Hello,


Here is another site further to the list of interesting fossil sites around
Sydney, some of which people have discussed or mentioned in previous posts.

The information can be downloaded:

Title: A Labyrinthodont Trackway from the Mid-Triassic near Sydney, New
South Wales.

Download via eprint.uq.edu.au/archive/00002179/

The track imprints of the critter's feet are clear enough to define the
direction of travel vector. That's very good, except that they don't then
seem to have stated it!

The authors Julian Pepperell and Gordon Grigg were both apparently
zoologists at the School of Biological Sciences, University of New South
Wales. That would possibly be in what is now called
"BEES" (after geology and biology were amalgamated at UNSW).

The authors as you can see did a wonderful job of interpretation although
they apparently forgot to give any location diagram or locality
description, things that are highly essential in almost all cases.

The direction the animal travelled in cannot be read off their location
map/plan because they gave none. They do inform us at one point in the
text that old Laby exited stage 'right' on this occasion, but as they don't
tie this into the direction of the compass, or anything else, it doesn't
help much.

The trackway was as casts of the footprints but they don't mention the
thickness or grainsize of the casting medium bed. If it was very thick or
significantly coarse then it would cast some doubt on whether this was
really in Ashfield Shale or not.

Anyway, I'll try to contact the Metropolitan, Sewerage and Drainage Board
or whoever they are nowadays and to see what record they may have of the
matter.

As for other labyrinthodont tracks around Sydney there is also said to be
some exposed in the basement of the winery at South Maroota, as I might
have noted previously. This is mentioned in tourist pamphlets but with no
photos. I'll see if there is any objection to them being photographed, and
if not then try to take a photo or two if I can go there.

Best Regards,



John Byrnes