PLEISTOCENE AVIAN FOSSILS FROM PYRAMIDS CAVE (M-89), EASTERN VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA

The avian assemblage of Pyramids Cave is composed of a minimum of 17 s pecies. It is not dominated by any single species, which may be an eff ect of the small sample size. Total number of individuals for the depo sit is 31. Terrestrial species comprise the majority of this assemblag e (57%). These species are also crepuscular and/or exhibit an irruptiv e nature. Also important to this assemblage are diurnal, non-terrestri al forms which roost communally (20%). There are two species unique to this deposit (Pycnoptilus fordi and Orthonyx wakefieldi). Range exten sions are recorded for one species, Atrichornis rufescens, and one sup erspecies group Orthonyx temminckii. The avian assemblage was accumula ted by Tyto alba arid ig, in part, very different from that currently found in the ama. The association of A. rufescens and 0. wakefieldi in dicates the presence of closed notophyll, vine forest, which suggests a climate warmer and markedly wetter than that occurring in the area a round Pyramids Cave today.