New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics abstracts
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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