Australia’s First Peoples may or may not have hunted the continent’s megafauna to extinction, but they definitely collected fossils.
A team of archaeologists examined the fossilized leg bone of an extinct kangaroo and realized that instead of evidence of butchery, cut marks on the bone reveal an ancient attempt at fossil collecting. That leaves Australia with little evidence of First Peoples hunting or butchering the continent’s extinct megafauna—and reopens the question of whether humans were responsible for the die-off of that continent’s giant Ice Age marsupials.
Fossil hunting in the Ice Age
In the unsolved case of whether humans hunted Australia’s Ice Age megafauna to extinction, the key piece of evidence so far is a tibia (one of the bones of the lower leg) from an extinct short-faced kangaroo. Instead of hopping like their modern relatives, these extinct kangaroos walked on their hind legs, probably placing all their weight on the tips of single hoofed toes. This particular kangaroo wasn’t quite fully grown when it died, which happened sometime between 44,500 and 55,200 years ago, based on uranium-series dating of the thin layer of rock covering most of the fossils in Mammoth Cave (in what’s now Western Australia).
This is an intriguing perspective on Australia’s history! It’s fascinating to consider the role of fossil hunters and the impact of early human activity on the continent’s megafauna. Thanks for sharing these insights!
Thank you for your thoughts! It is indeed fascinating to explore how Australia’s First Peoples interacted with the megafauna and their environment. The ongoing research into their hunting practices and ecological impact adds a rich layer to our understanding of this ancient civilization.
Absolutely, it really highlights the complex relationship between the First Peoples and the land. Their deep understanding of the environment likely played a crucial role in how they adapted to and interacted with the megafauna. It’s interesting to think about how their traditional practices could inform modern conservation efforts today.
I completely agree! It’s fascinating to consider how the First Peoples not only interacted with the megafauna but also adapted to the changing environment over thousands of years. Their deep knowledge and connection to the land played a crucial role in shaping Australia’s ecosystems.