“The geographical variety and termination date of megafauna in Australia, and possible interaction with early contemporary human beings, is a fiercely discussed subject,”stated University of Vienna’s Professor Katerina Douka.

“The low variety of fossils that have actually been discovered at paleontological websites throughout the nation suggests that it is tough to evaluate hypotheses about why these animals ended up being extinct,” included University of Algarve’s Dr. Carli Peters.

“Zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (ZooMS) might increase the variety of recognized megafauna fossils, however just if collagen peptide markers for these types are offered.”

Examining the peptides discovered in samples of collagen enables researchers to compare various genera of animals, and often in between various types.

Since collagen maintains much better than DNA, this approach can be used effectively in tropical and sub-tropical environments where DNA is not likely to endure.

The majority of referral markers are for Eurasian types that never ever lived in other parts of the world.

This research study establishes brand-new referral markers for an Australian context, enabling researchers to obtain more details from Australia’s fragmented fossil record.

“Proteins typically protect much better over longer timescales and in severe environments than DNA does,” Dr. Peters stated.

“This indicates that in the context of megafauna terminations, proteins might still be maintained where DNA is not.”

The scientists selected to study 3 types which might be especially important for comprehending megafauna terminations: Zygomaturus trilobus Palorchestes azaeland Protemnodon mamkurra

Zygomaturus trilobus and Palorchestes azael are from households of animals that went entirely extinct throughout the Late Quaternary, while Protemnodon mamkurra endured enough time that it might possibly have actually overlapped with people getting here in Tasmania.

The researchers formerly dated the fossilized bones of the types to beyond 43,000 years earlier.

Zygomaturus trilobus was among the biggest marsupials that ever existed– it would have appeared like a wombat the size of a hippo,” Professor Douka stated.

Protemnodon mamkurra was a giant, slow-moving kangaroo, possibly strolling on all fours sometimes.”

Palorchestes azael was an unusual-looking marsupial that had a skull with extremely pulled back nasals and a long protrusible tongue, strong forelimbs, and huge claws.”

“If the early modern-day people who went into Sahul– the paleocontinent that linked contemporary Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania 55,000 years back– discovered them, they would have definitely got a huge surprise.”

The authors eliminated any pollutants and compared the peptide markers they discovered to reference markers.

The collagen in all 3 samples was unspoiled enough for the group to recognize appropriate peptide markers for all 3 types.

Utilizing these markers, the paleontologists had the ability to separate Protemnodon from 5 living genera and one extinct genus of kangaroos.

They were likewise able to identify Zygomaturusand Palorchestesfrom other living and extinct big marsupials, however they could not separate the 2 types from each other.

This is not uncommon with ZooMS, given that modifications in collagen build up incredibly gradually, over countless years of development.

Unless additional research study permits more uniqueness, these markers are best utilized to recognize bones at the genus level instead of the types.

The capability to inform apart genera from more temperate areas of Sahul does provide a chance to attempt to recognize bones discovered in more tropical locations, where closely-related types– which are most likely to have comparable or even the exact same peptide markers– would have lived. DNA seldom protects gradually in these areas.

“By utilizing the freshly established collagen peptide markers, we can start determining a bigger variety of megafauna stays in Australian paleontological assemblages,” Dr. Peters stated.

“However, there are a lot more types for which collagen peptide markers still require to be identified.”

“Two examples would be Diprotodonthe biggest marsupial genus to have actually ever existed, and Thylacoleothe biggest marsupial predator.”

The group’s outcomes appear in the journal Frontiers in Mammal Science

_____

Carli Peters et al2025. Collagen peptide markers for 3 extinct Australian megafauna types. Front. Mamm. Sci4; doi: 10.3389/ fmamm.2025.1564287