A new Cretaceous fossil mammal locality from the Bass Coast of southeastern Australia

Mesozoic mammals from the polar regions of Australian Gondwana are exceptionally rare. The recovery of a partial jaw attributable to the australosphenid Ausktribosphenos nyktos from a new locality along the Bass Coast of Victoria is, therefore, significant because it comes from an uppermost Barremian to lowermost Aptian grit with abundant plant material that differs lithologically from other previously productive laminated sandstone deposits. We interpret this as evidence for a floodplain habitat that was distant from local water bodies. The identification of a new Cretaceous mammal locality in Australia highlights the exciting prospects for future fossil discoveries.

Automated summary

Mesozoic mammals from the polar regions of Australian Gondwana are extremely rare. The discovery of a partial jaw from the australosphenid Ausktribosphenos nyktos in a new location along the Bass Coast of Victoria is significant because it comes from a sediment with abundant plant material that differs from previous findings, indicating a floodplain habitat far from local water bodies. The identification of a new Cretaceous mammal locality in Australia highlights the exciting prospects for future fossil discoveries.