Humans implicated in Australian prehistoric animal extinctions

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Posted: Monday 11 August 2008

ONLINE BRIEFING: Humans implicated in Australian prehistoric animal extinctions - new PNAS study

Under strict global embargo until Tuesday 12 August at 7am Australian EST

Rapid Roundup | Online Briefing

BRIEFING DETAILS:
DATE: Monday 11 August 2008
START TIME: 10.30am AEST
DURATION: 30 minutes
VENUE: Online

Australian research sheds new light on the role that our ancestors played in the extinction of Australia’s large prehistoric animals. There has been ongoing debate about whether climate change or human arrival was the major cause of the demise of Australia’s megafauna. On the Australian mainland, 90% of these animals became extinct soon after the first evidence of the arrival of humans, around 46 thousand years ago. Yet on Tasmania, their extinction is thought to have taken place before the arrival of humans, making climate change the most likely culprit.

This new study, to be published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, provides the first evidence that Tasmania’s large prehistoric animals were still roaming the island when humans first arrived. The findings suggest that their mass extinction was the result of human hunting, and not climate change—as previously believed.

SPEAKERS:
• Professor Tim Flannery - Earth and Life Sciences at Macquarie University | Listen to Tim (mp3)
• Professor Richard ‘Bert’ Roberts - Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong | Bert's PowerPoint (pdf) | Listen to Bert (mp3)
• Craig Reid - Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston | Craig's PowerPoint (pdf) | Listen to Craig (mp3)

Listen to the Q&A session (mp3)

Watch a full replay of the presentations here

For interview requests, a copy of the paper or further information please contact the AusSMC on 08 8207 7415 or email us.

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