• Procoptodon Goliah (picture 1) – The Procoptodon Goliah was a part of the Sthenurines (short faced Kangaroo) This animal had a very short, deep ‘brachycephalic’ skull and a low jaw. The large Kangaroo stood at around 2 metres tall with a mass of around 200 kg. Tim Flannery an Australian mammologist, palaeontologist, and environmentalist proposed that its closest extant relative is the tiny banded hare wallaby (Lagostrophus fasciatus) this small animal only weighs 2kg in weight and is about 15 cm long. The wombat is not its direct descendent. As they both came from a common ancestor.
• Thylacoleo carnifex (Picture 2) – The Thylacoleo carnifex was a marsupial lion and is the largest carnivorous Australian mammal known. It may have hunted …show more content…
There are many theories regarding the extinction of the Megafauna but none of the theories can be fact until evidence proves one of them to be the cause of the death of the mega beasts. These theories have some evidence in which have been found in various fossil sites. Some theories include:
Climate change – Climate change is one of the bigger theories to be believed that wiped out the population of the megafauna. This may be because of the climate changed from cold dry to warm dry throughout the time of the Megafauna’s extinction. …show more content…
Palaeontologists have discovered that humans and climate change could have been the reason for the extinction of the Megafauna. They ultimately assisted each other to destroy the beasts that used to roam Australia. In Coral Bay in Western Australia both the Emu’s and also the Genyornis shells have been found in a close vicinity of each other, this indicates that these two animals distribution could be similar if not the same. By discovering this, it assisted the palaeontologists in understanding what factors may affect the distribution of extinct species and extant species. By using this evidence this we can use preventative strategies to stop this from happening again as scientist believe we are now entering the sixth mass extinction. Current research into the disappearance of the megafauna may influence some management strategies for the devastating effects on the flora and fauna. These problems
• Thylacoleo carnifex (Picture 2) – The Thylacoleo carnifex was a marsupial lion and is the largest carnivorous Australian mammal known. It may have hunted …show more content…
There are many theories regarding the extinction of the Megafauna but none of the theories can be fact until evidence proves one of them to be the cause of the death of the mega beasts. These theories have some evidence in which have been found in various fossil sites. Some theories include:
Climate change – Climate change is one of the bigger theories to be believed that wiped out the population of the megafauna. This may be because of the climate changed from cold dry to warm dry throughout the time of the Megafauna’s extinction. …show more content…
Palaeontologists have discovered that humans and climate change could have been the reason for the extinction of the Megafauna. They ultimately assisted each other to destroy the beasts that used to roam Australia. In Coral Bay in Western Australia both the Emu’s and also the Genyornis shells have been found in a close vicinity of each other, this indicates that these two animals distribution could be similar if not the same. By discovering this, it assisted the palaeontologists in understanding what factors may affect the distribution of extinct species and extant species. By using this evidence this we can use preventative strategies to stop this from happening again as scientist believe we are now entering the sixth mass extinction. Current research into the disappearance of the megafauna may influence some management strategies for the devastating effects on the flora and fauna. These problems