Naracoorte Fossil Caves

Naracoorte Caves were a wonderful experience. I’ve been to quite a few caves but this is the first one that displayed the fossils in the caves.

Beautiful crystal formations of stalagmites, stalactites, columns, popcorn coral, straws and sheaths.

The tour of the fossil cave takes you down into the area where the fossils were discovered. There we sat and viewed Megafauna fossils, such as Thylacoleo carnifex and Procoptodon. They were between 50,000 and 500,000 years old.

Fossilised bones are scattered around what remains of the original excavation site. Animals fell into a hidden sinkhole above the cave, known as a pit trap. The bones were then buried under layers of sediment which preserved them.

This specimen is a Thylacoleo carnifex, commonly known as a Masupial Lion.

 This is a Procoptodon, which was a giant kangaroo. This was Jacobs favourite.