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Fossil history overview
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Mya
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Period
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Locations
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Significant events
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Bird fossil record
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.01
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Holocene
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scattered locations, including cave deposits
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Europeans arrive; Dingo arrives
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1.6
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Pleistocene
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numerous deposits, including Darling Downs, Qld, Lake Callabona, SA, Cuddie Springs, NSW, Cooper Creek, SA, Wellington Caves, NSW, and other cave deposits
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humans arrive
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cassowary, Genyornis (dromornithid), Progura (megapode), Tasmanian Native-hen, Plains-Wanderer, coucal
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3.4
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L. Pliocene
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Chinchilla, Qld, central Australia (SA)
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icehouse phase begins; grasslands expand
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Emu, darter, heron, flamingo, bustard, coot
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5.2
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E. Pliocene
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Bluff Downs, Qld, Riversleigh (RR), Qld
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greenhouse phase begins
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Cape Barren Goose, Black Swan, Black-necked Stork, ibis, Budgerigar, honeyeater, many songbirds
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10.4
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L. Miocene
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Alcoota NT, Riversleigh Qld
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invading groups begin to arrive from north; rainforest retreats as drier, more open forests increase
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Dromornis and other dromornithids
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16.3
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M. Miocene
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Bullock Creek, NT, Riversleigh, Qld
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rainfall begins to decline; major icehouse phase begins; Australia crashes into Asia; New Guinea rises with extensive mountain building
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Emuarius Dromornithidae, owlet-nightjar, honeyeater
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23.3
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E. Miocene
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central Australia (SA), Riversleigh, Qld
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major greenhouse phase begins; Australian biodiversity probably at all time high
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white cockatoo, swiftlet, kingfisher, lyrebird, logrunner , Oriolidae
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29.3
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L. Oligocene
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central Australia (SA)
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icehouse phase
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Emuarius, Dromornithidae grebe rail, megapode, waterfowl, pelican, crane, cormorant, stork, palaeolodid, pigeon, flamingo, raptor, flightless native-hen, shorebird, stone-curlew
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gap in the fossil record
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55
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Eocene
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southeast coast (SA/Vic), Murgon, Qld
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last contact with Antarctica; isolation of Australia begins; greenhouse phase
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penguin Graculavidae ('shorebirds') songbird
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gap in the fossil record
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65
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Cretaceous
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western Queensland; Black Rock, Vic., Koonwarra, Vic.; Lightning Ridge, NSW
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dinosaurs present; start of split between Australia and Antarctica
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Nanantius eos (enantiornithine), unidentified feathers
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© Australian Museum, 2001
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