Tasmanian Devil Fossils at Juukan Gorge Push Species' Mainland Range Back 45,000 Years
Research published in Archaeology in Oceania reveals that Tasmanian devils lived alongside humans approximately 47,000 years ago, based on fossil findings from the Juukan 2 rock shelter in Western Australia's Pilbara region. The study, spearheaded by Timothy Churchill from the University of New South Wales and co-author Gavin Ashburton from the PKKP Aboriginal Corporation, uncovered a lower jaw fragment with molars aged between 6,900 and 7,300 years, alongside a premolar tooth fragment ranging from 42,500 to 47,100 years. Over 8,000 animal bones were excavated, with at least ten exhibiting gnaw marks from Tasmanian devils. This suggests that the Pilbara was once part of the devil's historical range, now confined to Tasmania. Juukan Gorge has shown signs of human presence for 46,000 years, some of which were damaged by mining activities in 2020.
Key facts
- A lower jaw fragment with two molars from a Tasmanian devil found at Juukan 2 dates to between 6,900 and 7,300 years old.
- A premolar tooth fragment was embedded in sediment dated between 42,500 and 47,100 years old.
- More than 8,000 animal bones were cataloged at the site; 1,000 showed chewing or gnawing marks, and at least ten had gnaw marks consistent with Tasmanian devil teeth.
- Gnawed bones came from deposits spanning roughly 47,000 years ago to about 11,600 years ago.
- Of 263 digested bone fragments, some were too large for smaller Pilbara carnivores like quolls and mulgaras, matching digestion by a large bone-eating dasyurid such as the Tasmanian devil.
- The bones were found alongside shell beads, bone tools and braided human hair.
- The study was published in Archaeology in Oceania by Timothy Churchill of the University of New South Wales and Gavin Ashburton of the PKKP Aboriginal Corporation.
- Juukan Gorge rock shelters contain evidence of human habitation dating back 46,000 years, some damaged or destroyed by mining in 2020.
Entities
Artists
- Timothy Churchill
- Gavin Ashburton
- Petra Stock
- Amy Rossbach
- Sonja Anderson
Institutions
- University of New South Wales
- PKKP Aboriginal Corporation
- Archaeology in Oceania
- The Guardian
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- Smithsonian magazine
- Wikimedia Commons
Locations
- Tasmania
- Australia
- Pilbara
- Juukan Gorge
- Western Australia