Australian megafauna
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The term Australian megafauna refers to the
megafauna In terrestrial zoology, the megafauna (from Greek μέγας ''megas'' "large" and New Latin ''fauna'' "animal life") comprises the large or giant animals of an area, habitat, or geological period, extinct and/or extant. The most common threshold ...
in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
during the
Pleistocene Epoch The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was finally confirmed in ...
. Most of these species became extinct during the latter half of the Pleistocene, and the roles of human and climatic factors in their extinction are contested. There are similarities between the prehistoric Australian megafauna and some mythical creatures from the
Aboriginal Dreamtime The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal beliefs. It was originally used by Francis Gillen, quickly adopted by his co ...
.


Causes of extinction

Many modern researchers, including
Tim Flannery Timothy Fridtjof Flannery (born 28 January 1956) is an Australian mammalogist, palaeontologist, environmentalist, Conservation biology, conservationist, Exploration, explorer, author, Science communication, science communicator, activist and p ...
, think that with the arrival of early Aboriginal Australians (around 70,000~65,000 years ago), hunting and the use of
fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...
to manage their environment may have contributed to the extinction of the
megafauna In terrestrial zoology, the megafauna (from Greek μέγας ''megas'' "large" and New Latin ''fauna'' "animal life") comprises the large or giant animals of an area, habitat, or geological period, extinct and/or extant. The most common threshold ...
. Increased aridity during peak glaciation (about 18,000 years ago) may have also contributed, but most of the megafauna were already extinct by this time. Others, including Steve Wroe, note that records in the Australian Pleistocene are rare, and there is not enough data to definitively determine the time of extinction of many of the species, with many of the species having no confirmed record within the last 100,000 years. They suggest that many of the extinctions had been staggered over the course of the late Middle Pleistocene and early Late Pleistocene, prior to human arrival, due to climatic stress. New evidence based on accurate
optically stimulated luminescence In physics, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) is a method for measuring doses from ionizing radiation. It is used in at least two applications: * Luminescence dating of ancient materials: mainly geological sediments and sometimes fired pott ...
and uranium-thorium dating of megafaunal remains suggests that humans were the ultimate cause of the extinction for some of the megafauna in Australia. The dates derived show that all forms of megafauna on the Australian mainland became extinct in the same rapid timeframe—approximately 46,000 years ago—the period when the earliest humans first arrived in Australia (around 70,000~65,000 years ago long chronology and 50,000 years ago short chronology). However, these results were subsequently disputed, with another study showing that 50 of 88 megafaunal species have no dates postdating the penultimate glacial maxiumum around 130,000 years ago, and there was only firm evidence for overlap of 8-14 megafaunal species with people. Analysis of oxygen and carbon isotopes from teeth of megafauna indicate the regional climates at the time of extinction were similar to arid regional climates of today and that the megafauna were well adapted to arid climates. The dates derived have been interpreted as suggesting that the main mechanism for extinction was human burning of a landscape that was then much less fire-adapted; oxygen and carbon isotopes of teeth indicate sudden, drastic, non-climate-related changes in vegetation and in the diet of surviving marsupial species. However, early Aboriginal peoples appear to have rapidly eliminated the megafauna of
Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...
about 41,000 years ago (following formation of a land bridge to Australia about 43,000 years ago as
Ice Age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gree ...
sea levels declined) without using fire to modify the environment there, implying that at least in this case hunting was the most important factor. It has also been suggested that the vegetational changes that occurred on the mainland were a consequence, rather than a cause, of the elimination of the megafauna. This idea is supported by sediment cores from
Lynch's Crater Lynch's Crater () formed about 230,000 years ago during an explosive volcanic eruption, creating a maar on the eastern edge of the Atherton Tableland in Queensland, Australia. Located at an altitude of about 760 m, the crater is about 80&n ...
in Queensland, which suggest that fire increased in the local ecosystem about a century after the disappearance of ''
Sporormiella ''Sporormiella'' is a genus of fungi in the family Sporormiaceae. Species of the genus are obligately coprophilous, occurring on the dung of domestic livestock as well as wild herbivores. The genus is distributed across boreal and temperate reg ...
(''a fungus found in herbivorous animal dung used as a megafaunal proxy), leading to a subsequent transition to fire-tolerant
sclerophyll Sclerophyll is a type of vegetation that is adapted to long periods of dryness and heat. The plants feature hard leaf, leaves, short Internode (botany), internodes (the distance between leaves along the stem) and leaf orientation which is paral ...
vegetation. However, the use of ''Sporormiella'' as a megafaunal proxy has been criticised, noting that ''Sporormiella'' is found sporadically in the dung of various herbivorous species, including extant emus and kangaroos, not just megafauna, that its presence depends on a variety of factors, often unrelated to megafaunal abundance, and that in
Cuddie Springs Cuddie Springs is a notable archaeological and paleontological site in the semi-arid zone of central northern New South Wales, Australia, near Carinda in Walgett Shire. Cuddie Springs is an open site, with the fossil deposits preserved in a cl ...
, a well known megafaunal site, the densities of ''Sporormiella'' were consistently low. A study of extinct megafauna at the Walker Creek site in Queensland, found that their disappearance from the site after 40 kya came after an extended period of environmental deterioration. Chemical analysis of fragments of
eggshell An eggshell is the outer covering of a hard-shelled egg and of some forms of eggs with soft outer coats. Diversity Worm eggs Nematode eggs present a two layered structure: an external vitellin layer made of chitin that confers mechanical ...
s of ''
Genyornis newtoni ''Genyornis newtoni'', also known as thunder bird and mihirung paringmal (meaning "giant bird"), is an extinct species of large, flightless bird that lived in Australia during the Pleistocene epoch until around 50,000 years ago. Over two met ...
'', a
flightless bird Flightless birds are birds that through evolution lost the ability to fly. There are over 60 extant species, including the well known ratites (ostriches, emu, cassowaries, rheas, and kiwi) and penguins. The smallest flightless bird is the In ...
that became extinct in Australia, from over 200 sites, revealed scorch marks consistent with cooking in human-made fires, presumably the first direct evidence of human contribution to the extinction of a species of the Australian megafauna. This was later contested by another study that noted the too small dimensions (126 x 97 mm, roughly like the emu eggs, while the moa eggs were about 240 mm) for the ''Genyornis'' supposed eggs, and rather, attributed them to another extinct, but much smaller bird, the
megapode The megapodes, also known as incubator birds or mound-builders, are stocky, medium-large, chicken-like birds with small heads and large feet in the family Megapodiidae. Their name literally means "large foot" and is a reference to the heavy legs ...
'' Progura''. The real time that saw ''Genyornis'' vanish is still an open question, but this was believed as one of the best documented megafauna extinctions in Australia. "Imperceptive overkill"; a scenario where anthropogenic pressures take place; slowly and gradually wiping the megafauna out; has been suggested. On the other hand, there is also evidence to suggest that (contrary to other conclusions) the megafauna lived alongside humans for several thousand years. The question of if (and how) the megafauna died before the arrival of humans is still debated; with some authors maintaining that only a minority of such fauna remained by the time the first humans settled on the mainland. One of the most important advocates of human role, Tim Flannery, author of the book ''Future Eaters'', was also heavily criticised for his conclusions. A surprisingly late date of 33-37 kya is known for a ''
Zygomaturus ''Zygomaturus'' is an extinct genus of giant marsupial belonging to the family Diprotodontidae which inhabited Australia from the Late Miocene to Late Pleistocene. Description It was a large animal, weighing 500 kg (1100 lbs) or ...
'' specimen from the
Willandra Lakes Region The Willandra Lakes Region is a World Heritage Site in the Far West region of New South Wales, Australia. The Willandra Lakes Region is the traditional meeting place of the Muthi Muthi, Ngiyampaa and Barkinji Aboriginal tribes. The area was ins ...
in New South Wales, the latest known date for any Australian Megafauna. This is well after aboriginal arrival in Australia around 50 kya. A 2021 study found that the rate of extinction of Australia's megafauna is rather unusual, with some more generalistic species having gone extinct earlier while highly specialised ones having become extinct later or even still surviving today. A mosaic cause of extinction with different anthropogenic and environmental pressures was proposed.


