32 Australian Age of Dinosaurs Story by Dr Alex Ritchie and Dr Zerina Johanson Photos courtesy: Age of Fishes Museum Collection & Federation Fotos Issue 4 - 2006 33 About 360 million years ago during into that time. A massive fish kill The 1956 discovery the Devonian geological period, most during an ancient drought has been The Canowindra fossil site was dis- life on Earth existed in the water. On preserved in stone; including nearly covered in 1956 during roadworks land at that time, you would have 4,000 fishes on one layer of rock, 10km west of the town of Canowindra found primitive plants and insects, giving us a unique glimpse into a in the Central West of New South as well as spiders, mites, centipedes Devonian fish community. Wales. Until 1956 a dangerous corner and millipedes, but the first tetrapods The Canowindra fauna at that time in the unsealed road from Canowindra (four-legged animals) – the ancestors was dominated by armoured fishes to Gooloogong was the site of sev- of all amphibians, reptiles, birds and (placoderms) that look very strange eral accidents and the local council mammals – had only just started to us today because their heads and (then Boree Shire), hired a contractor their evolutionary journey, including the front parts of their body, (and called Jack Burge to remove it. A the crucial move from water to land. sometimes even their fins) were cov- Caterpillar D8 bulldozer, under the In the oceans, lakes and rivers, on ered in bony armour. Several species guidance of Charlie Stevens, ripped the other hand, life was abundant and of larger predatory fish, (lobe-finned, up massive sandstone slabs; some diverse. Fish dominated these environ- or sarcopterygian, fishes), have also weighing in excess of two tonnes, ments, including the familiar ones been discovered at the site. These are and pushed them over the embank- (lobe-finned and ray-finned fishes, of special interest to scientists because ment. Intrigued by strange marks on and sharks) and the very unfamiliar they include the ancestral group from one large rock slab, Charlie Stevens and long extinct placoderms. This which the first four-legged land ani- saved it by moving it clear of the road was “The Age of Fishes!” mals (amphibious tetrapods) and all against a fence. Whether he recog- At Canowindra in the Central West later backboned animals (amphibians, nised the importance of his discovery of New South Wales, an amazing reptiles, birds and mammals, includ- will never be known, but regardless, fossil discovery provides a window ing humans) evolved. the rock slab with the strange marks on its upper surface was moved aside and no further action was taken at the time. Some time later the Australian Museum in Sydney received a letter reporting a rock near Canowindra Site of the Canowindra fish fos- sil discoveries on the Gooloogong road, 18km from Canowindra (left). “Under the bend in this quiet coun- try road in rural New South Wales lies one of the world’s great fossil sites, just waiting to be explored.” 34 Australian Age of Dinosaurs with “what looks like a fossil reptile In 1956, Bill Simpson (above left) alerted the Australian Museum of a large on it”. The original letter has not slab of fossiliferous rock near the roadside, 18km from Canowindra on the been located in the museum archives Gooloogong road. The slab had been saved from burial by bulldozer opera- but we do know who sent it. He was tor Charlie Stevens while re-aligning a dangerous bend in the road nearby William (Bill) Simpson; a local bee- and was subsequently found by Simpson and his foster son Bob Scott. The keeper and carpenter of Holmwood, slab was found to contain the imprints of more than 100 fossil fish and NSW. has been hailed as being one of Australia’s most significant fossils. Bob Simpson died in 1965 before anyone Scott relates the story of its discovery to Dr Alex Ritchie over a replica of thought to record his account of the the original slab at the site of its discovery in 2000 (above). discovery and it was long assumed that he had been alone when he found the fossil slab. Then, in 1999, Dr Alex Ritchie tracked down a living eyewit- ness to the 1956 discovery; Simpson’s foster son Bob Scott, now living in Loading the fossil slab in Wagga Wagga, NSW. 1956 (left and below) for its Bob Scott remembers that it was a journey to the Australian very hot day and ants were raiding Museum in Sydney. The their beehives and disturbing the bees. slab was to reside at the After poisoning (and stirring up) the Australian Museum for 50 ants, Simpson and Scott left the field, years before returning to leapt the fence and sat on a large rock Canowindra for display in slab waiting to be picked up. As Bill the Age of Fishes Museum in Simpson rolled a cigarette, he