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ScienceQuiet 13d · day 13

Fossils reveal Tasmanian devils thrived alongside humans in ancient Pilbara

Excavations at Juukan Gorge uncover 46,000-year record of devils scavenging human camps before dingos displaced them.

newest coverage 12d agosummary written 12d ago3 pieces MastodonRedditGoogle News

What to know

  • Fossils dated 7,000 to 46,000 years old confirm Tasmanian devils lived in mainland Australia's Pilbara region alongside humans for tens of thousands of years.
  • Evidence of bite marks and bone digestion suggests devils scavenged from human camps, acting as a cleanup crew that may have reduced disease risk for inhabitants.
  • Devils likely disappeared from mainland Australia around 3,200 years ago after dingos arrived and displaced them as the primary scavenger species.

Dr Tim Churchill Palaeontologist, UNSW; lead researcherBurchell Hayes Chair, PKK Land CommitteeRio Tinto Mining company

Fossils reveal Tasmanian devils thrived alongside humans in ancient Pilbara
theguardian.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

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  1. 1

    Study proposes dingos displaced devils as mainland scavengers

    Research published in Archaeology in Oceania suggests that the arrival of dingos on the mainland caused devils to disappear around 3,200 years ago, as dingos replaced them as the primary scavenger around human camps and in the wild.

    “dingos may have "knocked the devils off their perch", supplanting them as the primary scavenger around human camps as well as in the wild.”
    — Dr Tim Churchill
    • Nigel_Purchase@mstdn.social

      https://www. theguardian.com/environment/20 26/sep/11/tasmanian-devils-lived-alongside-humans-in-pilbara-for-millennia-juukan-gorge-fossils-reveal

      Nigel_Purchase@mstdn.socialMastodon12d agoview on Mastodon ↗
  2. background

    Research reveals symbiotic relationship between devils and ancient human inhabitants — Evidence including bite marks on bones and acid digestion of bone fragments suggests devils scavenged from human camps, becoming increasingly reliant on human food scraps over the 50,000-year period as human populations grew.

  3. 2

    Researchers announce Tasmanian devil fossils from Juukan Gorge

    Excavations at the ancient rock shelter have uncovered jaw and teeth fragments of Tasmanian devils dated to 7,000 and 46,000 years old, filling a gap in the fossil record and confirming devils' long presence in mainland Australia's Pilbara region.

    “We picture them today living in the cold, wet forests of Tasmania, but they're in fact a highly adaptable species that could be found across the entire mainland continent including the arid, rocky gorge lands of the Pilbara.”
    — Dr Tim Churchill

    1. 1 outlet first by The Guardian, 13d ago · read ↗