#TasmanianDevils lived alongside humans in #Pilbara for millennia, #JuukanGorge fossils reveal
Researchers find fossils ranging from 7,000 years to 46,000 years old showing evidence that devils may have become reliant on humans for scavenging
by Petra Stock
Fri 11 Sep 2026 00.59 EDT
"Tasmanian devils lived alongside humans in #WesternAustralia ’s Pilbara region for tens of thousands of years, according to fossils uncovered at Juukan Gorge.
"These squat and sable marsupials, now restricted to Tasmania, were once abundant right across #Australia, becoming extinct on the mainland about 3,200 years ago.
"Excavations of the ancient rock shelter, destroyed by #RioTinto in 2020, have uncovered jaw and teeth fragments confirming the presence of devils in northwestern Australia – previously a gap in the fossil record.
"Dr Tim Churchill, a palaeontologist at UNSW and lead author of the research, said the devil fossils, dated to 7,000 and 46,000 years old, were found alongside evidence of their scavenging throughout the time period, including 'bite marks on bones' and 'acid digestion of bone fragments'.
"Devils were there the entire time, he said, persisting through huge variations in climate, from warm and wet periods, to the last glacial maximum, or ice age, when Australia was cooler and drier. 'The Tasmanian devil seems to be pretty unbothered with the changes and adapted.' "
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