realised 2006. that the strange marks he was sitting on were fossils and later wrote to inform the Australian Museum of his discovery. Moving the treasure to the Australian Museum In 1956, 200 miles (320km) was a long way to go to check on what must have seemed an unlikely fos- sil report. Fortunately Mr Harold Fletcher, the Australian Museum’s palaeontologist and his friend, Dr Ted Rayner from NSW Geological Survey, had planned to visit Condobolin west of Canowindra, and decided to check Simpson’s report. When they reached the site and saw the fossil slab, they immediately realised its scientific importance. Cancelling the rest of their trip, they arranged for the slab, one of the most remarkable fossil discoveries ever made in Australia, to be removed to Sydney for scientific study and display. Issue 4 - 2006 35 The re-discovery fish layer, but without success. Heavy had been found – Canowindra! After earth-moving equipment was clearly making some enquiries at the local By the time the original slab was needed but the Australian Museum pub, he approached Dr Ritchie at the removed to Sydney in 1956, the lacked the funds to hire such assist- Australian Museum and upon hear- road works on the Canowindra- ance. ing about his long quest to rediscover Gooloogong road had been completed It was not until 1980 when Alex the site, arranged for Alex to talk and the fossil fish layer covered over. recognized Groenlandaspis, the fourth to Canowindra Rotary in September It was then virtually forgotten until type of fish on the original Canowindra 1992 about the “Great Canowindra 1968 when Dr Alex Ritchie succeeded slab, that his quest to relocate the Fish-Kill”. Alex seized the opportun- Harold Fletcher as Australian Museum Canowindra fossil site gained new ity to stimulate local interest. His talk Palaeontologist. With a specialist impetus. However it was to be a fur- intrigued several local shire council- interest in fossil fishes, Dr Ritchie was ther 12 years before fate stepped in, in lors who attended and shortly after- intrigued by the Canowindra slab the form of Dr Bruce Burns, a Sydney wards the local Cabonne Shire Council and the possibility of relocating the dentist who had recently bought a offered him the use of earth-moving original site. He visited Canowindra property near Canowindra. Bruce equipment free of charge to try to at least six times between 1973 and Burns saw the 1956 slab on display at relocate and excavate the 1956 fossil 1990 in an attempt to relocate the the Australian Museum and where it fish site. Alex suggested a trial dig first to find out how much, if any, of the fish layer remained in the ground. THE CANOWINDRA SLAB In January 1993, with a 22 tonne The Canowindra slab illustrates Hemisphere. But two other interest- excavator and its skilled operator Fred a dramatic story of a mass fish-kill ing types of fish were also present Fewings, the site was reopened. In event around 360 million years ago, on the slab. less than three hours Fred and Alex in Late Devonian times. Since 1966 Near the middle of the slab lay a located the original fossil layer at the slab has been on permanent single, beautifully preserved speci- the side of the road and traced it for display in the Australian Museum; men of a long-bodied, scale-covered 20m up the bank. “It was one of the that is, until March 2006 when this fish seen in dorsal view. This was great moments of my whole fos- remarkable fossil specimen returned an air-breathing, lobe-finned fish sil hunting career,” said Alex. Every to Canowindra for the first time to belonging to a group called sar- slab they turned over was covered mark the 50th anniversary of its copterygians (meaning ‘fleshy-fin’), with complete fish fossil impressions, discovery. also well known from Northern confirming the enormous potential of The 1956 slab (2m x 1m) was spec- Hemisphere finds. the site that still contained thousands tacularly rich; covered with detailed The Canowindra sarcopterygian of superbly preserved specimens. The impressions (natural moulds) of was not only new to science, it was prospect of spectacular new discover- some 114 Late Devonian fishes. The also the first complete sarcopteryg- ies was dramatically confirmed when fauna was dom- ian specimen found in the Southern parts of three very large sarcopteryg- nated by two Hemisphere. In 1973 this unique ian fishes; which must have been types of strange, specimen was described by Dr Keith about 1.5m to 2m long when alive, ong -extinct, Thomson and named Canowindra were recovered in one hour! armoured fish- grossi after the town and in honour From July 12 to 22 1993, Alex es: the antiarchs of a famous German fish palaeon- returned to Canowindra to carry out a Bothriolepis and tologist, Dr Walter Gross.