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  1. Homepage
  2. Discover & Learn
  3. Australia over time

Australia over time

Learn about our evolving landscape, Australian megafauna and other extinct animals, and how we use fossils to relate the animals of the past with those of today.

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Bird specimen under glass display

Australia’s extinct animals

Learning about Australia’s extinct fauna helps us to create links through time that relate the animals of the past with those of today.

Extinction theories
Fact sheets
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Diprotodon

Megafauna

Megafauna are large animals such as elephant, mammoth, rhinocerous and Australia's own diprotodon.

Extinction theory
Read more

Palaeo maps

Evolving landscape

Over thousands of millions of years, continents, oceans and mountain ranges have moved vast distances both vertically and horizontally.

Geological time scale
Continent formation
Discover more

Trilobite fossil

What are fossils?

The word ‘palaeontology’ refers to the study of ancient life. It is derived from the Greek words palaios (ancient) and logos (study). Fossils form the basis of this science.

Fossils form the basis of palaeontology
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Canowindra Fish Fossils

Fossil sites of Australia

Fossils are a part of our natural heritage and while the vast majority of fossils found by amateur collectors are worth very little in monetary terms, they may be important scientifically.

Excavation sites
Palaeontology
Learn more

Mineral specimen

Earth science

The Mineralogy and Palaeontology collections include rocks, minerals, gemstones and fossils, and reveal how the earth was formed.

Shaping the Earth
Minerals
Fossils
Discover more


  • Palaeontology collection

    Ancient animals and plant fossils.
    Learn more
  • Mineralogy Collection

    Study of rocks & minerals.
    Learn more
  • Australian Museum Research Institute

    Scientific discovery & conservation of our collections.
    Find out more

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Macropus giganteus

What is a marsupial?

A marsupial is born in a very incomplete state.

Discover more

Woodland habitat

Habitats

Explore seven different animal and plant habitats: coasts, freshwater, Antarctica, forests, woodlands, arid zone and urban.

Coastal
Arid zone
Woodland
Learn more

Tachyglossus aculeatus

What is a monotreme?

Monotremes are different from other mammals because they lay eggs and have no teats.

Discover more

Wolf Spider's Burrow

What animal made this hole?

Read our fact sheet to learn about what holes you might have in your garden and who might have made them!

Discover more

Balls Pyramid expedition March 2017

Australian Museum Turns ‘Inside Out’ To Share Virtual Content

Content Curated for the Curious includes education, citizen science, virtual tours and exhibitions

15 April 2020
Read More

Pseudophryne corroboree

What does endangered mean?

What does endangered mean?

Discover more

Charles Darwin's first diagram of an evolutionary tree

What is natural selection?

Darwin's grand idea of evolution by natural selection is relatively simple but often misunderstood.

Discover more

Sustainable living

Sustainability at home

Leading a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle and saving money in the process is easy with these helpful factsheets.

Cut down on waste
Worm farming
Read more

Sea lion bones

Creepy jigsaws

Piece together some of the more unusual photographs from the Australian Museum's image library.

Photography
Puzzles
Play now

Forest Creek

What is an ecosystem?

Ecosystems are the foundations of the Biosphere and they determine the health of the entire Earth system.

Discover more

Cane Toad

How can you tell the difference between a Cane Toad and a native Australian frog species?

Identifying whether a backyard guest is a native frog or a Cane Toad can be tricky: here’s some tips to help.

Tips to identify a Cane Toad or native frog in your backyard
Read more

Citizen Science Grant Announcement

Water and catchment

Learn about the value of water and how we manage our waterways and catchments.

Water around the world
Water cycle
Managed water cycle
Read more

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The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which the Museum stands.
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We pay our respect to Aboriginal Elders and recognise their continuous connection to Country.
This website may contain names, images and voices of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

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Photo of two painted shields

The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which the Museum stands.

Image credit: gadigal yilimung (shield) made by Uncle Charles Chicka Madden