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Death of the Megabeasts

details

Production
2009, Australia
Original language
English
Running time
00:52:00
Genre
documentary
Topic
palaeontology
Directed by
Franco Di Chiera
Written by
Franco Di Chiera
Produced by
France Télévisions, Screen Australia, ScreenWest Inc., France 5, Prospero Productions

Long after the extinction of the dinosaurs, other extraordinary species of giant beasts roamed the earth- they were the megafauna. In Australia some of the most bizarre to roam the earth existed including a huge kangaroo and the earth’s biggest flightless bird. For hundreds of thousands of years these were the heavy weight champions of the animal kingdom.

But suddenly, inexplicably they vanished. While there have been several mass extinctions of large terrestrial animals throughout history, the death of Australia's megafauna is relatively recent. It occurred less than 60,000 years ago and no one knows why. It remains one of the longest running and hotly argued debates in palaeontology.

Now a team of top scientists attempt to crack one of science’s most enduring mysteries - what killed the megafauna in Australia?

As the scientific detectives reopen this prehistoric cold case they examine the evidence and search for new clues. Using the latest advances in science and technology, they look for a “smoking gun” behind the megafauna extinctions and piece together the final moments of some of the strangest creatures ever to have walked the planet. Their conclusion to what killed the megafauna may just offer us all clues to our own future survival.

Pariscience

Selected at Pariscience 2010
See the showing : Monday 11th October 2010 from 10h15 to 11h45