Diana Fusco

I'm a palaeoecologist combining palaeontology and ecology to study how organisms and their environments interacted over long periods.

My research examines how Australia's fauna countered environmental changes throughout the Pleistocene era and exploring how this knowledge can effectively contribute to conservation efforts. Anthropogenic processes like climate change and defaunation pose the biggest threat to the world's biodiversity . By delving into the past, we can observe how these processes unfolded in ancient ecosystems, enabling us to apply this knowledge towards safeguarding and effectively managing biodiversity for the future.

I'm presently investigating the Wellington Caves on Wiradjuri country in NSW. This is where the first fossils of extinct Australian marsupials became known to western science in 1830. These caves contain a diverse range of fossil vertebrates, including megafauna and smaller species.