People in Australia appeared earlier than thought and contributed to the destruction of fauna

Today Australia is full of unique animals - one kangaroo is worth it! But once in Australia there lived a unique megafauna, for example, a giant echidna with a long and sharp beak. However, about 46 thousand years ago, they became extinct. Archaeologists argue that people arrived on the continent a little earlier, from 47 to 60 thousand years ago, and did not have time to strongly participate in the disappearance of these unique giants. However, recent findings suggest that the first Australians appeared much earlier than 65 thousand years ago. It was probably through their efforts that the Australian fauna became less diverse.

Three-meter kangaroo and giant koala

During excavations in northern Australia, about 11 thousand artifacts were collected, which indicate that 65 thousand years ago there were people in Australia too. This is hard to believe: without navigation a person just had to build boats and go to the endless sea, not understanding where he could sail. It is still unclear what drove people when they left Africa, but the fact remains.

They got to Australia and found here many plants and animals that never existed anywhere else on Earth. In addition to the giant echidna, they were three-meter kangaroos and koalas one third more than modern ones. And also the largest marsupial animal that has ever walked the planet - Diprotodon. It was a cross between a rhino and a koala, two meters high and 2.7 meters long, and its weight reached three tons. Aboriginal drawings depict many of these ancient animals.

Sparkling art

Artifacts not only confirm that people lived here 65 thousand years ago, but also that they had a fairly developed civilization. For example, at the excavation site, the oldest stone in Australia for grinding seeds was found in Australia, as well as the oldest stone ax in the world. In addition, the drawings themselves were created using ocher and other pigments, possibly in combination with mica additives, so that the images shine in the sun.

Probably, the ancient aborigines of Australia, hunting different species of animals, contributed to their extinction. According to another version, the spread of pasture farming has changed the ecosystem and the animals have died out themselves. Both theories about the distant past have supporters and opponents, but it will only be possible to prove one of them in the future.