Living Australian megafauna

The term "megafauna" is usually applied to large animals (over ). In Australia, however, megafauna were never as large as those found on other continents, and so a more lenient criterion of over is often applied.


Mammals

* The
red kangaroo The red kangaroo (''Osphranter rufus'') is the largest of all kangaroos, the largest terrestrial mammal native to Australia, and the largest extant marsupial. It is found across mainland Australia, except for the more fertile areas, such as sou ...
(''Osphranter rufus'') grows up to tall and weighs up to 85 kg (187 lb). Females grow up to tall and weigh up to 35 kg (77 lb). Tails on both males and females can be up to long. * The eastern grey kangaroos (''Macropus giganteus''). Although a male typically weighs around 66 kg (145 lb) and stand almost tall, the scientific name ''Macropus giganteus'' (gigantic large-foot) is misleading, as the red kangaroo living in the semi-arid inland is larger. * The
antilopine kangaroo The antilopine kangaroo (''Osphranter antilopinus''), also known as the antilopine wallaroo or the antilopine wallaby, is a species of macropod found in northern Australia: in Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, the Top End of the Northern Terr ...
(''Osphranter antilopinus''), sometimes called the antilopine wallaroo or the antilopine wallaby, is a species of macropod found in northern Australia at
Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupación ...
in
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
, the
Top End The Top End of Australia's Northern Territory is a geographical region encompassing the northernmost section of the Northern Territory, which aside from the Cape York Peninsula is the northernmost part of the Australian continent. It covers a ra ...
of the
Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
, and the
Kimberley region of Western Australia The Kimberley is the northernmost of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami deserts in the region of the Pilbara, an ...
. can weigh as much as and grow over long. *
Common wombat The common wombat (''Vombatus ursinus''), also known as the coarse-haired wombat or bare-nosed wombat, is a marsupial, one of three extant species of wombats and the only one in the genus ''Vombatus''. The common wombat grows to an average of lo ...
s (''Vombatus ursinus'') can reach . They thrive in
Eastern Australia The eastern states of Australia are the states adjoining the east continental coastline of Australia. These are the mainland states of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, and the island state of Tasmania. The Australian Capital Territory ...
and
Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...
, preferring
temperate forest A temperate forest is a forest found between the tropical and boreal regions, located in the temperate zone. It is the second largest biome on our planet, covering 25% of the world's forest area, only behind the boreal forest, which covers abou ...
s and highland regions.


