[Aqualist] Quaternary in the news: straw poll

[Tim Barrows]

Aborigines were no giant killers, say scientists
Deborah Smith Science Editor
June 5, 2006

To view the entire article, click on: 
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/06/04/1149359612882.html

This piece was written following the QSR publication:

Wroe, S. & Field, J. 2006. A review of the evidence for a human role 
in the extinction of Australian Megafauna and an alternative 
explanation. Quaternary Science Reviews (in press, 
doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2006.03.005).


Dear AQUAilisters,

In the above in the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday, Professor Barry 
Brook was  quoted as saying the "... the consensus among Australian 
scientists was that Aborigines had been mostly responsible for the 
extinctions."

Now it seems to me that nobody has actually asked the question. So I 
would like to conduct a straw poll amongst AQUA-Listers and ask 2 questions.

1. Do you agree with the statement by Barry Brook? and
2. Do you believe that Aborigines were mostly responsible (by 
whatever mechanism) for the extinctions?

Can you reply to me off list with yes /no answers only. I have 
already made contact with some of my colleagues about this, but 
realized it would be nice to know if  he is correct and if there is a 
generally held belief that 'people did it' , so I added the second 
question.  I will compile the numbers for both and come back to you 
with an answer. I am not interested in who holds what position, just 
whether   this is the general feeling. Steve Wroe is conducting a 
similar request on the Palaeo-list.  The only other information which 
I think would be useful is your profession., ie Archaeologist, 
palaeontologist, biogeographer etc.  There is no agenda here, we are 
just testing the water to see what people think.

And thanks to those (in advance) that reply.

Judith Field


Dr. Judith Field
Research Fellow (Microscopy and Archaeology)
Australian Key Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis
Electron Microscope Unit, F09
The University of Sydney, N.S.W. 2006
Phone (612) 9351 7412
FAX (612) 9351 7682
Mobile 0412 605 046
EMAIL  judith.field at emu.usyd.edu.au

Senior Project Archaeologist
Jo McDonald Cultural Heritage Management
77 Justin St. Lilyfield 2004 NSW