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Australia's Mammal Extinctions

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Australia's Mammal Extinctions Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-84918-0 - Australia’s Mammal Extinctions: A 50000 Year History Chris Johnson Index More information Index Note: Illustrations are shown with either 140 Plate 11 bold page numbers or as Plates. Page oral traditions linked to extinct Araucaria 83 numbers ending in ‘t’ refer to tables. megafauna 70–1 Araucariaceae 5 population growth 136–7, 142 arboreal marsupials 99 Aboriginal burning relationship with dingoes 150–3 archaeological invisibility of massive and extinctions 43–4, 51 rock painting 69–70, 135, 139, 155, killings 47–9, 111 and vegetation levels 124–6, 142, 191–3 156, 157, 160, 161 archaeological sites for human occupation evidence from charcoal concentrations sedentary and permanent occupation 58–61, 59t 92–3 138–9 arid zone, pollen core sample analysis Holocene 144 social change 139–41 84–5 impact on Australian environment social groups 139 aridity 142–4 tool development 160–1 and megafauna extinctions 37, 38, 39–42 reasons for use 143–4 Holocene 137–8, 141–2 under glacial conditions 78 to increase harvest of large mammals use of animal and plant species, Arnhem Land paintings 69–70, 146, 155 145–6 Holocene 138 articulated skeletal remains 62–3 see also fire use of extinct megafauna 71–2 Asteraceae 122 Aboriginal hunting Acacia 9, 83, 117 atmospheric carbon dioxide 77, 81–2, 89, and extinctions 47–9, 97, 228 spiny-foliage of juvenile arid-zone 123 cessation of, impact on mammal acacia Plate 13 ausktribosphenids 4–5 populations 162–5 Acacia estrophiolata 117 Australian ecosystems, Aboriginal people Holocene 138 Acacia nilotica 128 impact on 132–47 of cats, providing protection for native Acacia peuce 117, 127, 128 Australian environment mammals 205–6 height dimorphism Plate 14 mammal fauna vulnerability to 231–2 of devils 161–2 Acacia pickardii 118 unsuitability of non-flying mammals to of dingoes 150 Acacia victoriae 128 232 of kangaroos 145–6 Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) 56 Australian mammals of thylacines 159–61 accidents of history 233–5 history, timeline x weapons used 47, 48, 160–1 Aepyprymnus rufescens 164, 176, 200 number of extinctions 3 Aboriginal people African megaherbivores, impact on Australian marsupials agricultural practices 141 vegetation 116 origins and evolution 6–12 and environmental change 132–47 agricultural practices, Aboriginal people 141 phylogeny 29 and extinctions 38, 39 Agrotis infusa 139 Pleistocene dwarfing 34–5 as top predator 234 Allens Cave, Nullarbor Plain 61, 134 Australian prehistory care of camp dingoes 151 Allosyncarpia ternata forest 95 arrival 57–61 competition with dingoes for food 153 Angophora 83 dispersion 61–2 cooperative behaviour 146 Antarctic faunas 6, 7 Australian rodents see rodents, native effect of sea level rise on 134–5 Antarctic marsupials, cross into Australia Australian Small Tool Tradition 141 food festivals 139–40 7–8 Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) impact of Last Glacial Maximum on Antechinus 29 224 132–4 Antechinus puteus 99 Australo-Papuan region, marsupial impact on wild dingo population anti-browser plant architecture 117–18, diversity 3 152–3 Plate 12 Balmoral Beach, Sydney 144 intensification of resource use 140–1 anti-browsing defences 116–19, 127–8 Banda Sea marine sediments 84, 88, 92 occupation of low productivity habitats antilopine wallaroos, Kimberley grassland bandicoots 29, 172 270 © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-84918-0 - Australia’s Mammal Extinctions: A 50000 Year History Chris Johnson Index More information extinct species 178–9 brushtail possum 193 through human impact 92–3 foraging behaviour, ecological Buang Merabak 71 variation in 93–4 implications 185 bullwaddy 118 chemical defences by plants 116, 118 spreading of fungal spores 182, 183 bunya pine nuts 139 chenopod shrublands 122, 126 toxoplasmosis in 189 burning see Aboriginal burning; charcoal; chenopods 9, 22, 84, 85, 87 Banksia 83, 144 fire chuditch 179, 192, 201 basalt plains mouse 181 burrowing bettong 164, 176, 193, 208, decline in range 173 Bassian Plain 10, 11, 85 211, 215, Plate 20 Citrus glauca 117 pollen core sample analysis 86–7 burrowing by bilbies, ecological implica- climate bats 28 tions 185 Cretaceous 5 origin and evolution 13–14 Bursaria 118 Eocene 5 Bennett’s tree kangaroo 164 Bursaria incana 118 ice age 76–81 Bettongia 182 Bursaria tenuifolia 118 climate change 223 Bettongia lesueur 164, Plate 20 and vegetation 81–9, 98–101 Bettongia penicillata 164 C3/C4 photosynthetic pathways, and CO2 Eocene 8–9 Bettongia pusilla 34, 176 levels 82 Pleistocene 11–12, 37, 39–42 bettongs 164, 165, 172, 176, 208, 221 C3/C4 plants climate-driven extinctions 37–8, 39–42, foraging behaviour, ecological and vegetation