Birds

* The
emu The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus ''Dromaius''. The emu' ...
(''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') * The
southern cassowary The southern cassowary (''Casuarius casuarius''), also known as double-wattled cassowary, Australian cassowary or two-wattled cassowary, is a large flightless black bird. It is one of the three living species of cassowary, alongside the dwarf c ...
(''Casuarius casuarius'')


Reptiles

*
Goanna A goanna is any one of several species of lizards of the genus '' Varanus'' found in Australia and Southeast Asia. Around 70 species of ''Varanus'' are known, 25 of which are found in Australia. This varied group of carnivorous reptiles ranges ...
s, being
predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
y lizards, are often quite large or bulky, with sharp teeth and claws. The largest extant goanna is the
perentie The perentie (''Varanus giganteus'') is the largest monitor lizard or goanna native to Australia. It is one of the largest living lizards on earth, after the Komodo dragon, Asian water monitor, crocodile monitor, and intersecting by size with ...
(''Varanus giganteus''), which can grow over in length. However, not all goannas are gargantuan: pygmy goannas may be smaller than a man's arm. * A healthy adult male
saltwater crocodile The saltwater crocodile (''Crocodylus porosus'') is a crocodilian native to saltwater habitats and brackish wetlands from India's east coast across Southeast Asia and the Sundaic region to northern Australia and Micronesia. It has been listed ...
(''Crocodylus porosus'') is typically long and weighs around ), with many being much larger than that.Vanderwal and Fullager 1989 as cited in Josephine Flood (2004) ''Archaeology of the Dreamtime'', J.B Publishing, Marleston p, 182 The female is much smaller, with typical body lengths of . An saltwater crocodile was reportedly shot on the Norman River of Queensland in 1957; a cast was made of it and is on display as a popular tourist attraction. However, due to the lack of solid evidence (other than the plaster replica), and the length of time since the crocodile was caught, it is not considered "official". * The
freshwater crocodile The freshwater crocodile (''Crocodylus johnstoni''), also known as the Australian freshwater crocodile, Johnstone's crocodile or the freshie, is a species of crocodile endemic to the northern regions of Australia. Unlike their much larger Austr ...
(''Crocodylus johnsoni'') is a relatively small crocodilian. Males can grow to in length, while females reach a maximum length of . Males commonly weigh around , with large specimens up to or more, as against the average female weight of . In places such as
Lake Argyle Lake Argyle is Western Australia's largest and Australia's second largest freshwater man-made reservoir by volume. The reservoir is part of the Ord River Irrigation Scheme and is located near the East Kimberley town of Kununurra. The lake ...
and
Nitmiluk National Park Nitmiluk National Park is in the Northern Territory of Australia, 244 km southeast of Darwin, and 23 km northeast of the town of Katherine, around a series of gorges on the Katherine River and Edith Falls. Previously named Katherine G ...
(Katherine Gorge), there exist a handful of confirmed 4 m (13 ft) individuals.


Extinct Australian megafauna

The following is an incomplete list of extinct Australian megafauna (monotremes, marsupials, birds and reptiles) in the format: * ''Latin name'', (common name, period alive), and a brief description.


Monotremes

Monotremes are arranged by size with the largest at the top. * ''
Murrayglossus hacketti ''Murrayglossus'' is a genus in the family Tachyglossidae. It contains a single species, ''Murrayglossus hacketti'', the giant echidna, an extinct species of echidna from Western Australia that is dated to the Pleistocene. It is known only fro ...
'' was a sheep-sized
echidna Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes (egg-laying mammals) belonging to the family Tachyglossidae . The four extant species of echidnas and the platypus are the only living mammals that lay eggs and the ...
uncovered in
Mammoth Cave Mammoth Cave National Park is an American national park in west-central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system known in the world. Since the 1972 unification of Mammoth Cave with the even-longer system under F ...
in
Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
, and is the largest
monotreme Monotremes () are prototherian mammals of the order Monotremata. They are one of the three groups of living mammals, along with placentals (Eutheria), and marsupials (Metatheria). Monotremes are typified by structural differences in their brain ...
so far uncovered. * ''
Obdurodon ''Obdurodon'' is a genus of extinct platypus-like Australian monotreme which lived from the Late Oligocene to the Late Miocene. Three species have been described in the genus, the type species ''Obdurodon insignis'', plus ''Obdurodon dicksoni'' ...
dicksoni'' was a platypus up to in total length, fossils of which were found at Riversleigh. * ''
Megalibgwilia ''Megalibgwilia'' is a genus of echidna known only from Australian fossils that incorporates the oldest-known echidna species. The genus ranged from the Miocene until the late Pleistocene, becoming extinct about 50,000 years ago. ''Megalibgwili ...
ramsayi'' was a large, long-beaked echidna with powerful forelimbs for digging.


