I won't say that this is exciting stuff because I got yelled at when I did once before, so I'll just say that I was really pleased to see that this research probably gives some substance to the implications of the discovery of Mungo Man. The dating of these finds caused a lot of discussion, most experts saying that there were no humans in Australia 40.000 years ago! So these arguments must now be dead. The presence of the dingo amongst the aborigines was always stated as a reason for supposing that, since the dingo lived with the aborigines the animal would have migrated here with the people when they came here-- 5-10 thousand years ago!! The dingo had, I thought, been genetically linked to the Indian wild, or pi dog, and consequently it was supposed that the Aborigines came to Australia, with dogs, only comparatively recently. It was also supposed that the Aborigines were themselves descended from the original human inhabitants of India.
I actually taught this stuff as part of Australian History!!! I am rather pleased to see it blown out of the water and the long historical occupation of this country by its original inhabitants recognised.
PS I'm very puzzled by the Homo Erectus mention though. Was H E ever present in Australia?
