50thKaikoura05 -1- Kaikoura 2005 CHARACTERISATION OF NEW ...

Generic recommendations are presented for
measures that will decrease the vulnerability of
dairy farms to tephra fall hazards. These include a
modern, well maintained electrical power supply,
large covered water storage capacity, reserves of
supplementary feeds, tractor with bucket or grader
blade attachments, spare air and oil filters for
engines, air compressor for blowing tephra out of
machinery, and appropriate knowledge of
rehabilitation strategies for pastures covered with
tephra.
POSTER
TAPHONOMY OF A HOLOCENE MOA FEN
DEPOSIT, STYX VALLEY, CENTRAL
OTAGO
Jamie R. Wood
Department of Geology, University of Otago, P.O.
Box 56, Dunedin
(wooja716*student.otago.ac.nz)
Significant deposits of bones from large, extinct,
flightless birds, predominantly moa
(Dinornithiformes) and New Zealand goose
(Cnemiornis), occur in alkaline mires (fens)
throughout New Zealand. Discovery of these sites
is usually associated with the digging of drainage
ditches, which causes major disturbance to the
deposits. As a result, past scientific excavations
have tended to be haphazard, and little taphonomic
or orientation data is associated with historic
collections. Results are presented for a newly
discovered, undisturbed moa fen deposit near
Paerau in Styx Valley, Central Otago, where 3dimensional
long bone position and orientation data
wasrecordedduringexcavationofa1x2mLshaped
test pit. The age of the deposit is currently
being determined but it is likely to be
contemporaneous with a similar mid-late Holocene
deposit 5km to the east. Bones were generally in
poor condition due to infiltration by fine grass
roots. The collected assemblage consisted of heavyfooted
moa (Pachyornis elephantopus) (Minimum
Number of Individuals (M.N.I.) = 11), stout-legged
moa (Euryapteryx geranoides) (M.N.I. = 1), South
Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus) (M.N.I. = 1),
eastern moa (Emeus crassus) (M.N.I. = 2) and
South Island goose (Cnemiornis calcitrans) (M.N.I.
= 1). Long bones were mostly lying horizontal, as
was found in a moa fen excavation at Glencrieff,
Canterbury (Worthy & Holdaway 1996), but
showed no apparent preferred alignment with
respect to compass bearing. Bones were
encountered at depths of 200-800mm, but were
most abundant from 500-600mm. No articulated
bones were found, although bones from individual
birds were found in close association. Common
quartz and schistose moa gizzard stones were
associated with the bones. Some of these are the
largest recorded moa gizzard stones, up to 110mm
long, and weighing up to 217g. The content of one
gizzard included 2.25kg of stones, and clipped
twigs of lacebark (Hoheria sp.) and tree daisy
(Olearia sp.), up to 16mm diameter.
ORAL
ANAGLYPHS AS A TOOL FOR VIEWING
TAPHONOMY: AN EXAMPLE FROM A
HOLOCENE MOA FEN DEPOSIT, STYX
VALLEY, CENTRAL OTAGO
Jamie R. Wood & Stephen E. Read
Department of Geology, University of Otago, P.O.
Box 56, Dunedin
(wooja716*student.otago.ac.nz)
Coloured stereograms, or anaglyphs, are examined
as a tool for gaining an overall perspective on the
taphonomy of a fossil deposit. The method was
trialled using the excavation of a Holocene moa fen
deposit, Styx Valley, Central Otago. 3D
orientations were recorded for 63 moa leg bones by
measuring X,Y,Z coordinates for the proximal end
of each bone, bearing and inclination to the distal
end of the bone, and bone length. Trigonometry
was used to find X,Y,Z coordinates for the distal
end of the bone. Proximal and distal coordinates
were used to create points in 3D space using the
GIS program ArcGIS. Points from the same bone
were joined using a purpose-built script ( supplied
by Susan Jones, Eagle Technology Group Ltd.).
The ground surface and edges of the excavation pit
were symbolised and displayed along with the
bones (symbolised as simple 3D tubes) in different
perspective views. Selected views were then
converted to anaglyphs using an inbuilt application
of ArcGIS. This provided a useful way of
representing bone orientation data, and may have
applications for other paleontological researchers.
POSTER
SEDIMENT DISPERSAL AND DEPOSITION
ON A MUDDY CONTINENTAL SHELF AT
THE ACTIVE HIKURANGI MARGIN,
POVERTY BAY, NEW ZEALAND
1 Matthew Wood, 2 Lionel Carter, 1 Peter Barrett
& 1 Andrew Mackintosh
1 School of Earth Sciences, Victoria University of
Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington
2 National Institute of Water and Atmospheric
Research, Greta Point, Wellington
(woodmatt*student.vuw.ac.nz)
50 th Kaikoura05 -96- Kaikoura 2005