Marsupials

Marsupials are arranged by size, with the largest at the top.


* ''
Diprotodon ''Diprotodon'' (Ancient Greek: "two protruding front teeth") is an extinct genus of marsupial from the Pleistocene of Australia, containing one species, ''D. optatum''. The earliest finds date to 1.77 million to 780,000 years ago, but most speci ...
optatum'' is not only the largest known species of
diprotodontid The Diprotodontidae are an extinct family of large herbivorous marsupials, endemic to Australia and New Guinea during the Oligocene through Pleistocene periods from 28.4 million to 40,000 years ago. The family consisted of large quadrupedal te ...
, but also the largest known
marsupial Marsupials are any members of the mammalian infraclass Marsupialia. All extant marsupials are endemic to Australasia, Wallacea and the Americas. A distinctive characteristic common to most of these species is that the young are carried in a po ...
to ever exist. Approximately long and high at the shoulder and weighing up to , it resembled a giant
wombat Wombats are short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials that are native to Australia. They are about in length with small, stubby tails and weigh between . All three of the extant species are members of the family Vombatidae. They are adap ...
. It is the only marsupial known, living or extinct, to have conducted seasonal migrations. * ''
Palorchestes ''Palorchestes'' ("ancient leaper or dancer") is an extinct genus of terrestrial animal, terrestrial, herbivorous marsupials of the family (biology), family Palorchestidae. The genus was endemic to Australia, living from the Miocene through to th ...
azael'' was a diprotodontoid similar in size to ''Zygomaturus''. It had long claws to grasp branches with. It lived during the
Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...
.


* ''
Euowenia ''Euowenia'' is an extinct genus of Diprotodontia which existed from the Pliocene to the upper Pleistocene. Weighing around 500 kg, ''Euowenia'' is only known from three locations on mainland Australia, Chinchilla in Queensland, Menindee ...
grata'' * ''
Euryzygoma ''Euryzygoma'' is an extinct genus of marsupial which inhabited humid eucalyptus forests in Queensland and New South Wales during the Pliocene of Australia. ''Euryzygoma'' is believed to have weighed around 500 kg, and differed from other ...
dunense'' * ''
Zygomaturus ''Zygomaturus'' is an extinct genus of giant marsupial belonging to the family Diprotodontidae which inhabited Australia from the Late Miocene to Late Pleistocene. Description It was a large animal, weighing 500 kg (1100 lbs) or ...
trilobus'' was a smaller (bullock-sized, about long by high) diprotodontid that may have had a short trunk. It appears to have lived in wetlands, using two fork-like
incisors Incisors (from Latin ''incidere'', "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, wh ...
to shovel up reeds and sedges for food. * ''
Macropus pearsoni ''Macropus pearsoni'' is an extinct Australian vertebrate species belonging to the family Macropodidae, and is in the same genus ('' Macropus'') as extant kangaroos. ''M. pearsoni'' lived during the Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often r ...
'' and ''M. ferragus'' * '' Mukupirna nambensis'', in its own family Mukupirnidae within the
Vombatiformes The Vombatiformes are one of the three suborders of the large marsupial order Diprotodontia. Seven of the nine known families within this suborder are extinct; only the families Phascolarctidae, with the koala, and Vombatidae, with three extan ...
suborder of the large marsupial order
Diprotodontia Diprotodontia (, from Greek language, Greek "two forward teeth") is the largest extant order (biology), order of marsupials, with about 155 species, including the kangaroos, Wallaby, wallabies, Phalangeriformes, possums, koala, wombats, and many ...
* ''
Nototherium ''Nototherium'' ("Southern Beast") is an extinct genus of diprotodontid marsupial from Australia and New Guinea. This mammal had hypsodont molars and weighed around 500kg.Ross D.E. MacPhee, Hans-Dieter Sues, 1999, Extinctions in Near Time, p. ...
'' was a diprotodontoid relative of the larger ''Diprotodon''. * ''
Phascolonus ''Phascolonus'' was a genus of prehistoric Australian marsupials in the wombat family. The largest species, ''Phascolonus gigas'', weighed as much as 200 kg (450 lb). ''Phascolonus'' existed alongside an even larger marsupial, ''Diprotodon'' ...
gigas'' * '' Procoptodon goliah'' (the giant short-faced kangaroo) is the largest-known
kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...
to have ever lived. It grew 2–3 metres (7–10 feet) tall, and weighed up to . * '' Procoptodon rapha'', ''P. pusio'' and ''P. texasensis'' * ''
Protemnodon ''Protemnodon'' is an extinct genus of megafaunal macropodids that existed in Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea in the Pliocene and Pleistocene. It is also called the giant kangaroo. Taxonomy Recent analysis of mtDNA extracted from fossils i ...
'', a genus of wallaby with four known giant species out of 11 known species * ''
Palorchestes ''Palorchestes'' ("ancient leaper or dancer") is an extinct genus of terrestrial animal, terrestrial, herbivorous marsupials of the family (biology), family Palorchestidae. The genus was endemic to Australia, living from the Miocene through to th ...
parvus'' * '' Ramsayia magna'' * '' Sthenurus tindalei'' and ''S. atlas'' * ''
Thylacoleo carnifex ''Thylacoleo'' ("pouch lion") is an extinct genus of carnivorous marsupials that lived in Australia from the late Pliocene to the late Pleistocene (2 million to 46 thousand years ago). Some of these marsupial lions were the largest mammalian pred ...
'' (the marsupial lion) is the largest known carnivorous mammal to have ever lived in prehistoric Australia, and was of comparable size to female placental mammal
lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...
s and
tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...
s, It had a catlike skull with large slicing pre-molars, a retractable thumb-claw and massive forelimbs. It was almost certainly carnivorous and a tree-dweller.


