One key difference is that early New Guineans were capable of agriculture and domesticating plants and animals, while Australia's first people were primarily hunter-gatherers. Early New Guineans also developed complex social and political systems, while Australia's first people had more nomadic lifestyles and smaller-scale social structures. Additionally, early New Guineans had more contact with neighboring societies and traded goods over longer distances, while Australia's first people had limited contact with other populations.
