Silcrete fossil flora of Outback South Australia

Discover the hidden story of Central Australia’s ancient rainforests in this interview with paleobotanist Emeritus Professor David Greenwood, who has spent decades studying the remarkable silcrete fossil flora of Outback South Australia. The video explores how leaf and seed fossils from the Poole Creek and Stuarts Creek heritage sites, preserved in "paleochannels" from the Miocene epoch (around 13 million years ago) reveal a lush, verdant landscape that once supported diverse forests, wetlands and iconic megafauna. Greenwood explains how silcrete is formed, how these fossils record species such as eucalypts, banksias, grevilleas, lilly pilly, kurrajong, avocado relatives and ancient conifers, and why these heritage sites are vital for understanding Australia’s climatic and ecological past. This story highlights the scientific significance of protecting these rare fossil archives for all South Australians. Produced by: Outback Communities Authority Camera and edit: Grayson Cooke Featuring: Emeritus Professor David Greenwood, Dr Neville Alley Thanks to: Dr John Conran, Adelaide University, South Australian Drill Core Reference Library, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canada. This video contains images generated using AI.