Fossils lead to NZ’s ‘first’ native species
Forget the kiwi or moa, kākāpō are the true native of New Zealand. Aotearoa’s true ancient species are animals like kākāpō, small wrens, bats and freshwater limpets, […]
Lessons from our ancient past
The extinction of species as diverse as flesh-eating kangaroos, tree-climbing crocodiles and gigantic venomous lizards are just a few examples of the extraordinary prehistoric history of […]
Weird animals uncovered after 25m years
The discovery of an early wombat relative with a powerful bite and a possum with bizarre nut-cracker teeth helps fill in a lost part of a […]
Giant eagle discovered in Flinders Ranges
An eagle twice the size of the modern-day apex predator the wedge-tailed eagle, which soared over southern Australia more than 60,000 years ago, had a wingspan […]
Big bird bones show slow breeding
Big bones from the extinct ‘thunder bird’ or dromornithid, excavated in the northern reaches of the Flinders Ranges and near Alice Springs, have yielded new insights […]
Aussie vulture claws back from the past
Australia’s first fossil vulture has been confirmed more than 100 years after it was first described as an eagle. The discovery, by Flinders University and the […]
New clues to ‘big bird’ extinction
A rare fossil discovery by Flinders University researchers illuminates the ultimate survival test faced by Genyornis newtoni, the last of Australia’s famous giant birds – the […]
Ancient eagle ruled the roost
A 25-million-year-old eagle fossil found in South Australia adds to the long evolutionary history of raptors in Australia. In a remarkable discovery, Flinders University palaeontologists have […]
Giant fossil’s bird-brain gives past insights
The largest flightless bird ever to live weighed in up to 600kg and had a whopping head about half a metre long – but its brain […]