Giants of the Animal Kingdom

Level 4
Curriculum area: Science, SOSE and Art

Background

Prior to the arrival of humans in Australia, our fauna included some giant creatures (Megafauna) such as the diprotodon and giant kangaroo. Megafauna (such as giant elephants and birds) were common on other continents as well. In fact Africa is the only continent with existing megafauna such as the giraffe and elephant.

Some people believe when humans (Aborigines) arrived in Australia, they hunted the megafauna and possibly caused the extinction of these creatures. The reason African megafauna is still in existence is that people did not arrive in Africa but evolved there allowing the fauna to adjust (eg. develop fear of hunters). Other people believe that climate change (ice ages) caused the extinction of the megafauna.

An interesting reference for this topic is Tim Flannery's The Future Eaters. Published by Reed New Holland. An Australian Museum internet site is also a good source for further information: http://www.austmus.gov.au/biodiversity/factsheets

Outcomes

Students:

• Find out about megafauna in Australia
• Construct a food chain or food web using the megafauna cut-outs
• Construct a timeline to show changes in Australian fauna over time
• Prepare a megafauna scene in the classroom

Materials and Preparation

Method

Place the diprotodon and giant kangaroo cut-outs on the whiteboard and as a class construct food chains and food webs using these and other cut-outs. (Both the Diprotodon and giant kangaroo were herbivores - refer to species information and food webs in the kit for more details). Introduce a hunter-gatherer and discuss the impact of the arrival of humans in Australia about 50,000-60,000 years ago.

Some ideas for discussion could include methods of hunting by Aboriginal people and the use of fire. Look at the megafauna on the whiteboard and discuss - Do similar animals appear in our fauna today? Megafauna were probably large slow animals similar to giraffes, elephants, hippos, buffaloes, rhinos, etc. Ask students to identify megafauna from the set of African cut-outs.

Ask students to find out about the climate and vegetation in Australia 50,000 years ago. (At this stage - much of Europe was covered in ice, much of Australia became cold, dry and windy. Sand dunes extended across Bass Strait. There were probably pockets of temperate areas where aboriginal people and megafauna existed. Then as a class make a megafauna scene - include life-size cut-outs of diprotodonts and humans. Small groups of students could be responsible for different aspects of the scene.

As a class draw a timeline to put on the wall that shows life in Australia from the Pleistocene era to present day that includes the following events. Use the timeline on pages 38 and 39 of the Food webs, Classification and Biodiversity Primary Activities book as a guide. Add any other events that you and the students think of.

Extension Activities

Find out about the work of a palaeontologist.
Use the cut-outs to make a food chain for your region 50 000 years ago, 200 years ago and today.