIALIS TILLYARD FROM THE QUEENSLAND PALAEOCENE (Insecta: Magaloptera: Sialidae) Kevin J. Lambkin, Honorary Research Fellow, Queensland Museum. Correspondence to:- 75 Alexandra Street, Bardon, Queensland, Australia, 4065. The following article has recentlv been published in the Queensland Naturalist, Volume 31(3—4), 1992 (p.84-861, the publication of the Queensland Naturalists' Club. It is reprinted here with kind permission of the author, Kevin Lambkin, and the editor of the Queensland Naturalist, Mrs Joan Cribb. Anyone referring to this article should quote the above reference as the primary source. Summary A forewing of a species of Austrosialis Tillyard has been found in the Palaeocene Redbank Plains Formation of Queensland. The family Sialidae contains uncommon insects with aquatic larvae and drab-winged adults usually known as alderflies. Australia has four extant species placed in the genera Stenosialis Tillyard and Austrosialis Tillyard and restricted to the eastern states (Theischinger, 1983). Records of the Sialidae from the Tertiary have till now been re¬ stricted to Europe and Turkey. Weidner (1958) noted a Sialis Latrielle larva from the Eocene Baltic amber; lilies (1967) des¬ cribed Sialis strausi lilies from the Pliocene of Germany; Nel (1988) described Sialis muratensis Nel and Proindosialis cantalensis Nel from the Miocene of France, and Indosialis beskonakensis Nel from the Oligo-Miocene of Turkey; and Nel (1991) recorded a wing fragment from the Miocene of France as Sialis sp., and wing and larval fragments from the Mio-Pliocene of France as 'Sialidae genre incertae sedis' and 'Probablement un Sialidae respectively. In August 1991, Robert Knezour and Lane Morahan collected a well preserved sialid wing fragment (Fig. 1) from shales of the Palaeo¬ cene Redbank Plains Formation (Day et al. 1983) exposed in a clay pit at New Chum (near Robert Street, Ebbw Vale) in south-east Queensland (c.27°36. 3'S 152°49.7’E). Small collections of fossil insects have been previously recorded from the same locality by Riek (1952) and Lambkin (1987). Mr. Knezour and Ms Morahan have kindly donated the specimen to the Queensland Museum where it is registered as QM F21638. THE FOSSIL COLLECTOR September 1992 - Page 5 Because MP 3+4 is forked, the specimen is considered a forewing (this vein is simple in the hindwings of all Tertiary and Recent genera of the family, viz. Sialis, Protosialis Weele, Austrosialis, Stenosialis, Leptosialis Esben-Petersen, Haplosialis Navas, Indosialis Lestage, Nipponosialis Kuwayama, Proindosialis Nel). It has the following combination of venational characters which enable it to be ascribed to the Recent Australian Genus Austrosialis (venational terminology of Kukalova-Peck - see Lawrence et al. 1991): 1. RP3+4 simple (forked in Sialis and Nipponosialis) 2. MA forked (simple in Leptosialis) 3. MP1+2 forked (simple in Sialis, Protosialis, Leptosialis, Haplosialis, Indosialis and Nipponosialis) 4. MPi+2 forked at c. same level as RP (much more deeply forked in Proindosialis, at c. level of separation of MA and RP) 5. MP 3+4 forked (simple in Leptosialis, Haplosialis and Indosialis) 6. Forks of MA, MP and CuA not differing much in depth (fork of CuA considerably deeper than those of MA and MP in Stenosialis - see Theischinger 1983, figs. 4-7) The only apparent inconsistency with Austrosialis is the fact that the three RA-RP crossveins are upright rather than slightly inclined towards the apical margin as recorded and illustrated by Theischinger (1983, figs. 4-5). This character, however, is one of some subtlety, and the upright nature of these crossveins Page 6 - September 1992 THE FOSSIL COLLECTOR \ RECORD OF AUSTROSIALIS TILLYARD (Cont.) in the fossil specimen does not. in mv view, preclude it from placement in Austrosialis. Austrosialis is based on two species. A_. ignicollis Tillyard from Tasmania and A.maxmouldsi Theischinger from north Queensland, which are distinguished on genitalic features (see Theischinger 1983). The fossil specimen of Austrosialis recorded herein, being onlv the apical 2/3 of a forewing, cannot be diagnosed as distinct from these species, and is therefore referred to as Austrosialis sp. References Day, R. W. , Whitaker, W. G., Murray, C. G., Wilson, I. H. & Grimes K. G. (1983). Queensland geology A companion volume to the 1:2500000 scale geological map (1975). Pubs geol. Surv. Qd 383: 1-94. lilies, '.. 