Fluvial and paleobotanical studies at Allan Hills

Paleobotanical studies revealed evidence for the in situ formation of Gondwana coals, a previous unrecognised feature. The evidence included the presence of Vertebraria roots in shaly units both within and at the base of major coal seams and the occurrence of upright stumps within coal seams. The extesnively exposed Permain high latitude forest were documented and sampled for paleoclimatic studies. About 10,000 ancient river flow directions were measured along with lithological observations to explain the presence of sheet sandstones in a meandering river sequence. Paleocurrent measurements, facie associations and geometric considerations were observed and recorded to determine the process responsible for the formation of hummocky cross startifcation and swaley cross stratification in a non-marine regime. Samples were observed and collected from Jurassic tillite, Feather Conglomerate, Mawson Formation and Weller Coal Measures in the Allan Hills.