* '' Simosthenurus pales'' * '' Phascolarctos stirtoni'' (the giant koala) was similar in structure to the modern
koala The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the womb ...
(''P. cinereus''), but one-third larger. * '' Phascolomys medius'' * ''
Lasiorhinus ''Lasiorhinus'' is the genus containing the two extant hairy-nosed wombats, which are found in Australia. The southern hairy-nosed wombat is found in some of the semiarid to arid regions belt from New South Wales southwest to the South Australi ...
angustidens'' * ''
Thylacinus cynocephalus The thylacine ( , or , also ) (''Thylacinus cynocephalus'') is an extinct carnivorous marsupial that was native to the Australian mainland and the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea. The last known live animal was captured in 1930 in Tasman ...
'' (the thylacine, Tasmanian wolf or Tasmanian tiger) * '' Congruus congruus'', a wallaby from Naracoorte * '' Troposodon minor'' * ''Sthenurus oreas'' * '' Simosthenurus occidentalis'' (another sthenurine) was about as tall as a modern eastern grey kangaroo, but much more robust. It is one of the nine known species of
leaf-eating In zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less energy than other types of foods, and often toxic compounds.Jones, S., Martin, R., & Pilbeam, D. (1 ...
kangaroos identified in fossils found in
Naracoorte Caves National Park Naracoorte Caves National Park is a national park near Naracoorte in the Limestone Coast tourism region in the south-east of South Australia (Australia). It was officially recognised in 1994 for its extensive fossil record when the site was ins ...
. * ''Simothenurus brownei'' * ''
Propleopus ''Propleopus'' is an extinct genus of marsupials. Three species are known: ''P. chillagoensis'' from the Plio-Pleistocene, and ''P. oscillans'' and ''P. wellingtonensis'' from the Pleistocene. In contrast to most other kangaroos, and similar to t ...
oscillans'' (the giant rat-kangaroo) was a large (about rat-kangaroo with large shearing and stout grinding teeth that indicate it may have been an opportunistic omnivore able to eat invertebrates, vertebrates (possibly carrion), fruits, and soft leaves. Grew to about in height. * ''Simothenurus maddocki'' * ''Sthenurus andersoni'' * ''
Vombatus ''Vombatus'' is a genus of marsupial that contains a single living species, the common wombat (''Vombatus ursinus).'' The recently extinct Hackett's wombat ''(Vombatus hacketti ''Vombatus hacketti'', Hackett's wombat, is an extinct species o ...
hacketti'' * ''Macropus thor'' * ''Macropus piltonensis'' * ''Macropus rama'' * ''Simothenurus gilli'' * '' Warrendja wakefieldi'', a wombat from Naracoorte * ''
Sarcophilus ''Sarcophilus'' is a genus of carnivorous marsupial best known for its only living member, the Tasmanian devil. Sarcophilus is Latin - meaning 'flesh-loving'. There are four species of ''Sarcophilus''. '' S. laniarius'' and '' S. moornaensis'' ...
harrisii laniarius'', a large subspecies of the
Tasmanian devil The Tasmanian devil (''Sarcophilus harrisii'') (palawa kani: purinina) is a carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. Until recently, it was only found on the island state of Tasmania, but it has been reintroduced to New South Wales in ...
. * ''
Thylacinus megiriani ''Thylacinus megiriani'' lived during the late Miocene, 8 million years ago; the area ''T. megiriani'' inhabited in the Northern Territory was covered in forest with a permanent supply of water. ''Thylacinus megiriani'' was a quadrupedal marsup ...
''


