Lost giants of Australia rediscovered

[UM-Bot]

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/images/newsitems/thylacoleo.jpg

Palaeontologists are working round the clock to uncover lost secrets of Australia's largest ever carnivores in a network of caves. In a subterranean treasure trove Gavin Prideaux and his team from Adelaide's Flinders University have found a large selection of prehistoric creatures there were giants by today's standards including huge wombats, kangaroos that stood up to two metres tall and the infamous predator Megalania.

"These creatures were big. Wombats as big your fridge lying on its side, kangaroos standing more than 2m tall, a goanna called Megalania that could eat you for lunch, and a very nasty piece of work called Thylacoleo carnifex or the marsupial lion."

View: Full Article | Source: The Australian

[NatureBoff]

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/images/newsitems/thylacoleo.jpg

Palaeontologists are working round the clock to uncover lost secrets of Australia's largest ever carnivores in a network of caves. In a subterranean treasure trove Gavin Prideaux and his team from Adelaide's Flinders University have found a large selection of prehistoric creatures there were giants by today's standards including huge wombats, kangaroos that stood up to two metres tall and the infamous predator Megalania.

"These creatures were big. Wombats as big your fridge lying on its side, kangaroos standing more than 2m tall, a goanna called Megalania that could eat you for lunch, and a very nasty piece of work called Thylacoleo carnifex or the marsupial lion."

View: Full Article | Source: The Australian

Great article. It's a mystery that needs resolving. I reckon that an uplift event by a massive body fly-by could have altered ocean and air circulation patterns for 200 years, leaving the continent in a devastating drought. The narrow Laschamps excursion is the signature of the event imo.

[~ MacDDT ~]

Makes me wonder how the Thylacoleo died out? They had to have ruled the food chain.

Edited January 7, 2010 by ~ MacDDT ~

[spooky333]

you ever wonder what would happen if one or two survived the impact on the food chain would be catastrophic.

[psyche101]

50,000 years ago humans arrived in Australia and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species and numbers.

30,000 years ago humans arrived in the Solomon Islands and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species and numbers.

13,000 years ago humans entered North America and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species.

9,000 years ago humans entered Cyprus and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species and numbers.

2,000 years ago humans entered Madagascar and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species and numbers.

800 years ago humans entered New Zealand and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species and numbers.

I reckon we are seeing a pattern emerge here...........

Edited January 7, 2010 by psyche101

[Wickian]

50,000 years ago humans arrived in Australia and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species and numbers.

30,000 years ago humans arrived in the Solomon Islands and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species and numbers.

13,000 years ago humans entered North America and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species.

9,000 years ago humans entered Cyprus and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species and numbers.

2,000 years ago humans entered Madagascar and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species and numbers.

800 years ago humans entered New Zealand and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species and numbers.

I reckon we are seeing a pattern emerge here...........

It's no secret that humans tend to eliminate predators/deplete prey populations that are as big or bigger than a dog. It's makes us feel safer to know there's nothing in our backyards that can hurt our kids.

Most modern cultures seem to be becoming more rational and are trying to preserve the remaining large predators instead of eliminating a threat though.

[NatureBoff]

50,000 years ago humans arrived in Australia and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species and numbers.

30,000 years ago humans arrived in the Solomon Islands and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species and numbers.

13,000 years ago humans entered North America and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species.

9,000 years ago humans entered Cyprus and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species and numbers.

2,000 years ago humans entered Madagascar and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species and numbers.

800 years ago humans entered New Zealand and Megafauna took a sharp decline in species and numbers.

I reckon we are seeing a pattern emerge here...........

Yes, humans are definitely responsible for island extinctions. But what about a continent the size of Australia! There must have been an additional environmental reason imo which simply coincides with the human expansion.

[crystal sage]

There were more giant kangaroos around when I was younger..growing up to 9 foot tall. http://www.giftlog.com/pictures/kangaroo_facts.htm Just like there were records of pygmies..http://www.sydneyline.com/Pygmies%20Extinction.htm My Uncle remembered seeing them when he first travelled around Australia in the 1950's and spent some time living with the Aboriginals..

