Pliocene paleoenvironments of southeastern Queensland, Australia inferred from stable isotopes of marsupial tooth enamel

PLoS One. 2013 Jun 12;8(6):e66221. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066221. Print 2013.

Abstract

The Chinchilla Local Fauna is a diverse assemblage of both terrestrial and aquatic Pliocene vertebrates from the fluviatile Chinchilla Sand deposits of southeastern Queensland, Australia. It represents one of Australia's few but exceptionally rich Pliocene vertebrate localities, and as such is an important source of paleoecological data concerning Pliocene environmental changes and its effects on ecosystems. Prior inferences about the paleoenvironment of this locality made on the basis of qualitative observations have ranged from grassland to open woodland to wetland. Examination of the carbon and oxygen isotopes in the tooth enamel of marsupials from this site represents a quantitative method for inferring the paleoenvironments and paleoecology of the fossil fauna. Results from Chinchilla show that Protemnodon sp. indet. consumed both C3 and C4 photosynthesis plant types (mean δ(13)C = -14.5±2.0‰), and therefore probably occupied a mixed vegetation environment. Macropus sp. indet. from Chinchilla also consumed a mixed diet of both C3 and C4 plants, with more of a tendency for C4 plant consumption (mean δ(13)C = -10.3±2.3‰). Interestingly, their isotopic dietary signature is more consistent with tropical and temperate kangaroo communities than the sub-tropical communities found around Chinchilla today. Other genera sampled in this study include the extinct kangaroo Troposodon sp. indet. and the fossil diprotodontid Euryzygoma dunense each of which appear to have occupied distinct dietary niches. This study suggests that southeastern Queensland hosted a mosaic of tropical forests, wetlands and grasslands during the Pliocene and was much less arid than previously thought.

Publication types

  • Historical Article
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carbon Isotopes / analysis
  • Ecosystem*
  • Fossils*
  • History, Ancient
  • Marsupialia*
  • Oxygen Isotopes / analysis
  • Paleontology
  • Queensland
  • Species Specificity
  • Tooth / chemistry*

Substances

  • Carbon Isotopes
  • Oxygen Isotopes

Grants and funding

SM was supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and the Richard Gilder Graduate School. JL is supported by University of Queensland Postdoctoral Fellowship and University of Queensland Early Career Research Grant 2012003222. GJP is supported by Australian Research Council grant DE120101533 and Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Grant DP0881279. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.