Birds

* Family
Dromornithidae Dromornithidae, known as mihirungs and informally as thunder birds or demon ducks, were a clade of large, flightless Australian birds of the Oligocene through Pleistocene Epochs. All are now extinct. They were long classified in Struthioniform ...
: this group of birds was more closely related to modern
fowl Fowl are birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl (Galliformes) and the waterfowl (Anseriformes). Anatomical and molecular similarities suggest these two groups are close evolutionary relatives; together ...
than to modern
ratite A ratite () is any of a diverse group of flightless, large, long-necked, and long-legged birds of the infraclass Palaeognathae. Kiwi, the exception, are much smaller and shorter-legged and are the only nocturnal extant ratites. The systematics ...
s. ** ''
Dromornis stirtoni ''Dromornis'' is a genus of large to enormous prehistoric birds. The species were flightless, possessing greatly reduced wing structures but with large legs, similar to the modern ostrich or emu. They were likely to have been predominantly, if ...
'', (Stirton's thunder bird) was a flightless bird tall that weighed about . It is one of the largest birds so far discovered. It inhabited subtropical open woodlands and was probably herbivorous with some omnivory. It was heavier than the
moa Moa are extinct giant flightless birds native to New Zealand. The term has also come to be used for chicken in many Polynesian cultures and is found in the names of many chicken recipes, such as Kale moa and Moa Samoa. Moa or MOA may also refe ...
and taller than the
elephant bird Elephant birds are members of the extinct ratite family Aepyornithidae, made up of flightless birds that once lived on the island of Madagascar. They are thought to have become extinct around 1000-1200 CE, probably as a result of human activity. ...
s. ** ''
Bullockornis ''Dromornis'' is a genus of large to enormous prehistoric birds. The species were flightless, possessing greatly reduced wing structures but with large legs, similar to the modern ostrich or emu. They were likely to have been predominantly, i ...
planei'' (the "demon duck of doom") was another huge member of the Dromornithidae. It was up to tall and weighed up to ; it was probably herbivorous with some omnivory. ** ''
Genyornis ''Genyornis newtoni'', also known as thunder bird and mihirung paringmal (meaning "giant bird"), is an extinct species of large, flightless bird that lived in Australia during the Pleistocene epoch until around 50,000 years ago. Over two met ...
newtoni'' (the mihirung) was related to ''Dromornis'', and was about the height of an ostrich. It was the last survivor of the Dromornithidae. It had a large lower jaw and was probably herbivorous with some omnivory. * ''Progura gallinacea'' (the
giant malleefowl ''Progura'' is an extinct genus of megapode that was native to Australia. It was described from Plio-Pleistocene deposits at the Darling Downs and Chinchilla in southeastern Queensland by Charles De Vis. Taxonomy Comparison of Australian me ...
) was a larger relative of the extant
malleefowl The malleefowl (''Leipoa ocellata'') is a stocky ground-dwelling Australian bird about the size of a domestic chicken (to which it is distantly related). It is notable for the large nesting mounds constructed by the males and lack of parental ca ...
(''Leipoa ocellata'').


Reptiles

* '' Varanus priscus'' (formerly '' Megalania prisca'') (the megalania) was a giant carnivorous
goanna A goanna is any one of several species of lizards of the genus '' Varanus'' found in Australia and Southeast Asia. Around 70 species of ''Varanus'' are known, 25 of which are found in Australia. This varied group of carnivorous reptiles ranges ...
that might have grown to as long as , and weighed up to (Molnar, 2004). Giant goannas and humans overlapped in time in Pleistocene Australia, but there is no evidence that they directly encountered each other. * ''
Wonambi naracoortensis ''Wonambi'' is an extinct genus of madtsoiid snakes that lived in late Neogene to late Quaternary Australia. Species of ''Wonambi'' were constrictor snakes unrelated to Australian pythons. Description ''Wonambi'' was a fairly large snake, ...
'' was a non-venomous
snake Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...
of in length. It was an ambush predator living at waterholes located in natural sun traps and killed its prey by constriction. * ''
Quinkana ''Quinkana'' is an extinct genus of mekosuchine crocodylians that lived in Australia from about 28 million to about 10,000 years ago. Most attributed specimens have been found in Queensland. It is speculated to have been one of the top predators ...
'' was a terrestrial
crocodile Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to inclu ...
that grew from to possibly in length. It had long legs positioned underneath its body, and chased down mammals, birds and other reptiles for food. Its teeth were blade-like for cutting rather than pointed for gripping, as with water-dwelling crocodiles. It belonged to the
mekosuchine Mekosuchinae is an extinct clade of crocodilians from the Cenozoic of Australasia. They first appear in the fossil record in the Eocene in Australia, and survived until the arrival of humans: in the Pleistocene in Australia and within the Holocene ...
subfamily (all now extinct). It was discovered at the Bluff Downs in
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
. * '' Liasis dubudingala'', lived during the Pliocene epoch, grew up to long, and is the largest Australian snake known. It hunted mammals, birds and reptiles in
riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks ar ...
woodlands. It is most similar to the extant
olive python The olive python (''Liasis olivaceus'')
a
(''Liasis olivacea''). *''
Meiolania ''Meiolania'' ("small roamer") is an extinct genus of meiolaniid stem-turtle native to Australasia from the Middle Miocene to Late Pleistocene and possibly Holocene. It is best known from fossils found on Lord Howe Island, though fossils are know ...
'' was a genus of huge terrestrial cryptodire
turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked tu ...
s measuring in length, with horned heads and spiked tails.


