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Since the 19th century, numerous paleontologists have speculated about the hypothetical role of human activities and climate change in the disappearance of Megafaunal species - giant animals.
Paleontologists reexamined remnants of large-bodied marsupials recovered from Pleistocene layers at Nombe Rockshelter in the Papua New Guinea highlands. Their findings indicate a bear-like kangaroo species persisted in the mountain forests surrounding Nombe site 55,000 years ago, and two large kangaroo species, now extinct, survived until at least 27,000-22,000 years ago.
Sahul - the Pleistocene landmass of Australia and New Guinea - was once inhabited by numerous extinct large marsupials, reptiles, and birds.
Since the 19th century, many paleontologists have speculated on the assumed role of human activities and climate change in their disappearance.
Although there have been some advancements in the past two decades in dating late Pleistocene megafaunal faunas and human colonization, the issue of Megafaunal extinction remains controversial within the scientific community.
Professor Tim Denham, a researcher at the Australian National University, stated: 'New Guinea is a mountainous jungle region, north of the Australian continent and Sahul was previously an immensely large landmass, but our knowledge of the animal and human history there is still relatively scant compared to the Australian continent'.
In their study, Professor Denham and his colleagues utilized new techniques to reevaluate the fossil materials of large mammals from Nombe Rockshelter to better understand the fascinating natural history of Papua New Guinea.
Analysis revealed revised ages of bones, suggesting that some large mammal species, including the thylacine, had become extinct, while a bear-like kangaroo species named Hulitherium tomasettii was still present in the Papua New Guinea highlands when humans first set foot in the region, around 55,000 years ago.
Notably, two large kangaroo species, including a quadrupedal rather than bipedal hopping species, may have persisted until about 30,000 years ago.
Professor Denham remarked: 'If these megafaunal species indeed survived in the Papua New Guinea highlands much longer than their counterparts in Australia, it could be due to less frequent human movement into the area and in smaller numbers until about 20,000 years ago'.
Professor Gavin Prideaux, a researcher at Flinders University, noted: 'This latest study aligns with similar evidence from Kangaroo Island also suggesting that large kangaroos may have survived until about 20,000 years ago in some less accessible regions of this continent'.
Despite common belief that all megafaunal species in Australia and New Guinea went extinct from coast to coast around 40,000 years ago, this generalization lacks substantial evidence.
Source: Animalia; Unbelievable, ZME
