BY FKITZ NOETLING, M.A., PH.D. 



131 



exist ; the numerous silted-up lakes and tarns of the high- 

 lands of Tasmania may still contain many a surprise. 



However, for the present we are forced to assume that 

 the distribution of the gigantic marsupials in Tasmania 

 was limited, and restricted to the northern parts; in fact, 

 i*-. almost appears as if they had just arrived from the 

 mainland, when they commenced to die out, without find- 

 ing time to spread further. It is certain that the migra- 

 tion from the mainland must have taken place at a time 

 when Tasmania was still connected with the mainland; in 

 fact, the occurrence of the gigantic marsupials is a further 

 proof — if such was required — of the existence of a land 

 bridge between Tasmania and- Australia. It is absolutely 

 impossible to understand how the gigantic marsupials could 

 have otherwise reached Tasmania, unless we assume that 

 they originated snontaneously in Australia and Tasmania. 



Further, unless we assume that the gigantic marsupials 

 existed in Tasmania a long time after the separation of the 

 island from the continent, we must conclude that this event 

 took place in very recent times. But, what is more, the 

 gigantic marsupials must have already been extinct before 

 the arrival of the Tasmanian aborigines, because there is 

 not a tittle of proof that they were knov;n to them. Thus 

 the separation of Tasmania and Australia must have taken 

 place so recently that the tJieory advanced by me in a 

 previous paper is fully borne out (9). 



The 

 times of 



Fresh water 

 and land 

 Molluscan 

 Fauna, the 

 same as at 

 present. 

 Flora the 

 same as at 

 present. 



sequence of events in the most modem geological 

 Tasmania may be summarised as follows: — 



'(a) Last stage p. Immigration of the gigantic Marsupials (?) 

 of the isthmus 2. Extinction of the gigantic Marsupials, 

 between Tas-x 3. Immigration of the Tasmanian Aborigines 

 mania and about 7,000 years ago. i) 



Australia. V (Probably commencing rise of temperature.) 



(h) Destruction ( 

 of the isthmus Subsidence of the surface, probably accom- 

 between Tas--! panied by volcanic eruptions along the north 

 m a n i a a n d coast of Tasmania. (Younger volcanic period (?) 

 Australia. v 



I (^fj Complete re- (\. Immigration of the Aryan race, 1803. 



])lacement of 2. Extinction of the Tasmanian Aborigines, 

 the old isth-] 1878. _ . . *? 



musbythesea. 3. Exclusive population of Aryan origin in 

 I Tasmania since 1878. 



(9) The Antiquity of Man in Tasmania. Pap. and Proceed. Roy. Soc. 

 1910. See al?o Noetling, Das Alter der menschl. Rasse in Tasmanian. 

 N J.M.GP, 1911. B-iilagebandXXXI., page 303. 



