About Me
Hello, I’m Chris Laurikainen Gaete. Palaeo-ecologist, research scientist, wildlife photographer, PADI Divemaster, and amateur (at best) surfer from Wollongong, Australia.
In 2022 I completed a Bachelor of Conservation Biology (Honours) (Dean’s Scholar) at the University of Wollongong (UOW). Then, In 2023 I started a PhD at UOW, using isotopic proxies preserved in fossil remains to study the diet and home ranges of extinct kangaroos (Macropodids).
In my research, I use strontium, calcium, and carbon isotopes preserved in fossil teeth to understand past foraging range, and dietary preference in these ancient Roos, hundreds of thousands of years ago. This work helps us understand (1) how these ancient animals behaved in the past, and (2) what behavioural traits may have predisposed them to extinction.
My most recent study published in PLOS One looks at foraging ranges in the giant kangaroo genus Protemnodon, from Mount Etna, Queensland. Here, we found these giant kangaroos spent their lives close to home – and likely perished when the climate changed disrupted their stable rainforest utopia.
Through my PhD, I have had opportunities to complete all across south-eastern Queensland. During these east-coast road trips, I discovered a passion for nature photography. Now, when I’m not in the lab trying to understand our extinct marsupials, I can usually be found trying to film and photograph their modern-day relatives.
Background
PhD Student, Doctor of Philosophy, Wollongong Isotope Geochronology Laboratory, University of Wollongong
Supervisors: Professor Anthony Dosseto, Dr Scott Hocknull, Associate Professor Katarina Mikac
Topic: Understanding life histories of extinct macropodids using isotopic proxies preserved in fossilised enamel.
Media
'Fossil teeth show extinct giant kangaroos spent their lives close to home – and perished when the climate changed' - The Conversation
'Giant prehistoric kangaroos preferred to ‘chill at home’ and didn’t like to go out much, scientists say' - The Guardian
'Australia once had giant kangaroos — here's what experts think happened to them' - ABC
'Ancient Giant Kangaroos Were Homebodies, New Study Concludes, Contributing To Their Extinction' - IFLScience
'What we’re learning about ancient giant kangaroos' - Cosmos
Research Papers
"Megafauna Mobility: Assessing the foraging range of an extinct macropodid from central eastern Queensland, Australia" Laurikainen Gaete et al. 2025
Conferences
2023 Melbourne Museum - Conference on Australasian Vertebrate Evolution, Palaeontology and Systematics (CAVEPS)
Species Conservation
While most of my current research is focused on long-extinct kangaroos, I am passionate about applying what we learn from these extinct animals to conserving our modern-day marsupial diversity.
If we are able to understand behaviours and life history traits that drove species extinct, and more importantly, traits that promoted survival. We can then apply these findings to our modern ecosystems, determining which species are most vulnerable to extinction, and what measures will provide the greatest benefit to species survival.
