Dr Elizabeth Reed

• Biography/ Background

  I am a vertebrate palaeontologist specialising in Quaternary aged cave deposits, notably at Naracoorte in the south east region of South Australia. My particular interests are vertebrate taphonomy and site history, Quaternary palaeoclimate and biodiversity records from caves and refining megafauna extinction records. My current research centres on refining chronological and ecological records of vertebrate faunas and environment spanning the past 100,000 years.
  
  I completed an Honours degree in vertebrate palaeontology at Flinders University and later a PhD in 2004. My thesis research involved taphonomic studies of large mammal fossils from the Pleistocene-aged deposits within the World Heritage listed Naracoorte Caves National Park. Since then I have taught at undergraduate and graduate level and have supervised/co-supervised three PhDs and five Honours to completion.

  My interest in caves extends to conservation, heritage management, interpretation and tourism. I was a site interpreter at Naracoorte Caves for six years and have been involved in staff training and developing interpretive materials for the past 16 years. I have attended numerous conferences on caves and palaeontology and have been convenor and co-convenor for several of these. My involvement in tourism includes liaising with the South Australian Tourism Commission to deliver public events, conferences and being part of the Fossil Tourism working group. I wrote the draft scoping study for developing fossil-based tourism in SA. I have been involved in advising on management of fossil site and conservation issues at Naracoorte Caves.

  I have done many print, radio and television interviews for national and international media eg. Discovery Channel, National Geographic, TBC and the BBC. I have been involved with organising and participating in many public events at Naracoorte Caves since 1997, including National Thylacine day, Threatened Species day, Out of the Glass Case road shows for SA Museum, Palaeontology Week , National Science Week, Coastal Connections, SA Friends of Parks and Biodiversity up close events.

• Qualifications

  Doctor of Philosophy - 2004, Flinders University.

  Graduate Certificate Museum Studies - 2005, Deakin University

  Bachelor of Arts Honours (Biological Sciences) - 1997, Flinders University

  Associate Diploma Applied Science - 1991, University of Adelaide

• Teaching Interests

  Current teaching - ENV BIOL 3122 Evolution and Palaeobiology III

  Interests - Vertebrate palaeontology, osteology, palaeobiology, evolution, extinctions, vertebrate taphonomy, earth science history

• Publications

  Journal articles, published conference abstracts and book chapters (chronological order)

  Grealy A, Macken A, Allentoft M, Rawlence N, Reed, E. and Bunce, M (2016) An assessment of ancient DNA preservation in Holocene-Pleistocene fossil bone excavated from the world heritage Naracoorte Caves, South Australia. Journal of Quaternary Science. DOI: 10.1002/jqs.2830 

  Reed, L. (2015) Underground archives: Naracoorte's fossil caves and their record of deep time. E-Science July 2015 http://escience.realviewdigital.com/?iid=122820 - folio=1

  Curry, M., Reed, E., and Bourne, S. (2014) Catching the marsupial ‘lion’ by the tail: Thylacoleo carnifex and the Naracoorte Caves. Journal of the Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association. 97, 6-16.

  Macken, A.C. and Reed, E.H. (2014) Post-glacial reorganisation of a small mammal palaeocommunity in southern Australia reveals thresholds of change. Ecological Monographs, 85 (4), 563-577.

  Macken, A.C. and Reed, E.H. (2013) Late Quaternary small mammal faunas of the Naracoorte Caves World Heritage Area. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 137(1) pp. 53-67.

  Macken, A.C., Staff, R. and Reed, E.H. (2013) Bayesian age-depth modelling of Late Quaternary deposits from Wet and Blanche Caves, Naracoorte, South Australia: a framework for comparative faunal analyses. Quaternary Geochronology. 17, 26-43.

  Macken, A.C., McDowell, M.C., Bartholomeusz, D. and Reed, E.H. (2013) Chronology and stratigraphy of the Wet Cave vertebrate fossil deposit, Naracoorte, and relationship to paleoclimatic conditions of the Last Glacial Cycle in south-eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences. 60(2), 271-281.

  Reed, L. and Bourne, S. (2013) 'Old' cave, new stories: the interpretative evolution of Blanche Cave, Naracoorte. Journal of the Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association. 90, 11-28.

  Macken, A.C., Prideaux, G.J., and Reed, E.H., (2012) Variation and pattern in the responses of mammal faunas to Late Pleistocene climatic change in southeastern South Australia. Journal of Quaternary Science. 27(4), 415-424.

  Reed, L. (2012) Of mice and megafauna: new insights into Naracoorte's fossil deposits. Journal of the Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association. 86, 7-14.

  Reed, L. (2012) Naracoorte Caves. In “Australia’s Fossil Heritage: a catalogue of important Australian fossil sites. Pp 69-70. The Australian Heritage Council, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood.

