Journal article
Investigating the Causes of an Extinction Catastrophe: Controlling Introduced Predators Remains Essential for Conserving Australia's Mammals.
John CZ Woinarski, Sarah M Legge, Katherine Moseby, Andrew A Burbidge, Alexandra JR Carthey, Chris R Dickman, Tim S Doherty, Jason Ferris, Diana O Fisher, Matthijs Hollanders, Bronwyn A Hradsky, Chris N Johnson, Chris J Jolly, John Kanowski, Mike Letnic, Rachel T Mason, Hugh McGregor, Brett P Murphy, Reece Pedler, John L Read Show all
Bioscience | Oxford University Press (OUP) | Published : 2026
Open access
Abstract
At least 40 Australian mammal spcies have been driven to extinction since European colonization in 1788. For conservation management to be effective, it is vital that the reasons for historical extinctions and ongoing declines are understood and remedied. A recent article (Wallach and Lundgren 2025) concluded that there was no compelling evidence that two introduced predators (domestic cats and red foxes) were primary causes of these mammal losses. We refute that article, finding substantial flaws in its premises, analyses, data, interpretations, and conclusions. Using multiple lines of evidence, we show that these two predators are strongly implicated in most Australian mammal extinctions a..
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