Extinct megafauna contemporaneous with Aboriginal Australians

Monsters and large animals in
Dreamtime The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal mythology, Australian Aboriginal beliefs. It was originally used by Francis Ja ...
stories have been associated with extinct megafauna. The association was made at least as early as 1845, with colonists writing that Aboriginal people identified ''
Diprotodon ''Diprotodon'' (Ancient Greek: "two protruding front teeth") is an extinct genus of marsupial from the Pleistocene of Australia, containing one species, ''D. optatum''. The earliest finds date to 1.77 million to 780,000 years ago, but most speci ...
'' bones as belonging to
bunyip The bunyip is a creature from the aboriginal mythology of southeastern Australia, said to lurk in swamps, billabongs, creeks, riverbeds, and waterholes. Name The origin of the word ''bunyip'' has been traced to the Wemba-Wemba or Wergaia ...
s, and Thomas Worsnop concluding that the fear of bunyip attacks at watering holes remembered a time when ''Diprotodon'' lived in marshes. In the early 1900s,
John Walter Gregory John Walter Gregory, , (27 January 1864 – 2 June 1932) was a British geologist and explorer, known principally for his work on glacial geology and on the geography and geology of Australia and East Africa. The Gregory Rift in the Great Rift ...
outlined the Kadimakara (or Kuddimurka or Kadimerkera) story of the
Diyari The Diyari (), alternatively transcribed as Dieri (), is an Indigenous Australian group of the South Australian desert originating in and around the delta of Cooper Creek to the east of Lake Eyre. Language Diyari is classified as one of the K ...
(similar stories being told by nearby peoples), which describes the deserts of Central Australia as having once been "fertile, well-watered plains" with giant gum trees, and almost solid cloud cover overhead. The trees created a roof of vegetation in which lived the strange monsters called Kadimakara—which sometimes came to the ground to eat. One time, the gum trees were destroyed, forcing the Kadimakara to remain on the ground, particularly
Lake Eyre Lake Eyre ( ), officially known as Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, is an endorheic lake in east-central Far North South Australia, some north of Adelaide. The shallow lake is the depocentre of the vast endorheic Lake Eyre basin, and contains the ...
and Kalamurina, until they died. In times of drought and flood, the Diyari performed
corroboree A corroboree is a generic word for a meeting of Australian Aboriginal peoples. It may be a sacred ceremony, a festive celebration, or of a warlike character. A word coined by the first British settlers in the Sydney area from a word in the l ...
s (including dances and blood sacrifices) at the bones of the Kadimakara to appease them and request that they intercede with the spirits of rain and clouds. Sites of Kadimakara bones identified by Aboriginal people corresponded with megafauna fossil sites, and an Aboriginal guide identified a ''Diprotodon'' jaw as belonging to the Kadimakara. Gregory speculated that the story could be a remnant from when the Diyari lived elsewhere, or when the geographical conditions of Central Australia were different. The latter possibility would indicate Aboriginal coexistence with megafauna, with Gregory saying: After examining fossils, Gregory concluded that the story was a combination of the two factors, but that the environment of Lake Eyre had probably not changed much since Aboriginal habitation. He concluded that while some references to Kadimakara were probably memories of the crocodiles once found in Lake Eyre, others that describe a "big, heavy land animal, with a single horn on its forehead" were probably references to ''Diprotodon''. Geologist Michael Welland describes from across Australia Dreamtime "tales of giant creatures that roamed the lush landscape until aridity came and they finally perished in the desiccated marshes of Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre", giving as examples the Kadimakara of Lake Eye, as well as continent-wide stories of the
Rainbow Serpent The Rainbow Serpent or Rainbow Snake is a common deity often seen as the creator God, known by numerous names in different Australian Aboriginal languages by the many different Aboriginal peoples. It is a common motif in the art and religion ...
, which he says corresponds with ''
Wonambi naracoortensis ''Wonambi'' is an extinct genus of madtsoiid snakes that lived in late Neogene to late Quaternary Australia. Species of ''Wonambi'' were constrictor snakes unrelated to Australian pythons. Description ''Wonambi'' was a fairly large snake, ...
''. Journalist Peter Hancock speculates in ''The Crocodile That Wasn't'' that a Dreamtime story from the Perth area could be a memory of ''
Varanus priscus Megalania (''Varanus priscus'') is an extinct species of giant monitor lizard, part of the megafaunal assemblage that inhabited Australia during the Pleistocene. It is the largest terrestrial lizard known to have existed, reaching an estimated ...
''. However, the story in question details
dingoes The dingo (''Canis familiaris'', ''Canis familiaris dingo'', ''Canis dingo'', or ''Canis lupus dingo'') is an ancient ( basal) lineage of dog found in Australia. Its taxonomic classification is debated as indicated by the variety of scienti ...
attacking or frightening off the alleged ''V. priscus'', when the giant lizard died out nearly 46,000 years before the accepted arrival date of dingoes. Rock art in the Kimberley region appears to depict a
marsupial lion ''Thylacoleo'' ("pouch lion") is an extinct genus of carnivorous marsupials that lived in Australia from the late Pliocene to the late Pleistocene (2 million to 46 thousand years ago). Some of these marsupial lions were the largest mammalian pred ...
and a marsupial tapir, as does Arnhem land art. Arnhem art also appears to depict ''
Genyornis ''Genyornis newtoni'', also known as thunder bird and mihirung paringmal (meaning "giant bird"), is an extinct species of large, flightless bird that lived in Australia during the Pleistocene epoch until around 50,000 years ago. Over two met ...
'', a bird that is believed to have gone extinct 40,000 years ago. An
Early Triassic The Early Triassic is the first of three epochs of the Triassic Period of the geologic timescale. It spans the time between Ma and Ma (million years ago). Rocks from this epoch are collectively known as the Lower Triassic Series, which is a un ...
archosauromorph Archosauromorpha (Greek for "ruling lizard forms") is a clade of diapsid reptiles containing all reptiles more closely related to archosaurs (such as crocodilians and dinosaurs, including birds) rather than lepidosaurs (such as tuataras, liza ...
found in Queensland, '' Kadimakara australiensis'', is named after the Kadimakara.


