Recent archaeological discoveries in Australia have prompted a reevaluation of the long-held belief that humans were primarily responsible for the extinction of the continent’s ancient megafauna. Researchers have been examining and debating the implications of climate change, climate amelioration, and human encroachment of these giant immigrants. This discussion has been sparked by fossils uncovered from places like Lake Callabonna, including Diprotodon remains, as well as other key species.
Excavations carried out about 80 kilometers southwest of Murujuga uncovered Diprotodon fossils, the largest marsupial ever known to have existed. At Spring Creek, Victoria, researchers had an amazing find – a Diprotodon tooth. They think the markings on it were made by quolls, not humans. All of this new evidence strongly suggests humans lived among these animals. Yet, it turns out they were not the primary reason for their extinction after all.
New Insights from Fossil Discoveries
In South Australia’s Flinders Ranges, researchers found the bone fragment in Warratyi rock shelter belonging to a Diprotodon. This piece has been radiocarbon dated to around 46,000 years ago. This new finding further reinforces the idea that the megafauna extinction is more complicated than we previously thought. Scientists are peeling back the onion to this fascinating riddle. According to the world’s foremost researcher on this subject, Professor Michael Archer, these are highly significant findings.
“We were convinced that humans were trying to cut the bone open to get, perhaps, marrow,” – Professor Archer.
New analyses just released show something unexpected. A lot of the striations on these bones probably have nothing to do with human behavior. Non-destructive micro X-ray fluorescence study investigated a charm carved from a fossilized tooth of Zygomaturus trilobus. This analysis turned out to show that the chemical compositions were remarkably similar to those of teeth from Mammoth Cave. This begs the question, to what degree are humans responsible for the proliferation of these species?
The Role of Climate Change
All of the evidence seems to lead in the direction of climate change as a major contributing factor in megafauna extinction. As far as these enduring animals disappearing, Professor Archer emphasized the environmental landscape they were experiencing at the time was changing rapidly.
“What we’re saying is the flip side of that argument is that it’s more probable it was climate change,” – Professor Archer.
This view is consistent with the work of other researchers. Specifically, they assert that there is not a direct connection between human predation and species extinction. Professor Veth was particularly keen to highlight the archaeological evidence strongly opposing claims of human-caused extinction in Sahul. This region is known as the Sahul Shelf and it encompasses modern-day Australia and New Guinea.
“I see no evidence in the Pleistocene archaeology of Sahul for human-linked predation or species loss,” – Professor Veth.
Additionally, archaeological evidence suggests that First Nations people engaged in broad regional trade and exchange well before European contact. Both activities illustrate their deep, complex knowledge of the land and everything that inhabits it.
“Continental-scale trade and exchange is not just a post-settler phenomenon; it was part of Aboriginal practice before the first European fossil collectors set foot on the continent,” – Professor Veth.
The Complexity of Human-Megafauna Interactions
The discussion about whether humans played a role in the extinction of Australia’s megafauna remains heated today. Recent research indicates that humans did have large herbivore competitors. The specific nature and extent of those interactions are absent. Our best evidence suggests that these early cave dwellers harvested habitat for their food. Partially burnt eggshells belonging to Genyornis newtoni, or the thunderbird, back this up.
“There are many sites with partially burned eggshells of the megafaunal bird Genyornis that clearly show humans were gathering those eggs, cooking them over a fire, and then eating them, and scattering the eggshell fragments in and around the campfire,” – Professor Miller.
These kinds of archaeological discoveries illuminate the up-close and personal relationship between humans and megafauna that involved both coexistence and exploitation. According to researchers such as Peter Cooper, it is precisely this type of interaction that offers insight into the true genius of ancient peoples’ perceptions of their environment.
“Animals that we have never seen but that our ancestors used to interact with here before they disappeared,” – Peter Cooper.
As scientists continue to analyze these fossils and their contexts, they are uncovering layers of interactions between early Australians and megafauna that were previously overlooked. These results do not support simplified narratives of human impacts resulting in immediate extinction.