  St Pierre, E., Zhao, J., Feng, Y., & Reed, E.H., (2012) U/Th age determinations of soda straw stalactites from an excavation at Blanche Cave, Naracoorte, South Australia: method development and implications for site chronology. Journal of Archaeological Science. 39(4), 922-930.

  Macken, A.C., Jankowski, N.R., Price, G.J., Bestland, E.A., Reed, E.H., Prideaux, G.J. and Roberts, R.G. (2011) Application of sedimentary and chronological analyses to refine the depositional context of a Late Pleistocene vertebrate deposit, Naracoorte, South Australia. Quaternary Science Reviews. 30: 2690-2702.

  Bourne, S.J. & Reed, E.H. (2009) The Australian Fossil Mammal sites (Riversleigh/Naracoorte). World Heritage. 52: 46-47.

  Reed, E.H. and Bourne, S.J. (2009) Pleistocene fossil vertebrate sites of the South East region of South Australia II. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia. 133(1): 30-40.

  Reed, E.H. (2009) Decomposition and disarticulation of kangaroo carcasses in caves at Naracoorte, South Australia. Journal of Taphonomy. 7(4): 265-283.

  Reed, L. (2009) ‘A vertebrate CSI’. Pp. 37-40.  In SA Museum. “The Fossil Hunters”. South Australian Museum, Adelaide.

  Darrenougue, N., de Deckker, P., Fitzsimmons, K., Norman, M., Reed, E., van der Kaars, S. and Fallon, S. (2009) A late Pleistocene record of aeolian sedimentation in Blanche Cave, Naracoorte, South Australia. Quaternary Science Reviews. 28, 2600 – 2615.

  St Pierre, E., Zhao, J. and Reed, E.H. (2009) Expanding the utility of Uranium-series dating of speleothems for archaeological and palaeontological applications. Journal of Archaeological Science. 36 (7): 1416-1423.

  Reed, E.H. (2008) Pinning down the pitfall: entry points for Pleistocene vertebrate remains and sediments in the Fossil Chamber, Victoria Fossil Cave, Naracoorte, South Australia. Quaternary Australasia. 25(2): 2-8.

  Reed, E.H. (2006) In situ taphonomic investigation of Pleistocene large mammal bone deposits from the Ossuaries Victoria Fossil Cave, Naracoorte South Australia. Helictite 39, 5-15.

  Wells, R.T., Grun, R., Forbes, M.S., Sullivan, J., Bestland, E.A., Reed, E.H., et al. (2006). The Black Creek Swamp Megafauna Site, Kangaroo Island: pre or post blitzkreig? Alcheringa Special Issue 1. 472-472.

  Wells, R.T. and Reed, L. (2006). Naracoorte Caves World Heritage site: history and research overview. Alcheringa Special Issue 1. pp. 472..

  Sullivan, J., Wells, R.T., Reed, E.H., Forbes, M.S. and Bestland, E.A. (2006). A taphonomic investigation of the Black Creek Swamp megafaunal accumulation. Alcheringa Special Issue 1. pp. 468-468.

  Reed, L. (2006) A modern taphonomic analogue for Pleistocene pitfall cave deposits at Naracoorte, South Australia. Alcheringa Special Issue 1. pp. 463.

  Reed, L., Bourne, S.J., Megirian, D., Prideaux, G.J. and Young, G.C. (2006). Editors. Proceedings of the 10th Conference on Australasian Vertebrate Evolution, Palaeontology and Systematics. Alcheringa Special Issue 1.  475 pages.

  Reed, L. and Bourne, S. (2006) A palaeontological survey of the World Heritage listed Naracoorte Caves National Park. Alcheringa Special Issue 1. 463.

  Reed, L, Wells, R., Bourne, S. and Sellar, A. (2006). Discovering the history of life on Earth in South Australia. Alcheringa Special Issue 1. pp. 464.

  Reed, E.H. and Hutchinson, M.N. (2005) First record of a giant varanid (Megalania, Squamata) from the Pleistocene of Naracoorte, South Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. 51, 203-213.

  Reed, L. and Gillieson, D. (2003) Mud and bones: cave deposits and environmental history in Australia. Pp. 89-110. In Finlayson, B. & Hamilton-Smith, E. (Eds) “Beneath the surface: a natural history of Australian Caves”. (UNSW Press, Sydney).

  Reed, E.H. (2001). Disarticulation of kangaroo skeletons in semi-arid Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology. 49, 615-632.

  Reed, E. H. and Bourne, S.J. (2000) Pleistocene fossil vertebrate sites of the South East region of South Australia. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia. 124, 61-90.

  Consultancy report

  Reed, L. (2003) Draft fossil-based Tourism Scoping Study. Report prepared for the South Australian Tourism commission by Liz Reed, Flinders University. Available online http://www.geoconservation.com/ehwh/Conference/presentations/bournescope.pdf

  Conference papers

  Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, Dallas October 2015. Gray, J., Reed, E., and McDowell, M. Agamid (Reptilia: Squamata) assemblages from South Australia suggest differences between Pleistocene and modern distributions that reflect climate changes.

