Accidental Tombs of the Nullarbor
Beneath the flat, arid landscape of the Nullarbor Plain lies a vast network of limestone caves. For millennia, these caves have acted as unintentional pitfall traps for the region's fauna. Animals wandering too close to an opening would fall into the darkness below. In the deep, stable environment of the caves—characterized by low humidity and cool temperatures—a process of natural mummification occurred. Carcasses were not decomposed by bacteria but were instead slowly desiccated, preserving them for thousands of years.
Among the most important discoveries in these natural tombs are the remains of the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), a carnivorous marsupial also known as the Tasmanian tiger. Discoveries began in the 1960s in caves such as Murra-el-Elevyn Cave and Thylacine Hole. One specimen from Murra-el-Elevyn Cave yielded a radiocarbon date of approximately 3,280 years Before Present, making it one of the last known thylacines from mainland Australia. Another nearly complete mummified carcass from Thylacine Hole was dated to be around 4,600 years old. These finds record the animal's existence on the mainland shortly before it vanished.
An Autopsy Across Millennia
The Nullarbor mummies are so well-preserved that they retain soft tissues like skin, hair, and muscle. One specimen discovered in 1990 consisted of a mummified head with intact eyelashes, whiskers, and ears. This level of preservation allows for a detailed biological record of an animal that went extinct on the mainland about 3,200 years ago. This disappearance is thought to be linked to the arrival of the dingo and increasing climate pressures.
The preserved gut contents of these thylacines show their diet. Analysis shows they consumed a variety of small animals, including rodents, birds, and other marsupials. This evidence shows the thylacine's ecological role, suggesting it was a generalist predator and not a specialist hunter of large prey like kangaroos. The information gathered from these accidental mummies shows the species just before its mainland extinction, a fate the Tasmanian population would not meet for another three millennia.