[Rockhounds] Sea level rise drowned a vast habitable area of north-western Australia driving long-term cultural change

[Paul]

A new open access paper on the effects of sea level rise on
Australian prehistory.

Norman, K., Bradshaw, C.J., Saltré, F., Clarkson, C., Cohen,
T.J., Hiscock, P., Jones, T. and Boesl, F., 2024. Sea level rise
drowned a vast habitable area of north-western Australia
driving long-term cultural change. Quaternary Science Reviews,
324, no.108418.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379123004663

"Highlights
• MIS4 lowstand exposed a vast archipelago off the northwest coast of Sahul.
• The island environment likely enabled staged human dispersal from 
Wallacea to Sahul.
• The NW Shelf contained a mosaic of habitable fresh and saltwater 
environments.
• Modelling reveals the drowned shelf could have supported between 
50,000 and 500,000 people.
• Retreat ahead of sea level rise drove increasing occupation and new 
rock art styles."

Yours,

Paul H.