00:00 Tiny fossils painting a prehistoric picture.
00:05 The Capricorn Caves were once part of a barrier reef,
00:08 but over 400 million years it transformed into a rainforest
00:13 and became home for some of Australia's most peculiar wildlife.
00:17 Dozens of species of animals, from tiny little ring-tailed possums
00:21 up to gigantic megafauna.
00:23 These included land-dwelling crocodiles, giant koalas,
00:27 giant possums, tree kangaroos.
00:29 This bone deposit here is actually quite a unique bone deposit.
00:33 It's the only faunal record for rainforest species
00:36 for this time period in Australia.
00:38 Scientists are keen to learn more,
00:40 with these recent discoveries teaching how the climate
00:43 has changed over time.
00:45 It's one of the most important sites in Australia
00:47 because it actually tracks past climatic changes
00:50 that impacted rainforests.
00:52 It's the only site of its kind in Australia.
00:55 These changes are an indication of what's coming next.
00:58 Because if we know how they adapted to major changes in the past,
01:01 we can use that to help us predict what's going to happen
01:05 with global warming currently.
01:07 Explorers first stumbled across the caves in the 1880s,
01:10 and since then it's not only been a playground for paleontologists,
01:14 but for punters to make their own discoveries.
01:16 You can only really find them in caves like this.
01:19 It's just a really cool preservation environment.
01:21 Around 40,000 visitors from around the globe come here each year.
01:26 I'm from New Zealand and just having a look around this part of Queensland,
01:30 and everybody told me you have to check out the caves.
01:33 And with only 5% of the site explored, there is still a lot to learn.
01:38 Just today as I was getting prepared for this interview,
01:41 I found a tooth that I can't even identify yet.
01:44 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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