title: Ongoing unraveling of a continental fauna: decline and extinction of Australian mammals since European settlement.
abstract: The highly distinctive and mostly endemic Australian land mammal fauna has suffered an extraordinary rate of extinction (>10% of the 273 endemic terrestrial species) over the last ∼200 y: in comparison, only one native land mammal from continental North America became extinct since European settlement. A further 21% of Australian endemic land mammal species are now assessed to be threatened, indicating that the rate of loss (of one to two extinctions per decade) is likely to continue. Australia's marine mammals have fared better overall, but status assessment for them is seriously impeded by lack of information. Much of the loss of Australian land mammal fauna (particularly in the vast deserts and tropical savannas) has been in areas that are remote from human population centers and recognized as relatively unmodified at global scale. In contrast to general patterns of extinction on other continents where the main cause is habitat loss, hunting, and impacts of human development, particularly in areas of high and increasing human population pressures, the loss of Australian land mammals is most likely due primarily to predation by introduced species, particularly the feral cat, Felis catus, and European red fox, Vulpes vulpes, and changed fire regimes.
authors: Northern Australian Hub of National Environmental Research Program and Threatened Species Recovery Hub of National Environmental Science Program, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia; john.woinarski@cdu.edu.au.
authors: John C Z
authors: JC
authors: Woinarski
authors: Research Fellow, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Wanneroo, WA 6069, Australia; and.
authors: Andrew A
authors: AA
authors: Burbidge
authors: Marine Ecology Research Centre, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia.
authors: Peter L
authors: PL
authors: Harrison
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D017753:Ecosystem; D053476:Extinction, Biological; D045991:Felis / Q000502:physiology; D005589:Foxes / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008322:Mammals / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D009656:North America; D011157:Population Dynamics; D013045:Species Specificity
keywords: biodiversity; conservation; feral animal; marsupial; predation