Koalas Nearly Vanished 100,000 Years Ago — And What Happened Was Unexpected

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DNA evidence links a long koala population collapse to climate change, habitat loss and glacial aridity.

Their DNA Preserved the Missing History

Scientists Built a Koala-Specific Genetic Clock

The Decline Started Around 100,000 Years Ago

Humans Arrived After the Collapse Had Begun

A Glacial Period Changed Australia

The Nullarbor Became a Massive Barrier

“Nearly Vanished” Does Not Mean an Exact Headcount

Every Modern Group Shares the Same Bottleneck

Koalas Later Recovered and Spread Again

Ancient Survival Does Not Guarantee Modern Survival

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Koalas experienced a severe and prolonged population collapse beginning roughly 100,000 years ago, according to a major genomic study. The unexpected finding is that the decline started before modern humans reached Australia, challenging earlier timelines that placed people at the centre of the event.

Researchers instead found that increasing dryness, glacial conditions and shrinking forest habitat better match the ancient decline. However, “nearly vanished” describes an inferred genetic bottleneck rather than a direct count showing exactly how few koalas remained.

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