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Science 5 October 2001:
Vol. 294. no. 5540, p. 9
DOI: 10.1126/science.294.5540.9r
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In a study that dated megafaunal burial sites across Australia, Roberts et al. (8 June 2001) concluded that all large animals on the continent were extinct by around 46,400 years ago, and suggested that remains at some sites have been disturbed and therefore must be dated with caution. A comment by Field and Fullagar disagrees with the "argument for disturbance made by Roberts et al." for at least one site, Cuddie Springs, stating that "stratigraphic integrity of a site cannot be assessed by dating alone." In response, Roberts et al. reaffirm their claim that "reliable ages . . . can only be determined by direct dating," and offer a proposal to reconcile the discrepancy between the optical dates cited by Field and Fullagar and the ages reported in the Roberts et al. study. The full text of these comments can be seen at

www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/294/5540/7a




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