[crystal sage]

... scary to think that these ritual backburnings still occur today... I wonder how many of those horrific fires are deliberately lit at the cost of some really amazing flora and forna..? http://www.abc.net.au/landline/stories/s308791.htm

Northern Australia’s "dry season" is the time when back burning is carried across 30 million hectares of savannah and spinifex to reduce the impact of wildfires in the spring. The amount of back burning has increased to the degree that some are now questioning whether the rangelands can sustainably continue, “fighting fire with fire”. Last spring, researchers recorded more than 750 fires in northern WA alone that burnt out almost 200,000 square kilometres, or three times the size of Tasmania.

What is more, conservative estimates suggest that one smoke plume could have contained up to 80 million tonnes of carbon “The main thing is that fire exposes soil. You will lose biodiversity; ultimately you will lose all species if you expose soil. Soil is a living organism, and up to a cubic inch of soil can have a billion organisms, 90 per cent we haven't even named. If you have exposed soil it dies - the organisms die and eventually the trees and grass and everything will die,” Allan Savory said.

http://www.nlc.org.au/html/care_fire.html

Aboriginal people burn to hunt, to promote new grass which attracts game, to make country easier to travel through, to clear country of spiritual pollution after a death, to create firebreaks for later in the dry season and a variety of other reasons which overall

http://www.archaeologyweek.com/mta/mta.php?id=008

It was very exciting to find Aboriginal stone tools beside the jaw of a giant extinct marsupial, the Diprotodon (at Cuddie Springs). This suggests that Aboriginal people and megafauna coexisted and megafauna were probably exploited for food although, for some, this remains controversial.

Besides the crocs... and our imfamous sharks.. there are the komodo dragons.. that eat people..

Komodo dragons, first identified by western explorers only 99 years ago, are meat-eaters and can move at up to 12mph in pursuit of prey. They can climb trees, though they mainly lurk in scrubland waiting for passing potential victims, and have been known to eat up to 80% of their own body weight in a single meal.

http://www.angelfire.com/mo2/animals1/lizard/komodo.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goanna

Being predatory lizards, goannas are often quite large, or at least bulky, with sharp teeth and claws. The largest is the perentie (Varanus giganteus), which can grow over 2m (78.7 inches) in length.

The giant perentie has been observed killing a young kangaroo, and then biting out chunks of flesh like a dog.

A common tale was that the bite of a goanna was infused with a powerful incurable venom. Every year after the bite (or every seven years), the wound would flare up again. For many years it was generally believed by herpetologists that goannas were nonvenomous, and that lingering illness from their bites was due solely to infection and septicaemia as a result of their saliva being rife with bacteria from carrion and other food sources. However, in 2005 researchers at the University of Melbourne announced that oral venom glands had been found in both goannas and iguanas.[6]

[psyche101]

... scary to think that these ritual backburnings still occur today... I wonder how many of those horrific fires are deliberately lit at the cost of some really amazing flora and forna..? http://www.abc.net.au/landline/stories/s308791.htm

http://www.nlc.org.au/html/care_fire.html

http://www.archaeologyweek.com/mta/mta.php?id=008

Besides the crocs... and our imfamous sharks.. there are the komodo dragons.. that eat people..

http://www.angelfire.com/mo2/animals1/lizard/komodo.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goanna

WOW, forgot this thread existed! Got away from me this one. I wont bother reply to the posts from last year I guess.

Hi CS

Are you an Aussie? Never picked you for one!

I have participated in some backburns. Not for hunting, but to keep the land clear and the grass down, mostly to reduce major fire hazard. I just thought I would let you know that the instances I have participated in are very well controlled. Quite an awesome sight at night as well I assure you. Those tall gum tress with embers up high look like a city of high rise lights in the bush. It is a very impressive sight.

