The Medieval Warm Period (750 and 1350 AD) was a regional climate event driven by natural factors such as solar radiation and volcanic activity, not greenhouse gases. While some areas like Europe and parts of Australasia experienced warmer temperatures, others remained cooler. This warming helped some human societies thrive but caused drought and collapse elsewhere. Unlike today's globally consistent and human-driven climate change, the Medieval Warm Period was uneven and nat

Since modern humans emigrated from Africa, we have experienced dramatic climate shifts, from intense warming during the Last Interglacial to deep freezes like the Last Glacial Maximum and the Little Ice Age. These transitions shaped migration routes, enabled ocean crossings, and pushed people to adapt by relocating, innovating, or retreating into refuges. But unlike the gradual changes of the past, today’s warming is faster and human-driven, threatening the limits of our adap

Over the last 60,000 years, Sahul witnessed the first wave of global megafauna extinctions. The causes have long been debated: climate change, human impact, or a combination of both.We have mapped extinction and human arrival patterns across south-eastern Australia, revealing that in about 80% of the region, humans and megafauna coexisted for millennia. Extinction patterns were best explained by human presence and water access, with arid regions driving additional losses.

Australia’s modern wildlife is extraordinary, but the continent’s ancient megafauna was even more remarkable, featuring rhino-sized wombat relatives and giant birds. Understanding how and why these animals vanished has long challenged scientists. We launched FosSahul 2.0, an improved, quality-rated fossil database that includes nearly 12,000 dated records. This transparent, open-access resource helps standardise fossil data, offering new insight into Australia’s ecological pa