Corridors to Extinction and the Australian Megafauna
- 1st Edition - February 27, 2013
- Latest edition
- Author: Steve Webb
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 2 8 2 6 1 - 1
- Hardback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 4 0 7 7 9 0 - 4
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 4 0 7 8 4 0 - 6
Extinctions have always occurred and always will, so what is so surprising about the megafauna extinctions? They were caused by humans and were the first of many extinctions th… Read more
Extinctions have always occurred and always will, so what is so surprising about the megafauna extinctions? They were caused by humans and were the first of many extinctions that eventually led to the extinction of the Moa, Steller's Sea Cow, the Dodo, Great Auk and countless other species great and small, all attributed to human agency. Therefore, the megafauna were humans’ first great impact on the planet. There is now an increasing realization that the 'blitzkrieg' view of these extinctions may have been wrong. A growing body of evidence and long-term field work is beginning to show that at least Australia's megafauna did not succumb to human agency, not because humans probably did not hunt the odd animal but because the an infinitely more logical reason lies in the climatic conditions of the Quaternary Ice Ages and the affect they had on continental geography, environment, climate and, most importantly, the biogeography of the megafauna. This book presents the evidence of this theory, demonstrating the biogeographic approach to Australia’s megafauna extinction.
- Written clearly to benefit a diverse level of readers, from those with a passing interest to professionals in the field.
- Examines future climate change and its effects on the planet by looking at examples buried in the past
- Presents new evidence from extensive field research
Students, researchers, and professionals interested in extinction study and environmental science.
A Prologue to Extinction
List of Figures & Tables
Acknowledgements
1. The Big Five or Six or More …
Introduction
What Has Extinction Ever Done for Us?
Background Extinction
Mass Extinction
The Big Five, Six, etc.
Why Do Animals Go Extinct?
Well, What Did Extinction Do for Us?
2. Extinction Drivers
Main Extinction Drivers
Biogeographic Extinction Drivers
3. After the Dinosaurs
Starting Again
Palaeogene Extinctions
Tertiary Geography
Animals of the Palaeogene World
Eocene–Oligocene Boundary: the End of an ‘Era’
The Neogene Extinctions
Miocene Environmental Switching and Extinction
Pliocene Extinctions
Where to Now?
4. Australia: From Dreamtime to Desert
Australia: A Palaeohistoric Glimpse
An Introduction to Ice Ages and Deserts
5. The Australian Tertiary and the First Marsupial Extinctions
Introduction
Marsupials Go to Australia
Australia’s Earliest Mammals
Australia’s Faunal Dark Ages: 55–25Ma
They Are Still There!
But What About the Others?
The Origin of the Megafauna
Setting the Stage for the Quaternary
6. Australia and the Quaternary Ice Ages
Drilling for the Foundations
Bygone Bubbles
Ice-Core Data, Glacial Cycle Structure and Climate Switches
A Devil in the Detail: Elements of Glacial–Interglacial Cycling
7. Who and Where: Australian Megafauna and Their Distribution
Australian Megafauna: How Many Species?
The Megafauna
Australian Megafauna: Where Did They Live?
Megafauna Demography: Patches, Corridors and Feeders
Palaeopatches and Corridors in Action
Megafauna Demography and Continental Shelves
8. Megafauna in the Southern Lake Eyre Basin: A Case Study
The SLEB Megafauna
MegaLake Eyre Palaeoaquatic Ecology
Animal Palaeodemography in the SLEB
Trophic Growth, Faunal Colonisation and Collapse
9. Australia’s Megafauna Extinction Drivers
Introducing the Drivers
Australian Enviroclimatic Change During Glacial Cycles
Megafauna Reproduction
Patch Size
Australia’s Glacial Biogeography and Extinction Drivers
Modern Australian Extinctions
10. Megafauna and Humans in Southeast Asia and Australia
A Wish in a Cave
Megafauna Extinctions in Southeast Asia
Because We Cause Extinction Now, We Did So in the Past….
Fire, Humans and Megafauna
Megafauna Extinction: Summarising Considerations
What Happened to Australia’s Megafauna? A Conclusion
The Last Word… for Now
Forty Considerations About Why Australia’s Megafauna Went Extinct
Appendix 1. Australian Tertiary Fauna
Appendix 2. Ice Age Graphs
Appendix 3. Australian Mid-Late Quaternary Megafauna Sites
Bibliography
- Edition: 1
- Latest edition
- Published: February 27, 2013
- Language: English
SW
Steve Webb
Professor Steve Webb currently serves as Professor of Australian Studies at Bond University, Australia. He has worked with the Federal Government and Indigenous agencies extensively, playing a significant role in the repatriation of Aboriginal skeletal remains from Australian and overseas museums to Aboriginal communities. This work has given him a broad understanding of past and present Aboriginal society and the issues facing Aboriginal people.
Affiliations and expertise
Professor of Australian Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Bond University, AustraliaRead Corridors to Extinction and the Australian Megafauna on ScienceDirect