composition 122–3 50, 96–7 implications 185 carbon isotope signatures of vegetation criticisms 41–2 truffle-eating 182, Plate 36 change 87–8 climate variability bilbies 29, 164, 165, 178, 208, 209, 211 Callitris 17, 85, 122, 143 ice ages 80–1 burrowing behaviour, ecological Caloprymnus campestris 1–2, 2, Plate 21 on ENSO timescales 81, 94, 95 implications 185 habitat Plate 1 climate warming, and sea level rise 135 decline in range 173 camels 128 Cloggs Cave 68, 155 fire impact on ecology 192–3 cane toads 223 coastal habitats 135–6 foraging behaviour, ecological Canis latrans 220 competitive killing 218–19 implications 185 Canis lupus dingo 148–52 conilurine rodents 13, 200, 201, 215 foxes impact on 200 Capparis 117 reproductive rates 232–3 biological control of predators 224–5, 226 Capparis canescens 120, Plate 16 Coniluris albipes Plate 30 birds Capparis loranthifolia 117 continental dust 78, 79 ground-nesting 35 Capparis mitchellii 117, 118, 120 coyotes, suppression of feral cats 220 herbivorous 25–6 carbon dioxide cycles, ice ages 77 crescent nailtail wallaby 177, Plate 24 black-footed rock-wallaby 201–2 carbon dioxide levels, glacial cycles, Cretaceous climate 5 black-striped wallaby 138 impact on vegetation 81–2, 123 Cretaceous mammals 4–5 blitzkreig hypothesis 44–5 carbon isotope signatures of vegetation critical-weight-range mammals criticisms 47–9, 50 change 87–8 collapses of, Morton’s hypothesis 232 body mass carnivore extinctions 3 declines and extinctions, model 222–7 and risk of extinction 104 carnivorous mammals 26–7, 233–4 importance of neutralising predators and role of carnivorous mammals 32 as scavengers 32–3, 157, 159 on 223–4 estimation difficulties 30–1 decline in 211 predation on 204, 205, 215–16, 220, 221 relationship with home range size 101 extinction of 165, 179 Cuddie Springs fossil site, NSW 37, 64–5, reptiles 32 foxes impact on 200 68, 91 body size role in Australian ecosystems 32 debate over age of megafauna remains and extinction pattern, European see also devils; dingoes; thylacines 64–6, 75 Australia 168–70 Carpentarian Plain 11, 12, 13, 133 cuscuses 12, 29 and Pleistocene mammal extinctions mammal hunting on 86 Cuvieronius 119 33–5 pollen core sample analysis 85–6 Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae erythrotis increase in 9 Carpenters Gap Rock-shelter 72, 85 213–14 Pleistocene mammals comparison 31 casuarinas 5, 9, 84, 85, 87, 91 cycads 138 prey species 222–3 Cathedral Cave 74, 115 bogong moths 139 cats see feral cats Dacrydium 128 Bohra paulae 99 cattle, threatened by dingoes 225 Dacrydium guillauminii 128, 129 Borungaboodie hatcheri 27, 33 central hare-wallaby 177 Dactylopsila kambuayai 34 bridled nailtail wallaby 200, Plate 38 Chaeropus ecaudatus Plate 26 damper 140 broad-faced potoroo 176, Plate 22 charcoal 83, 84, 85, 90, 142 Darling Downs hopping-mouse 180 browser extinction 101 charcoal concentrations Darwin, Charles 36 evolutionary impact on plants 127–8 changes over time 90–4, 144 Darwin Crater, Tasmania 84, 91, 95 browsers 115–16, 127 difficulties of interpretation 92 dasyrurids 99 plant defences against 116–19, 127 following megafauna extinctions dasyuromorph marsupials 9 brush wallaby 164 124–5, 126 Dasyurus 200 brushtail bettong see woylie Holocene 144 Dasyurus geoffroii 173 Index 271 © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-84918-0 - Australia’s Mammal Extinctions: A 50000 Year History Chris Johnson Index More information Dasyurus hallucatus 222 suppression of fox numbers 217–19, foraging for seeds and soil turnover Dasyurus maculatus 188 220, 225 181, 184–6 dates for earliest occupation 58–9, 59t transport to Australia 149 spreading of spores and seeds 181, contrasting dates 59, 60–1 use by Aboriginal people for hunting 182–4 impact of downward displacement on 150–1 ectotherms 231 dates 59–60 Diomedia exulans 114 eel trapping 139, 141 dating of megafauna fossils 62–3 Diprotodon 36, 37 Egg Lagoon, King Island 86, 91 criticisms 63–4 dating 63, 66 El Niño events evidence for late survival 64–72 Diprotodon minor 17 and droughts 41 dating technologies 55–7 Diprotodon optatum 17, 21 ice ages 80–1 Dendrolagus 12 body mass estimation 30–1 El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Dendrolagus bennettianus 164 climate change effects 42, 101 80–1, 94, 95 Dendrolagus dorianus 34 demographic model of overhunting and charcoal peaks 93–4 Dendrolagus noibano 34 108–10, 111 emu 25, 26, 63, 120, 122 dense and diverse ground vegetation, impact of Aboriginal burning on 43 giant see Genyornis newtoni dependence on 98–9 impact of rainfall decline on 40–1 emu apples 120 dense forest, dependence on 98 size and feeding habits 17 endotherms 231 desert bandicoot 178, 203, Plate 27 diprotodons 11, 17–20, 30, 36 environmental change desert rat-kangaroo 1–2, 2, 176, Plate 21 diprotodonts 16, 17, 29 and Aboriginal history
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