Re: NEWS ARTICLE: Digger finds fossil [Labyrinthodont]

[AM Yates <Adam.Yates@bristol.ac.uk>]

On Sun, 26 Mar 2000, Finback wrote:
> 
> "South Australia - A mine bulldozer working at night has amazed experts by
> finding a rare fossil - the oldest of its kind in Australia.
> 

The problem with the popular press is that they rarely get matters of
dating right. The Leigh Creek amphibian fossil is certainly not the
oldest in
Australia, the late Permian Trucheosaurus takes that honour. What is
interesting is that a Late Triassic-Early Jurassic basin in Australia
has finally produced some decent vertebrate remains (For years I have 
driven 
past the Leigh Creek Coalfields and wondered if there was some exciting 
vertebrate material somewhere in there). Lets hope that Australia's
first Triassic Dinosaur is just around the corner (Agrosaurus
notwithstanding). 

cheers

Adam Yates