Comments on: Scientist Smackdown: Were Giant Kangaroos Hunted Into Extinction?

By: Nessy

Nessy — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:57:35 +0000

They might have been hunted away (people used to hunt a lot…), they might have been the victims of civilisation. Either way it´s a pity. They were impressive animals. Hopefully extinctions of fascinating animals can be prevented somehow in the future.

By: Eliza Strickland

Eliza Strickland — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:29:28 +0000

Hi, Sundance — that’s a fascinating myth! Thanks for bringing it around.

According to the BBC, the researchers did make a point of saying that “fire does not propagate well among saltbush,” so maybe they were aware of that myth and had considered that explanation. But it seems clear that the debate is far from over.

By: Romeo Vitelli

Romeo Vitelli — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:13:54 +0000

This reminds me of a point Jared Diamond once made. He said you could always tell approximately when humans entered a new territory by dating the mass extinctions.

By: Sundance

Sundance — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:21:23 +0000

Actually, there are aboriginal “Dreaming stories” (basically creation myths – although that’s a pretty crude description since the present is considered part of the Dreaming too) which describe giant kangaroos that would trample campsites and frighten people in the night. Then one day a brave warrior impressed a spirit-being, who told him how to make fire, and his tribe burnt the scrub around their campsites to drive off the giant kangaroos. That sounds like a pretty plausible account (cultural memory) of humans causing megafauna extinction by changing the landscape, rather than hunting, if you ask me. Humans change environment, local species go extinct. Surprise, surprise.

By: Vlad

Vlad — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:40:47 +0000

What if I were to tell you I had a photograph?