1967. Megaloptera und Plecoptera aus den jungpliozenen Susswassermergeln von Willershausen. Ber. naturhist. Ges. Hannover 111: 47-55. Lambkin, K. J., 1987. A re-examination of Euporismites balli Tillyard from the Palaeocene of Queensland (Neuroptera: Osmylidae: Kempyninae). Neuroptera Int. 4: 295-300. Lawrence, J. F., Nielsen, E. S. & Mackerras, I. M., 1991. Skeletal anatomy and key to Orders. In CSIR0 (ed), The insects of Australia, A textbook for students and research workers, 2nd edn, Vol.l, pp 3-32. (Carlton: Melbourne University Press). Nel, A., 1988. Les Sialidae (Megaloptera) fossiles des diatomites de Murat (Cantal, France) et des Bes-Konak (Anatolie, Turquie). Neuroptera Int. 5: 39-44. Nel, A., 1991. Nouveaux insectes neuropteroides fossiles de l'Oligocene de France (Neuroptera et Megaloptera). Bull. Mus. natn. Hist. nat. Paris (4)12(0(3-4): 327-349. Riek, E. F., 1952. Fossil insects from the Tertiary sediments at Dinmore, Queensland. Pap. Dep. Geol. Univ. Qd 4(2): 17-22. Theischinger, G. , 1983. The adults of the Australian Megaloptera. Aquatic Insects, 5: 77-98. Weidner, H., 1958. Einige interessante Insektenlarven aus der Bersteininklusen-Sammlung des Geologischen Staatsinstitut Hamburg (Odonata, Coleoptera, Megaloptera, Planipennia). Mitt. geol. Stinst. Hamb. 27: 50-68. OVERSEAS COLLECTOR WISHES TO EXCHANGE FOSSILS Alan B. Brockmeier, 14343 Ruis Road, El Cajon, Calfornia, USA 92021, wishes to exchange fully identified fossils such as Late Cretaceous ammonites and Oligocene mammal teeth & jaws from South Dakota & Wyoming; Miocene shark teeth from California & Florida; and Miocene 'Sea Cow' molars from California etc. He is interested in Australian fossil mammal teeth; Walsh River ammonites (5" or smaller in concretion); opalised molluscs (unpolished); and any type of Pliocene or Miocene shark teeth. [Members wishing to exchange should make written contact first - ED.] THE FOSSIL COLLECTOR September 1992 - Page 7 MIDDENDORP’S QUARRY : A CLASSIC AUSTRALIAN EARLY DEVONIAN FOSSIL SITE. Peter Jell, Queensland Museum, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 4101. Abstract: The history, fauna, age, geological setting and palaeoecology of the Early Devonian fossil site known as Middendorp's Quarry (Kinglake West, Victoria, Australia) is briefly discussed. A schedule of recorded fauna and illustrations of representative trilobites and echinoderms is included. On the western branch of Stony Creek, north of Kinglake West State School, approximately 47 km from Melbourne, Victoria, is a small quarry that was opened in the 1920s for road metal. Clearly, it did not provide the desired product because the total volume extracted, excluding soil and the soft oxidized upper few metres of shale, must have been less than 500 cubic metres. However, it has yielded an enormous amount of information on the Early Devonian environment and fauna of the area. It is one of Austra¬ lia's classic fossil sites, but it is not a site for amateur coll¬ ectors. The reason that I say this is that the skeletons of the fossilised animals have all been dissolved away by groundwater leaving only the cavities. To have any appreciation of these fossils it is necessary to take casts from these moulds and to study them under a microscope to learn the morphology of the fossils. Therefore the collection from this site that has most significance is an array of odd shaped pieces of black unattractive latex rubber - hardly the stuff to arrange in the glass display case. Nevertheless, amateur palaeontologists have played an enormously important role in the discovery of and collection from this site. Robert B. Withers, a Melbourne headmaster in the 1920s and 30s, collected a considerable amount of material from this and other sites in the Kinglake district. In addition Mr. P. Junor, who lived at Kinglake West also made large collections from Midden¬ dorp's Quarry (formerly Davies Quarry) and the Kinglake district in general. Their collections are preserved in the Museum of Victoria. Study of the fossils from Kinglake was hampered well into the 1950s by the lack of a suitable casting material. Even in the early 1950s plasticine, gutta percha, and dental metal were still being used to cast fossils from external moulds. None of these techniques were particularly satisfactory and it was not until latex rubber became generally used for casting fossils that headway was made. Gill & Caster (1960) may have Page 8 - September 1992 THE FOSSIL COLLECTOR MIDDENDORP'S QUARRY (Cont'd) THE FOSSIL COLLECTOR September 1992 - Page 9 been the first to publish illustrations of latex casts of Victor¬ ian fossils. When I took up the position of Curator of Inverte¬ brate Fossils at the Museum of Victoria in 1978 I had for more than 10 years been using latex rubber for casting the many Cambrian trilobites that I had studied. I immediately recognised the enor¬ mous diversity and importance of the