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.