D-Site Tour Intro - Boodjamulla National Park

Riversleigh lies within

Waanyi Country

Waanyi-yanyini kalana barri narri jungku.
‘You are now on Waanyi country.’
Kuwinba nurri narriyangi, kala-mungkuji.
‘We, the land owners, are happy about you coming.’

‘D-Site’ was one of the first major fossil deposits discovered at Riversleigh and its fossils date back 25 million years to the late Oligocene period. This is the only publicly accessible part of the World Heritage Area. The Waanyi People feel a deep connection and responsibility for the safekeeping of this place.

Riversleigh Fossil Names

Classification	Fossil names	*Translation (Waanyi* word)**
Order Dasyuromorphia (dasyures, thylacines)	Badjcinus turnbulli	Badj/baji = good/expert hunter or cheeky/aggressive; cinus = Greek for dog
	Ganbulanyi djadjinguli	Ganbulanyi/kanbulanyi = Native Cat or Northern Quoll; Djadji/jaji = ‘to eat’; Nguli = bone
	Mayigriphus orbus	Mayi = tooth/teeth; griphus = Latin for puzzle
Order Peramelimorphia (bandicoots)	Bulungu palara	Bulungu = sister’s child, child, baby
	Galadi speciosus	Galadi/kaladi/kaladiya = bandicoot, possum, Rock Ringtail Possum
	Liyamayi dayi	Liya = round; Mayi = tooth; dayi = ‘chop’
	Madju variae	Madju/maju = sister, elder sister
	Yarala burchfieldi	Yarala/yarrala = root or butt of tree
Order Notoryctemorphia (marsupial moles)	Naraboryctes philcreaseri	Naraba/ngaraba = to drink; ryctes = Greek for ‘digger’
Order Diprotodontia Suborder: Macropodiformes (kangaroos)	Bulungamaya delicata	Bulungulla/balangarra = moon; Mayi = tooth/teeth
	Cookeroo bulwidarri	Bulwidarri = white, white of egg
	Ganawamaya gillespieae	Ganawa/kanawa = long; Mayi = tooth/teeth
	Ganguroo bilamina	Gangu/kangku = grandfather, father’s father
	Nowidgee matrix	Nowidgee, ngawiji = grandmother, father’s mother
	Wabularoo naughtoni	Wabula = forgotten, long time before; Naughtoni = after former owner of Riversleigh Station, Ted Naughton
Order Diprotodontia Family: Pseudocheiridae	Gawinga aranaea	Gawinga/kawinka = possum, Northern Brushtail Possum
Order Diprotodontia Family: Miralinidae	Durudawiri inusitatus	Duru = sun; Dawiri/dawirri = little sister, younger sibling
Order Diprotodontia Family: Maradidae	Marada arcanum	Marada = flat, flat ground, claypan
Order Diprotodontia Family: Vombatidae	Rhizophascolonus ngangaba	Ngangaba = light (in weight)
Order Chiroptera (bats)	Brachipposideros nooraleebus	Nooraleeba/ngurralyijbi = stuck in the mud
Order Chiroptera (bats)	Macroderma malugara	Malugara/malukarra = good hunter or killer
Subclass Therians Subgroup: Incertae sedis	Yingabalanara richardsoni	Yinga/yingka = other, another; Balanara/balangarra = moon