Thomas Newsome

August 21, 2025

Dingoes are not domestic dogs – new evidence shows these native canines are on their own evolutionary path

Kylie M. Cairns, UNSW Sydney; Bradley Smith, CQUniversity Australia; Euan Ritchie, Deakin University, and Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney

New research suggests dingoes are distinct enough to have their own scientific name. If this is accepted, it will have far-reaching consequences

June 18, 2025

‘Guerrilla rewilding’ aims for DIY conservation – but it may do more harm than good

Patrick Finnerty, University of Sydney; Alex Carthey, Macquarie University; Benjamin Pitcher, Macquarie University; John Martin, University of Sydney, and Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney

Reintroducing endangered species into the wild isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Sometimes it can go wildly wrong.

May 25, 2025

Urban rewilding has brought back beavers, hornbills and platypuses to city parks – and that’s just the start

Patrick Finnerty, University of Sydney and Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney

Bringing nature back to our cities doesn’t just mean plants and birds. We can bring native animals back too.

October 11, 2024

Mundo caminha para um aquecimento de 2,7°C neste século, e o perigo é sem precedentes

Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney and William Ripple, Oregon State University

Toda a civilização humana surgiu durante condições climáticas excepcionalmente benignas. À medida que as mudanças climáticas se intensificam, estamos começando a ver o que pode acontecer

October 8, 2024

Unprecedented peril: disaster lies ahead as we track towards 2.7°C of warming this century

Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney and William Ripple, Oregon State University

All of human civilisation emerged during unusually benign climate conditions. As temperature records fall and climate damage intensifies, we are beginning to see what happens when we leave it behind.

September 29, 2024

‘Vegetarian’ possums eat meat when the weather’s cold

Patrick Finnerty, University of Sydney and Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney

In Australia, people tend to think carnivores lead the clean-up crew after an animal dies. But brushtail possums – thought to be plant-eaters – also eat carcasses.

August 15, 2024

Islands in the sky: could steep-sided hilltops offer safe haven to our threatened species?

Patrick Finnerty, University of Sydney and Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney

Rewilding is helping to save species from the brink of extinction. But reintroducing species to islands or fenced havens have limitations. What if we could use flat topped mesas as well?

February 17, 2023

Dead kangaroos make a surprising feast for possums in the Australian Alps

James Vandersteen, UNSW Sydney and Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney

When they set up remote cameras throughout the bush, scientists were not expecting to capture these small marsupials scavenging for flesh.

July 19, 2022

‘Bad and getting worse’: Labor promises law reform for Australia’s environment. Here’s what you need to know

Laura Schuijers, University of Sydney and Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney

Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek acknowledges “it’s time to change” after the State of the Environment report revealed a bleak picture of Australia’s natural places. In a speech on Tuesday…

July 28, 2021

More livestock, more carbon dioxide, less ice: the world’s climate change progress since 2019 is (mostly) bad news

Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney; Christopher Wolf, Oregon State University, and William Ripple, Oregon State University

But with new commitments getting made by governments all over the world, we hope to see this progress improve soon.

May 31, 2020

Forget ‘murder hornets’, European wasps in Australia decapitate flies and bully dingoes

Emma Spencer, University of Sydney; Philip Barton, Federation University Australia; Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney, and William Ripple, Oregon State University

The invasive species was likely brought to Australia unintentionally by ship. Now found in every state and territory, the wasps are decimating our ecosystems.

February 10, 2020

When introduced species are cute and loveable, culling them is a tricky proposition

Lily van Eeden, University of Sydney; Chris Dickman, University of Sydney; Jeremy T. Bruskotter, The Ohio State University; Mathew Crowther, University of Sydney, and Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney

Introduced species are often targeted for culling in conservation, but killing charismatic animals like foxes can be controversial.

January 15, 2020

Bushfires left millions of animals dead. We should use them, not just bury them

Emma Spencer, University of Sydney; Chris Dickman, University of Sydney; Philip Barton, Australian National University, and Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney

There’s logic in burying carcasses as they can harbour nasty diseases, but they also help landscapes recover from fire.

November 5, 2019

11,000 scientists warn: climate change isn’t just about temperature

Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney and William Ripple, Oregon State University

What if the nightly news had regular updates on forest clearing, ocean temperatures and fossil fuel consumption? These indicators sit alongside temperatures as signs of climate change.

July 14, 2019

Making deer fair game for unlicensed hunting is the right step for New South Wales

Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney and Emma Spencer, University of Sydney

The NSW government has announced plans to remove feral deer from its list of official game animals. With careful monitoring, the resulting free-for-all could help curb their booming numbers.

February 26, 2019

We can ‘rewild’ swathes of Australia by focusing on what makes it unique

Oisín Sweeney, University of Sydney; John Turnbull, UNSW Sydney; Menna Elizabeth Jones, University of Tasmania; Mike Letnic, UNSW Sydney, and Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney

Rewilding is gaining popularity around the world, as a means to restore ecosystems to their ancient state. But just like Vegemite, Australian rewilding projects need to have a unique flavour.

October 19, 2018

Dingo dinners: what’s on the menu for Australia’s top predator?

Tim Doherty, Deakin University; Chris Dickman, University of Sydney; Dale Nimmo, Charles Sturt University; Euan Ritchie, Deakin University, and Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney

A survey of 32,000 samples of dingo droppings and stomach contents reveal that this predator’s appetite is as wide-ranging as Australia’s landscapes. But medium and large mammals are top of the menu.

May 23, 2017

Thinking big gives top predators the competitive edge

Thomas Newsome, Deakin University

Dingoes and wolves can help control destructive smaller predators, new research shows, but only if we encourage them across wide areas.

May 1, 2017

The bark side: domestic dogs threaten endangered species worldwide

Tim Doherty, Deakin University; Aaron J. Wirsing, University of Washington; Chris Dickman, University of Sydney; Dale Nimmo, Charles Sturt University; Euan Ritchie, Deakin University, and Thomas Newsome, Deakin University

Cats have a bad reputation as wildlife killers (deservedly so). But dogs aren’t off the hook: new research shows domestic dogs have contributed to the extinction of at least 11 species.

February 17, 2015

Let’s move the world’s longest fence to settle the dingo debate

Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney; Chris Dickman, University of Sydney, and Euan Ritchie, Deakin University

Australia holds many world records, including the world’s longest fence, the dingo fence. At 5,531 km, the dingo barrier fence stretches from eastern Queensland all the way to the South Australian coastline…

January 23, 2015

Mourn our lost mammals, while helping the survivors battle back

Dale Nimmo, Deakin University; Euan Ritchie, Deakin University, and Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney

There was a plague of them and one night I got approximately 300 which had been poisoned in the garden during night. This went on for two or three years. Take a second and have a guess what animal species…

June 17, 2014

What American wolves can teach us about Australian dingoes

Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney and William Ripple, Oregon State University

We know that introduced predators such as foxes and cats are one of the greatest threats to Australia’s wildlife, but what is the best way to control them? Many Australian ecologists argue dingoes are…

February 23, 2014

Want dingoes to leave people alone? Cut the junk food

Thomas Newsome, University of Sydney; Chris Dickman, University of Sydney; Guy Ballard, University of New England; Mathew Crowther, University of Sydney, and Peter Fleming, University of New England

Dingoes are back in the news, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott raising concerns on ABC radio last week about dingoes in drought-hit areas of Queensland and New South Wales: I’d learnt some years ago on…