  International symposium on Radiocarbon and Archaeology, April 2013. Ghent, Belgium. Staff, R., Macken, A., Reed. E. Bayesian age-depth modelling of Late Quaternary deposits from Wet and Blanche Caves, Naracoorte, South Australia: establishing a framework for high resolution faunal analyses.

  World Archaeological Congress 7, Dead Sea 2013. St Pierre, E., Zhao, J., Feng, Y. and Reed, E.H.. Expanding the utility of uranium-series dating of speleothems from limestone cave deposits for palaeontological and archaeological applications. In World Archaeological Congress 7. World Archaeological Congress 7.

  Ecological Society of Australia Conference, Canberra, Australia, December 2010. Macken, A.C., Prideaux, G.J. and Reed, E. H. Faunal responses to late Pleistocene climate change: looking from the past to the future.

  Conference on Vertebrate Evolution, Palaeontology and Systematics June 2009. Bourne, S., Reed, E. & Wells, R. “Thylacoleo’s Den?”.

  World Archaeological Congress 6, Dublin, Ireland July 2008. St Pierre, E., Zhao, Jian-xin & Reed, E. Expanding the utility of Uranium-series dating of speleothems for archaeological and palaeontological applications..

  13^th Conference on Australasian Vertebrate Evolution Palaeontology and Systematics. Perth, 2011 Moore, J.S.L., Bourne, S. and Reed, E.H. Towards a taphonomic history of a Pleistocene predator assemblage from Naracoorte, South Australia. In CAVEPS Perth 2011: Programme & Abstracts. 13th Conference on Australasian Vertebrate Evolution, Palaeontology and Systematics. pp. 59.

  10^th Conference on Australasian Vertebrate Evolution Palaeontology and Systematics. Naracoorte, South Australia 2005.

  Reed, L.  A modern taphonomic analogue for Pleistocene pitfall cave deposits at Naracoorte, South Australia.

  Reed, L. and Bourne, S. J. A palaeontological survey of the World Heritage listed Naracoorte Caves National Park

  Reed, L., Wells, R.T., Bourne, S.J. and Sellar, A. Discovering the history of life on earth in South Australia.

  Limestone Coast 2004 – final meeting of IGCP 448 - Global Karst Correlation, and The First International Workshop on RAMSAR Subterranean Wetlands, Naracoorte, South Australia.

  Reed, E. H. The World Heritage significance of the Naracoorte Caves: palaeontological history. Keynote address.

  Reed, E. H. Stratigraphy and sediment in-fill history of the mid-Pleistocene Fossil Chamber deposit, Victoria Fossil Cave, Naracoorte South Australia.

  International Quaternary Association Congress 2003, Reno, USA. Barrows, T. T., Fifield, K. L. & Reed, L. Direct dating of fossil megafauna using cosmogenic Cl-36.

  Conference on Australasian Vertebrate Evolution, Palaeontology and Systematics 2003, Brisbane Queensland.

  Reed, E. H. Taphonomy of the large mammal bone remains from the Fossil Chamber, Victoria Fossil Cave, Naracoorte. Spoken paper. 

  Reed, E. H. Modifications of large mammal bone material in caves at Naracoorte, South Australia. Spoken paper.  Awarded best overall paper for the conference.

  Reed, E. H. and Hutchinson, M. N. First record of a giant varanid (Megalania, Squamata) from the Pleistocene of Naracoorte, South Australia. Poster presentation. Awarded best poster for the conference.

  Australian Quaternary Association conference, 2002 Barrows, T. T., Fifield, K. L. & Reed, L. Direct dating of fossil megafauna using cosmogenic Cl-36.

  Fifth Karst Studies Seminar 2000, Wellington NSW. Reed, E. & Bourne, S. J. Pleistocene fossil sites of the South East of South Australia, with a particular focus on the Naracoorte region and the World Heritage Naracoorte Caves.

  National palaeontology student conference, Naracoorte 1998. Reed, E. Wombat Cave as a modern taphonomic analogue for Pleistocene fossil deposits in caves.

  Conference on Australasian Vertebrate Evolution, Palaeontology and Systematics 1997, Perth WA. Reed, E. A taphonomic study of the disarticulation of macropodid skeletons in a semi-arid environment.

   

   

• Professional Associations

  Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, Australasian Quaternary Association, Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association.

• Media Expertise

  Categories	Palaeontology
  Expertise	Palaeontology; megafauna; Australian megafauna; Naracoorte Caves; Caves
  Mobile	0437068704

Entry last updated: Friday, 18 Aug 2023

To link to this page, please use the following URL:  https://www.adelaide.edu.au/directory/liz.reed