PBDB Collection

Voli Voli Cave, site 1, Viti Levu (Pleistocene of Fiji)

Where: Fiji (18.2° S, 177.5° E: paleocoordinates 18.2° S, 177.5° E)

• coordinate stated in text

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Late/Upper Pleistocene (0.1 - 0.0 Ma)

• Cave infill. "Preliminary optically stimulated luminescent dates from voli Voli Cave indicate an age of 10,000-20,000 years ago for the fossiliferous clay (Anderson et al., 2001).

Environment/lithology: cave; unlithified claystone

• "fossils are buried in massive unstructured sediment so fluvial deposition is unlikely. The slickensides in the matrix indicate wetting and drying..."

• "consolidated lateritic clay, which forms part of a once more extensive cave infill." Clay has internal slickensides.

Size class: macrofossils

Collection methods: surface (float),

Primary reference: T. H. Worthy, A. J. Anderson, and R. E. Molnar. 1999. Megafaunal expression in a land without mammals - the first fossil faunas from terrestrial deposits in Fiji (Vertebrata: Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves. Senckenbergiana biologica 79(2):237-242 [E. Vlachos/E. Vlachos]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 26129: authorized by John Alroy, entered by Robin Whatley on 04.10.2002, edited by Evangelos Vlachos and Matthew Clapham

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names

Amphibia
Salientia -	Anura indet. Anura indet. Fischer von Waldheim 1813 frog
Reptilia
Squamata - Iguanidae	Brachylophus vitiensis Brachylophus vitiensis Gibbons 1980 Fiji crested iguana pelvis, tibia, dentary with tooth row
Squamata - Boidae	Candoia bibroni Candoia bibroni boa
Testudinata -	Testudinata indet. Testudinata indet. Oppel 1811 turtle tortoise or similar to Meiolania
Loricata -	Crocodylia indet. Crocodylia indet. crocodilian Probably new endemic taxon
Crocodylia -	Volia athollandersoni¹ Volia athollandersoni¹ Molnar et al. 2002 crocodilian
Aves
Columbiformes - Columbidae	Ducula sp.³, Natunaornis gigoura³ Ducula sp.³ Hodgson 1836 imperial pigeon "large Ducula" Natunaornis gigoura³ Worthy 2001 Viti Levu giant pigeon
Gruiformes - Rallidae	Vitirallus watlingi⁴ Vitirallus watlingi⁴ Worthy 2004 Viti Levu rail
Neornithes - Sylviornithidae	Megavitiornis altirostris² Megavitiornis altirostris² Worthy 2000 bird
Galliformes - Megapodiidae	Megapodius amissus² Megapodius amissus² Worthy 2000 scrubfowl

¹Molnar et al. 2002; ²Worthy 2000; ³Worthy 2001; ⁴Worthy 2004