Responses of southern Australian mammal faunas to climate change before and after human arrival

人类到来前后澳大利亚南部哺乳动物区系对气候变化的反应

• 批准号: DP0772943
• 负责人: Prof Gavin Prideaux
• 金额: $ 44.16万
• 依托单位: Flinders University
• 依托单位国家: 澳大利亚
• 项目类别: Discovery Projects
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 澳大利亚
• 起止时间: 2007-01-01 至 2011-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://dataportal.arc.gov.au/RGS/Web/Grants/DP0772943
• 关键词: Responses; southern; Australian; mammal; faunas

In the past 170 years, southern Australia mammals have suffered one of the worst extinction rates in the world. More losses are predicted in the face of global warming. This recent extinction wave follows a major extinction event that saw 90% of Australia's large animals disappear 60,000-40,000 years ago. The causes are hotly debated. Some researchers argue for a human cause, others suggest that climate change was to blame. This study will refine our knowledge of the timing and causes of these extinctions in southern Australia by assessing how communities responded to climate change in the lead-up to human arrival. It will provide vital information for managing the conservation of many modern species and guide us in limiting future losses.

在过去的170年里，南澳大利亚哺乳动物遭受了世界上最严重的灭绝速度之一。面对全球变暖，预计会有更多损失。最近的这一次灭绝浪潮发生在6万至4万年前澳大利亚90%的大型动物灭绝的重大灭绝事件之后。其原因引起了激烈的争论。一些研究人员认为这是人为原因，另一些人则认为气候变化是罪魁祸首。这项研究将通过评估社区在人类到来之前如何应对气候变化来提炼我们对澳大利亚南部这些物种灭绝的时间和原因的了解。它将为管理许多现代物种的保护提供重要信息，并指导我们限制未来的损失。