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Welcome to Megafauna Monday, where we help you chase away the post-weekend blues by showcasing some of the mighty beasts that once roamed the planet.

Our senses allow us to perceive what is around us. Without them, it would be very difficult to navigate our world.  We have many senses, and scientists have recently discovered just how sensitive one of them is – touch.

Welcome to Megafauna Monday, where we help you chase away the post-weekend blues by showcasing some of the mighty beasts that once roamed the planet. We thought we’d start with a bang by introducing you to the largest marsupial ever discovered: Diprotodon.

DNA analysis of feathers confirms a recent sighting of the elusive night parrot. One of Australia’s rarest birds, this sighting is the first time a night parrot has been caught on camera.

What’s your name? No, not your personal name – your species name. You and every other person on the planet are from the same species: Homo sapiens, or modern humans. Today, we are the only human species, but this wasn’t always the case.

Security systems are everywhere. Your home probably has locks on the doors. These protect you and your home, preventing people from entering and stealing items or causing damage. Biosecurity works in a similar way, except it involves protecting an area from the damage caused by pests and diseases.

The idea there are living organisms, as yet undiscovered by humans, living on other planets, has fascinated people for years. The search for alien life is not just a science fiction topic – it’s part of a scientific field called astrobiology.

Giant wombats, short-faced kangaroos and the largest land lizard to ever have lived are just some of Australia’s megafauna. These large animals have mostly gone extinct. However, the cause of their extinction is still a matter of debate.

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in Australia and around the world. Researchers in the USA are developing a new method using the unique ‘smell’ of skin cancer cells to detect them earlier.