:)
Posted on 05/30/2005 5:38:51 PM PDT by blam
Man 'not to blame' for extinction of giant wombat
By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
(Filed: 31/05/2005)
Humans may have been unjustly accused of wiping out the giant kangaroos, wombats and other massive marsupials that roamed Australia 40,000 years ago, new research suggests.
One study by British and Australian scientists reveals today that humans co-existed with megafauna - large native animals such as the Diprotodon, a three-ton, wombat-like creature, a ferocious, marsupial "lion" and the world's all-time biggest lizard - for at least 15,000 years.
Another, by a Queensland team, suggests it was climate change, rather than early Australian aborigines, that killed off the "megafauna".
Large animals suffered extinctions on all continents except Africa and Antarctica between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago. The cause has been hotly debated.
Experts have been divided over the fate of megafauna in Australia, which evolved in isolation for millions of years to give rise to the giant marsupials. Many have pointed the finger of blame at early humans.
But in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team led by Clive Trueman, of the University of Portsmouth, and Judith Field, of the University of Sydney, used new chemical tests to establish that at least some Australian megafauna, including the largest animals, persisted until 30,000 years ago, co-existing with humans for at least 15,000 years.
By 30,000 years ago the world was in the grip of a major Ice Age. "While these findings do not free humans of all blame for the extinctions, they demonstrate that extinction was a gradual process, strongly implicating climate change as the driving mechanism," said Ms Field.
Another study, reported in the journal Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, provides additional support with an analysis of a fossil-rich creek bed in the Darling Downs region of south-east Queensland.
Scientists from Queensland University of Technology and Queensland Museum uncovered the remains of 44 species, both small and large. The investigation showed that by the time of the megafauna extinction, many smaller species - those dependent on a wetter environment - had also disappeared.
The findings suggest cooler, drier conditions that arose in Australia between 50,000 and 20,000 years ago had a major impact on wildlife.
The dig failed to unearth evidence of human activity, indicating that people did not inhabit the region at the same time as megafauna.
GGG Ping.
Clearly, it was aboriginal CO2.
:)
I told you I didn't do it! Besides, hasn't the statute of limitations run out by now?
LOL. If that thing in the background is a giant wombat, I'm glad it's extinct. Could you imagine running from one of those?
Damn that megafauna...it's gonna be the death of us all!
Man 'not to blame' for extinction of giant wombat
Oh thank GOD! Now I can sleep at night
Climate change? Obviously early man was driving around in SUVs to cause this.
I would run from the one in the foreground for sure.
The one in the back might make a tasty barbecue.
There is no , I REPEAT NO, cork in my wombat.
No pine tar either.
The big animals consumed little peace and animal loving people - wiping out prehistoric traces of liberals. They must have left one somewhere, because they reared their ugly heads again.
Whew! That's a load off my mind.
Wombat? Since they've been dead for so long, I suggest a better name would be "Coldbat."
The only wombat I know is James Lunday from In A Fix.
So it was his wife, then?
According to the theories I've heard about how fast those things move you could probably get away with strolling away from them.
The biggest threat those things would pose if they were still around is as a traffic hazard. If that thing is built as dense as a wombat is and developed the same habit of wandering onto highways it'd probably total anything that ran into it.
Thats bull.
Eaker killed 'em and I have the pictures.
I think it was my coffee actually.
Made them all hyper and sploded their hearts.
/ joke joke.
Pretty cool critters, wish there were some still left.
(Of course, the carnifex critter would have been a tough customer.)
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