Western Science
Western science understands Riversleigh as a natural landscape that has passed through broad epochs such as the Oligocene, Miocene and Pliocene, and into the present. The fossil deposits represent an evolutionary record of the natural species which lived here during these periods.
Many of the ancient species found in the fossils became extinct millions of years before scientists date the arrival of humans on the continent.
Image © Tourism & Events Queensland
Waanyi Understanding
For Waanyi people, Riversleigh Country is understood as a cultural landscape belonging to the Wanggala – the beginning of time where all things originate.
During this period the features of the physical and social world – including the people and animals on Waanyi Country – were created by ancestral beings or Dreamings.
There can be an uneasy match between these two understandings, making it difficult to describe cultural links to species from millions of years ago.
Through this project, Waanyi people have started to consider the cultural
connections and their beliefs about the animals found in the fossils.
Western Science
Western science understands Riversleigh as a natural landscape that has passed through broad epochs such as the Oligocene, Miocene and Pliocene, and into the present. The fossil deposits represent an evolutionary record of the natural species which lived here during these periods.
Many of the ancient species found in the fossils became extinct millions of years
before scientists date the arrival of humans on the continent.
Image © Tourism & Events Queensland
Waanyi Understanding
For Waanyi people, Riversleigh Country is understood as a cultural landscape belonging to the Wanggala – the beginning of time where all things originate.
During this period the features of the physical and social world – including the people and animals on Waanyi Country – were created by ancestral beings or Dreamings.
There can be an uneasy match between these two understandings, making it difficult to describe cultural links to species from millions of years ago.
Through this project, Waanyi people have started to consider the cultural connections and their beliefs about the animals found in the fossils.
Next in Your Journey
Explore the links between Waanyi culture and Riversleigh’s fossils
Discover how scientific discoveries and Waanyi culture intertwine, revealing a
deeper understanding of this remarkable landscape.
