Naracoorte Caves

Around 120 species of vertebrate animals have been recorded to date. They represent four of the major vertebrate groups: amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. The interpretive centre also shows you how the caves have acted as pitfall traps, dens and roosts for more than 500,000 years, leading to a vast accumulation of skeletal remains of reptiles, birds and mammals. The Fossil Centre recreates a time when the local animal community was more diverse than today. For example, 200,000 years ago there were some 20 kangaroo species in the area. Now there are just four. Find out about how scientists use the fossils to unravel the past in the Flinders University Gallery, a fascinating showcase of the different methods used to research the ancient history of the caves.