New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics abstracts

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Optical dating of sediments associated with a fossil moa skeleton near Tauweru, Wairarapa, New Zealand

OLAV B. LIAN*
NINGSHENG WANG
R. H. GRAPES
J. D. COLLEN

School of Earth Sciences
Victoria University of Wellington
P.O. Box 600
Wellington, New Zealand

*Present address: Department of Physics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6 (email: olian@sfu.ca).

Abstract  Optical dating was undertaken on the fine-grained (4-11 μm diam.) fraction of potassium feldspars extracted from sediments associated with a nearly complete fossil moa skeleton uncovered near Tauweru. The optical ages show that the deposit in which the fossil occurred is younger than c. 45 ka, and no older than 18-22 ka. This result is broadly consistent with the calibrated radiocarbon age estimate for the fossil of 16-22 ka, and suggests that the skeleton is of Ohakean age.

Keywords  optical dating; moa; Kawakawa Tephra; Wairarapa

New Zealand Journal of Geology & Geophysics, 2000, Vol. 43: 493-499

0028-8306/00/4304-0493 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand 2000

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (708K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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