Cheers.

[George Ford]

I saw red kangaroos in Australia about 2 meters tall, if not taller, only 5yrs ago or so! Also, as humans we have to be top of the food chain, we kill all major threats and predators in instinct for survival. God made us this way, it is all part of his beautiful and wondrous plan.....

[Robbie333]

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/images/newsitems/thylacoleo.jpg

Palaeontologists are working round the clock to uncover lost secrets of Australia's largest ever carnivores in a network of caves. In a subterranean treasure trove Gavin Prideaux and his team from Adelaide's Flinders University have found a large selection of prehistoric creatures there were giants by today's standards including huge wombats, kangaroos that stood up to two metres tall and the infamous predator Megalania.

"These creatures were big. Wombats as big your fridge lying on its side, kangaroos standing more than 2m tall, a goanna called Megalania that could eat you for lunch, and a very nasty piece of work called Thylacoleo carnifex or the marsupial lion."

View: Full Article | Source: The Australian

Great stuff, thanks.

[Mike 215]

Look the following on google: Giant skeletons Saudi Arabia and giant Skeltons Greece. Pictures of 30 foot skeletons of humans. The story is that the one in Saudi was taken by a helicopter and was discovered by gas explorers. Of course there are people who claim these pictures are lies, but the bible did say, THERE WERE GIANTS IN THE EARTH IN THOSE DAYS.

[George Ford]

Look the following on google: Giant skeletons Saudi Arabia and giant Skeltons Greece. Pictures of 30 foot skeletons of humans. The story is that the one in Saudi was taken by a helicopter and was discovered by gas explorers. Of course there are people who claim these pictures are lies, but the bible did say, THERE WERE GIANTS IN THE EARTH IN THOSE DAYS.

I think those photos of giant human skeletons are accepted by most people to be fake. Photoshop is easy for anyone to use these days.

[Abramelin]

Look the following on google: Giant skeletons Saudi Arabia and giant Skeltons Greece. Pictures of 30 foot skeletons of humans. The story is that the one in Saudi was taken by a helicopter and was discovered by gas explorers. Of course there are people who claim these pictures are lies, but the bible did say, THERE WERE GIANTS IN THE EARTH IN THOSE DAYS.

I know you posted this in another thread, Mike.

Again: the photos were discovered to be photoshopped, and later on the ones who created those hoaxes publically admitted they did.

You are free to believe a known lie/hoax of course. Just ignore what doesn't suit you, and live happily ever after.

[Mike 215]

The questions I have about these giant skeletons is why would people go to the trouble to faking them. What are their goals? Apparenlty not to make money. And then some people come foward and admit they faked the photos. How do we know these are the people who did the faking? And who are these people? Are they connected with the academic community who is desperate to deny the existence of giant humans?

[Abramelin]

The questions I have about these giant skeletons is why would people go to the trouble to faking them. What are their goals? Apparenlty not to make money. And then some people come foward and admit they faked the photos. How do we know these are the people who did the faking? And who are these people? Are they connected with the academic community who is desperate to deny the existence of giant humans?

I can turn it all around, and say: "Why would you want to believe there were giants once? You still believe in Santa or the Tooth Fairy?"

The goal of people creating fakes and hoaxes is this: they want attention and/or they want to have fun at the expence of the gullible.

[Biff Wellington]

I know you posted this in another thread, Mike.

Again: the photos were discovered to be photoshopped, and later on the ones who created those hoaxes publically admitted they did.

You are free to believe a known lie/hoax of course. Just ignore what doesn't suit you, and live happily ever after.

you gotta admit though this one looks pretty cool and they did a decent job

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSuiUXjp6g0Ztw9sOeTZM_1U6iiyh7uAUmIpeVTXojo4y5YigeX

[Daveisback]

The goal of people creating fakes and hoaxes is this: they want attention and/or they want to have fun at the expence of the gullible.

Hit the nail right on the head!