Cave painting image by Ben Gunn found here and here. Pencil drawing of Genyornis newtoni by Nobu Tamura found here
Researchers believe that this cave painting may depict Genyornis—a giant flightless bird that roamed Australia “until their sudden disappearance [4]0,000 years ago, about the same time that humans arrived in Australia.” Today, the only large flightless birds that inhabit Australia are the emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) and the southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius). Feral ostriches occur in Australia too. More via GrrlScientist and ABC Darwin:
Archaeologist Ben Gunn said the giant birds became extinct more than 40,000 years ago.
“The details on this painting indicate that it was done by someone who knew that animal very well,” he said.
He says the detail could not have been passed down through oral storytelling.
“If it is a Genyornis, and it certainly does have all the features of one, it would be the oldest dated visual painting that we’ve got in Australia,” he said.
“Either the painting is 40,000 years old, which is when science thinks Genyornis disappeared, or alternatively the Genyornis lived a lot longer than science has been able to establish.”
Mr Gunn says there are paintings of other extinct animals right across the area including the thylacine, or tasmanian tiger, the giant echidna and giant kangaroo.
“It does give you a window back to a time that you can pinpoint, and in the case of the Genyornis it’s a very long picture,” he said.
The traditional owners of the land in the Northern Territory say they are excited the painting could be Australia’s oldest dated rock art.
On the Net:
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