See also

*
List of Australian animals extinct in the Holocene This is a list of Australian species extinct in the Holocene that covers extinctions from the Holocene epoch, a geologic epoch that began about 11,650 years before present (about 9700 BCE) and continues to the present day. Most Australian me ...
* *
Hulitherium ''Hulitherium tomasetti'' (meaning "Huli beast", after the Huli people) is an extinct zygomaturine marsupial from New Guinea during the Pleistocene. The species name honours Berard Tomasetti, a Catholic priest in Papua New Guinea, who brought t ...
and
Maokopia ''Maokopia'' is an extinct genus of Zygomaturinae from the Late Pleistocene of Irian Jaya, New Guinea. It is known from a partial skull and was a comparatively small species of diprotodontid, weighing 100 kg. Murray (1992) suggested that it ...
(Diprotodontoids inhabited
New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...
during the Pleistocene) * (Believed to have evolved in Australia) *


References

* * * Long, J.A., Archer, M. Flannery, T.F. & Hand, S. (2003). ''Prehistoric Mammals of Australia and New Guinea −100 Million Years of Evolution''. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 242 pp. * Molnar, R. (2004). ''Dragons in the Dust: The Paleobiology of the Giant Lizard Megalania''. Indiana University Press. p. 127. * * * {{cite journal , last1 = Prideaux , first1 = Gavin J , last2 = Roberts , first2 = Richard G. , last3 = Megirian , first3 = Dirk , last4 = Westaway , first4 = Kira E. , last5 = Hellstrom , first5 = John C. , last6 = Olley , first6 = John M. , year = 2007 , title = Mammalian responses to Pleistocene climate change in southeastern Australia , url = http://geology.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/reprint/35/1/33.pdf , journal = Geology , volume = 35 , issue = #1, pages = 33–36 , doi = 10.1130/G23070A.1 , bibcode = 2007Geo....35...33P


External links


Cuddie Springs


* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20070901122642/http://www.parks.sa.gov.au/naracoorte/about/index.htm Naracoorte caves in South Australia
Humans, not climate change, wiped out Australian megafauna
Phys.org Phys.org is an online science, research and technology news aggregator offering briefs from press releases and reports from news agencies (a form of journalism sometimes pejoratively called churnalism). The website also produces its own science jo ...
, January 20, 2017.
Mega Mega or MEGA may refer to: Science * mega-, a metric prefix denoting 106 * Mega (number), a certain very large integer in Steinhaus–Moser notation * "mega-" a prefix meaning "large" that is used in taxonomy * Gravity assist, for ''Moon-Eart ...
Prehistoric animals of Australia Lists of largest animals