Prolonged coexistence of humans and megafauna in Pleistocene Australia

2005/05/31 by Clive N. Trueman, Judith Field, Joe Dortch +2 · 4 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Social Sciences · #Archaeology #Biology #Ecology #Evolution and Paleontology Studies #Geography #Geology #Geology and Paleoclimatology Research #Glacial period #Last Glacial Maximum #Megafauna #Paleontology #Pleistocene #Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology

paper · doi:10.1073/pnas.0408975102

openalex publication_date 2005/05/31 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22

Abstract

Recent claims for continent wide disappearance of megafauna at 46.5 thousand calendar years ago (ka) in Australia have been used to support a "blitzkrieg" model, which explains extinctions as the result of rapid overkill by human colonizers. A number of key sites with megafauna remains that significantly postdate 46.5 ka have been excluded from consideration because of questions regarding their stratigraphic integrity. Of these sites, Cuddie Springs is the only locality in Australia where megafauna and cultural remains are found together in sequential stratigraphic horizons, dated from 36-30 ka. Verifying the stratigraphic associations found here would effectively refute the rapid-overkill model and necessitate reconsideration of the regional impacts of global climatic change on megafauna and humans in the lead up to the last glacial maximum. Here, we present geochemical evidence that demonstrates the coexistence of humans and now-extinct megafaunal species on the Australian continent for a minimum of 15 ka.

Citations

• Dating the colonization of Sahul (Pleistocene Australia–New Guinea): a review of recent research
• Pleistocene faunal loss: implications of the aftershock for Australia's past and future
• New ages for human occupation and climatic change at Lake Mungo, Australia
• Stable isotope and protein analyses of Cuddie Springs Genyornis
• Pleistocene Extinction of Genyornis newtoni : Human Impact on Australian Megafauna
• Assessing the Causes of Late Pleistocene Extinctions on the Continents
• New Ages for the Last Australian Megafauna: Continent-Wide Extinction About 46,000 Years Ago
• Late Pleistocene Megafauna and Archaeology from Cuddie Springs, South-eastern Australia
• A large area archaeological excavation at Cuddie Springs
• Pleistocene seed-grinding implements from the Australian arid zone

Cited by

• Looking for the archaeological signature in Australian Megafaunal extinctions
• A review of the evidence for a human role in the extinction of Australian megafauna and an alternative interpretation
• Is there a Pleistocene archaeological site at Cuddie Springs?
• Cuddie Springs [wikipedia]