Ostracods (Crustacea) with soft part preservation from Miocene cave deposits of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, NW Queensland, Australia

A groundbreaking discovery at the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, Australia, reveals the first known soft part preservation of ostracods from a palaeo-subterranean habitat. The study, conducted on an Early Miocene (23–16 Ma) cave deposit, identified 26 exceptionally preserved specimens representing three new species: Heterocypris collaris, Candonocypris fimibolus, and Newnhamia mckenziana. This preservation is attributed to mineralization by calcium phosphate (apatite), likely facilitated by phosphate-rich guano from bats inhabiting the cave. Notably, some specimens exhibit extraordinary surface precipitation embedding fine structures like setules on setae, while another shows differential preservation of ovaries and hepatopancreases, a rare phenomenon in ostracod fossils.

Matzke-Karasz, R., Neil, J. V., Smith, R. J., Godthelp, H., Archer, M., & Hand, S. J. (2013). Ostracods (Crustacea) with soft part preservation from Miocene cave deposits of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, NW Queensland, Australia. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 11(7), 789–819. https://doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2012.760007