Silurian/Devonian echinoderm fauna of Victoria and resolved to make the study of that fauna my major research area in Victoria. In very short time I realised that Middendorp's Quarry was one of the richest sites. I was told it had been visited by successive groups of 1st year students from Melbourne University as well as by myriad amateur collectors from Melbourne. On my first visit to the quarry I met Mr. Ted White who was the current landowner. In 1948, when Edmund Gill referred to the quarry as Davies Quarry, a Mr. Davies had been the land owner, however, in 1964 when George Williams mapped the area he referred to it by the name of the then landowner, Mr. Middendorp. After talking with Mr. White about this somewhat confusing nomenclature he wanted no part of any more variation of name and so we agreed to remain with "Middendorp's Quarry". The quarry was completely overgrown with ferns, scrub and small trees and had a very healthy humus layer on its floor. It has been stated in the literature on several occasions that the fossils are in layers separated by 10s of centimetres; one layer dominated by corals, another by brachiopods, and a third by echinoderms. These layers were obvious being quite recessed where people had attacked them in preference to the much less fossiliferous and more massive intervals. From the collections in the Museum of Victoria I could see a great wealth of material that had been collected without the casting facility of latex in mind and conse¬ quently unlikely to give the full faunal picture and at the quarry, a site where I knew good material was close at hand but virtually inaccessible. After a couple of years I had formed very fine friendships with a number of fossil devotees in Melbourne and put the proposition that we should go into the quarrying business in a big way. For the next 3 summers Enid and Frank Holmes and Steve Eckardt spent most Sundays with me and my family at Midden¬ dorp's Quarry. We took an area of approximately 4x4 metres on top of the quarry face and excavated it, using picks, shovels, crowbars, and a small generator run, jack hammer, down some 5 or so metres until we were below the lowest richly fossiliferous band. The resulting collection, now in the Museum of Victoria, FIGURE I. (left) , . , , . .... 1Q/7 A. Odontochile forraosa Gill, 1948, x 1; B, Dicranurus kinglakensis Gill, 194/, x 172] c! Trimerus kinglakensis Gill, 1947, x 0.75; D, ?Decoroproteus sp., x 1U. Photographs, courtesy Museum of Victoria. THE FOSSIL COLLECTOR Page 10 - September 1992 MIDDENDORP'S QUARRY (Cont'd) is not much to look at as a collection of rocks but the array of fossils preserved as moulds is staggering and will take many years to study properly. Some elements of the fauna have alreadv been published by myself or in conjunction with others, but the great majority remains to be published. I am engaged on this study at present. Bringing this knowledge to the scientific world is a tribute to the great enthusiasm shown by Enid, Frank, and Steve and is another example of the way in which professional palaeontologists and nonprofessionals can work together harmoniously and both derive great enjoyment from the exercise. FAUNA The faunal list provided here includes only those species named from or recorded as occurring at Middendorp's Quarry in a variety of publications. In every category listed are more species, yet to be described. To the 63 named species may be added, esti¬ mating conservatively, a further 60-70 species, making this a highly diverse fauna for any Palaeozoic site in the world. The greatest number of species yet to be described belong to the echi- noderms and the study of this part of the fauna has been in pro¬ gress by the author for the last 6 years; several more years re¬ main to complete the study and the total echinoderm fauna may be as high as 50 species, principally crinoids, asteroids, and ophiuroids. ALGAE Buthotrephis trichotoma Douglas & Isorthis sp. nov. Jell, 1985 ? Muriferella sp. Notanoplia pherista Gill CORALS Notanoplia philipi Garratt Pleurodictyum megastomum McCoy Boucotia australis (Gill) Favosites sp. Boucotia withersi (Gill) Lindstroemia ampla Chapman, 1925 Maoristrophia banksi Gill Lindstroemia yeringae Chapman, 1925 Strophonella gippslandica Philip Mesodouvillina lilydalensis (Chapman) ANNELIDS Notoleptaena otophora Gill Gypidula victoriae (Chapman) Sphenothallus sp. Lissatrypa lenticulata Philip Coelospira australis Gill P0LYZ0ANS Australocoelia sp. nov. Meristella sp. nov. BRACHI0P0DS Eospirifer eastoni Gill Lingula sp. Ambocoelia sp. nov. Protochonetes ruddockensis (Gill) Howellella nucula Plectodonta bipartita (Chapman) Camarotoechia sp.