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Scientists finally know how old the Twelve Apostles are – and they’re much younger than anyone thought

The Conversation · · 789 words · By Stephen Gallagher
Climate Change Science

New research published in the Australian Journal of Earth Sciences analyzed the limestone of the Twelve Apostles to provide detailed climate history records spanning millions of years. The study mapped the rock layers using fossil analysis and digital imagery, determining the age of the limestone and the processes that formed the current coastal scenery. The research emphasizes the value of these cliffs as a record of past climate change relevant to current global climate discussions.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/scientists-finally-know-how-old-the-twelve-apostles-…

analyticsAnalysis

20%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning
Glittering Generalities 70% confidence
Using vague, emotionally appealing phrases ('freedom', 'justice') without specifics.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

12 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 7
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule Pending 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
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“These towering limestone stacks, rising up to 70 metres above the Southern Ocean, are some of Australia’s most recognisable landmarks.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that the limestone stacks, known as the Twelve Apostles, are located off the shore of Port Campbell National Park and can rise up to 70 meters, and are recognized as a major landmark.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Quorum of the Twelve, the Council of the Twelve Apostles, or simply the Twelve) is…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_members_of_the_Quorum_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Matthew the Apostle was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. According to Christian traditions, he was also one of the four Evangelists as author of the Gospel of Matthew, and thus is also known as Ma…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_the_Apostle
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Andrew the Apostle (Koine Greek: Ἀνδρέας, romanized: Andréas [anˈdre.aːs̠]; Latin: Andreas [än̪ˈd̪reː.äːs]; Aramaic: אַנדּרֵאוָס; Classical Syriac: ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, romanized: ʾAnd'raʾwās) was an apostle …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_the_Apostle
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Each layer was laid down in shallow seas during the Miocene epoch.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources state that the Port Campbell Limestone, which forms the stacks, was deposited in shallow seas during the Miocene epoch. One source specifies the timing as 'Mid-Late Miocene, around 15 to 5 million years ago.'
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Amazon River (UK: , US: ; Portuguese: rio Amazonas, Spanish: río Amazonas) in South America is the largest river by discharge volume of water in the world, and the second-longest or longest river …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_River
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ball's Pyramid is an uninhabited islet in the Pacific Ocean located 20 kilometres (12 mi; 11 nmi) southeast of Lord Howe Island, between Australia and New Zealand. The steep rocky basalt outcrop is th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball's_Pyramid
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Twelve Apostles are a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of Port Campbell National Park, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. Their proximity to one another has made the site …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Apostles_(Victoria)
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“This period in Earth’s history, marked by a transition from warm to cool climate, lasted roughly from 23 million years ago to 5 million years ago.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia entries for the Miocene Epoch provide specific dating ranges that align with the claim, stating it spans from about 23 million years ago to 5.333 million years ago.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages. The sub-epoch lasted from 23.03 ± 0.05 Ma to 15.97 ± 0…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Miocene
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Late Miocene (also known as Upper Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch made up of two stages: the Tortonian and Messinian. It lasted from 11.63 Ma (million years ago) to 5.333 Ma.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Miocene
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Miocene ( MY-ə-seen, -⁠oh-) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about 23.04 to 5.333 million years ago (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Ly…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miocene
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Our fossil analysis shows the oldest layers of limestone are about 14 million years old, and the youngest about 8.6 million.”
CORROBORATED
Two web search results provide specific age ranges for the limestone layers: one mentions 8.6 to 14 million years old, and another mentions 7 to 15 million years old, supporting the general timeframe given in the claim.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the N…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostles_in_the_New_Testament
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Philip the Apostle (Greek: Φίλιππος; Aramaic: ܦܝܠܝܦܘܣ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲗⲓⲡⲡⲟⲥ, Philippos) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Later Christian traditions describe Philip a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_the_Apostle
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary. The word is derived from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (apóstolos), literally "one who is sent off", itself derived from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (apostéllei…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostle
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“Beneath the limestone, visible at beach level east of the Apostles, is an older layer of soft, dark material called the Gellibrand Marl.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the existence of an older, soft, dark material beneath the limestone, specifically naming it the Gellibrand Marl, and noting its visibility at beach level.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jan Juc Beach is a patrolled beach in Jan Juc, Victoria, Australia, adjacent to the popular Torquay Surf Beach. The beach is situated along the Surf Coast coastline and faces south-south-west towards …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Juc_Beach
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web search NEUTRAL — Beneath the limestone, visible at beach level east of the Apostles, is an older layer of soft, dark material called the Gellibrand Marl. This was deposited at the bottom of deeper, warmer seas around …
https://www.miragenews.com/scientists-reveal-age-of-twelve-a…
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web search NEUTRAL — Microfossils can be found within the limestone layers of the Twelve Apostles and the region's coastal cliffs. (Supplied: Stephen Gallagher/University of Melbourne).Shelly material and clay deposited f…
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2026-04-24/how-victorias…
+ 1 more evidence source
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“This was deposited at the bottom of deeper, warmer seas around 14 million to 15 million years ago.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources specify that the Gellibrand Marl was deposited in deeper, warmer marine environments, with timeframes cited around 14 million to 15 million years ago.
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web search NEUTRAL — Shelly material and clay deposited from about 16 million to 14.1 million years ago became what is known as Gellibrand marl. A view down at coastal yellow cliffs stretching into the distance and large …
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2026-04-24/how-victorias…
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web search NEUTRAL — Gellibrand Marl at ca 15Ma to middle shelf environments in the lower part of the Port.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356662080_Geology_g…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Late Oligocene–Early Miocene Gellibrand Marl, consisting largely of grey marl (Gallagher & Holdgate 2000; Holdgate & Gallagher 2003) was deposited in a neritic marine environment during a transgre…
https://research-management.mq.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/…
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“On top of the marl, forming the bulk of the cliffs and stacks themselves, is the Port Campbell Limestone.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources state that the Port Campbell Limestone forms the bulk of the cliffs and stacks, resting on top of the underlying Gellibrand Marl.
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web search NEUTRAL — Tectonic plate movements over millions of years have lifted and tilted the layers of underlying Gellibrand marl (15m years old) and the Apostles’ yellow and grey Port Campbell limestone, rocks formed …
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/24/a-histor…
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web search NEUTRAL — history of the Port Campbell Limestone on the eastern flank of the Otway Basin, southeastern.1. The Port Campbell Limestone is a stack of thin repetitive depositional cycles within cycles. The cyclici…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356662080_Geology_g…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Twelve Apostles are a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of Port Campbell National Park, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Apostles_(Victoria)
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“This was deposited in shallower, cooler conditions over the following several million years.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources indicate that the Port Campbell Limestone was deposited in shallower, cooler conditions over a period of millions of years, consistent with the claim.
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web search NEUTRAL — The limestone unit that forms The Twelve Apostles is referred to as the Port Campbell Limestone, which was deposited in the Mid-Late Miocene, around 15 to 5 million years ago. [5] The Twelve Apostles …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Apostles_(Victoria)
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web search NEUTRAL — The overlying shallow shelf Port Campbell Limestone is a brittle unit that forms most cliffs and sea stacks. Two Port Campbell Limestone units are present. A grey clay-rich unit in the lower half of c…
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08120099.2026.2…
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web search NEUTRAL — With thanks to A/Prof Stephen Gallagher MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY 1 | Deep time The clay and limestone layers that form the foundation of the modern seascapes belong to a geological unit called Port Campbe…
https://visitgreatoceanroad.org.au/visit12apostles/local-att…
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“From 14.1 million to 13.8 million years ago, our fossil record captures a moment when the global climate was warmer than today.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered for this specific claim regarding the global climate being warmer than today between 14.1 and 13.8 million years ago. Although related evidence exists for the general time period, no source directly confirms this specific climate comparison.
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“Starting around 8.6 million years ago, this compression buckled and lifted the limestone out of the sea.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered for this specific claim regarding compression starting around 8.6 million years ago causing uplift. While the timing of uplift is discussed in relation to the layers, no source confirms this specific mechanism and date.
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“The actual sea stacks and cliffs only took their present form in the past few thousand years, after sea levels rose about 125 metres following the last ice age, roughly 20,000–23,000 years ago.”
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“One collapsed in 2005 and another crumbled in 2009, leaving a generally agreed number of seven today.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.