Giant Iceberg, 5,000 Square Kilometers, Set To Calve From Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctica
January 6, 2017: British Antarctic Survey
The crack through Larsen C ice shelf is visible as a dark line from bottom right to top left of this satellite image. Image captured on 26 October 2016.Credit: Image courtesy of British Antarctic Survey
A huge iceberg, roughly the size of the county of Norfolk in the United Kingdom or the state of Delaware in the United States, looks set to break away from the Larsen C ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula. Larsen C is more than twice the size of Wales. Satellite observations from December 2016 show a growing crack in the ice shelf which suggests that an iceberg with an area of up to 5,000 square kilometers is likely to calve soon.
British Antarctic Survey researchers have a long running research programme to monitor ice shelves from both above and below to understand the causes and implications of the rapid changes observed in the region.
During the current Antarctic field season, a glaciology research team has been on Larsen C using seismic techniques to survey the seafloor beneath the ice shelf. Because a break up looks likely the team has not set up camp on the ice as usual. Instead they have made field trips by twin otter aircraft supported from Rothera Research Station.
Ice shelves in normal situations produce an iceberg every few decades. There is not enough information to know whether the expected calving event on Larsen C is an effect of climate change or not, although there is good scientific evidence that climate change has caused thinning of the ice shelf. Once the iceberg has calved the big question is whether the entire ice sheet may collapse. This is something that British Antarctic Survey teams have been monitoring and why glaciologists were deployed to work on Larsen C in the past few weeks.
Glaciologist Professor David Vaughan OBE, Director of Science at British Antarctic Survey, said, "The calving of this large iceberg could be the first step of the collapse of Larsen C ice shelf, which would result in the disintegration of a huge area of ice into a number of icebergs and smaller fragments.
"Because of the uncertainty surrounding the stability of the Larsen C ice shelf, we chose not to camp on the ice this season. Researchers can now only do day trips from our Rothera Research Station with an aircraft nearby on standby."
Satellite technologyDr Andrew Fleming, Remote Sensing Manager at British Antarctic Survey, said, "We use regular satellite images provided by the European Sentinel satellites to monitor cracks in the ice shelf. These images are perfect for following these changes since they provide detailed information, day or night and regardless of cloud cover."
About ice shelvesAn ice shelf is a floating extension of land-based glaciers which flow into the ocean. Because they already float in the ocean, their melting does not directly contribute to sea-level rise. However, ice shelves act as buttresses holding back glaciers flowing down to the coast. Larsen A and B ice shelves, which were situated further north on the Antarctic Peninsula, collapsed in 1995 and 2002, respectively. This resulted in the dramatic acceleration of glaciers behind them, with larger volumes of ice entering the ocean and contributing to sea-level rise.
Materials provided by British Antarctic Survey.
January 6, 2017: British Antarctic Survey
The crack through Larsen C ice shelf is visible as a dark line from bottom right to top left of this satellite image. Image captured on 26 October 2016.
Credit: Image courtesy of British Antarctic Survey
A huge iceberg, roughly the size of the county of Norfolk in the United Kingdom or the state of Delaware in the United States, looks set to break away from the Larsen C ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula. Larsen C is more than twice the size of Wales. Satellite observations from December 2016 show a growing crack in the ice shelf which suggests that an iceberg with an area of up to 5,000 square kilometers is likely to calve soon.
British Antarctic Survey researchers have a long running research programme to monitor ice shelves from both above and below to understand the causes and implications of the rapid changes observed in the region.
During the current Antarctic field season, a glaciology research team has been on Larsen C using seismic techniques to survey the seafloor beneath the ice shelf. Because a break up looks likely the team has not set up camp on the ice as usual. Instead they have made field trips by twin otter aircraft supported from Rothera Research Station.
Ice shelves in normal situations produce an iceberg every few decades. There is not enough information to know whether the expected calving event on Larsen C is an effect of climate change or not, although there is good scientific evidence that climate change has caused thinning of the ice shelf. Once the iceberg has calved the big question is whether the entire ice sheet may collapse. This is something that British Antarctic Survey teams have been monitoring and why glaciologists were deployed to work on Larsen C in the past few weeks.
Glaciologist Professor David Vaughan OBE, Director of Science at British Antarctic Survey, said, "The calving of this large iceberg could be the first step of the collapse of Larsen C ice shelf, which would result in the disintegration of a huge area of ice into a number of icebergs and smaller fragments.
"Because of the uncertainty surrounding the stability of the Larsen C ice shelf, we chose not to camp on the ice this season. Researchers can now only do day trips from our Rothera Research Station with an aircraft nearby on standby."
Satellite technology
Dr Andrew Fleming, Remote Sensing Manager at British Antarctic Survey, said, "We use regular satellite images provided by the European Sentinel satellites to monitor cracks in the ice shelf. These images are perfect for following these changes since they provide detailed information, day or night and regardless of cloud cover."
About ice shelves
An ice shelf is a floating extension of land-based glaciers which flow into the ocean. Because they already float in the ocean, their melting does not directly contribute to sea-level rise. However, ice shelves act as buttresses holding back glaciers flowing down to the coast. Larsen A and B ice shelves, which were situated further north on the Antarctic Peninsula, collapsed in 1995 and 2002, respectively. This resulted in the dramatic acceleration of glaciers behind them, with larger volumes of ice entering the ocean and contributing to sea-level rise.
Materials provided by British Antarctic Survey.
Weekly Rainfall Update
Issued 3 January 2017 by BOMKey points- Deep low pressure system and cold fronts brought moderate to heavy falls to parts of southeastern Australia
- Active monsoon trough produced heavy falls in the Top End and Cape York Peninsula
- The highest weekly total was 416 mm at Labelle Downs in the Northern Territory
Weekly rainfall totals
In the middle of the week, the active monsoon trough over northern parts resulted in showers and thunderstorms in the vicinity of a broad low pressure trough stretching from the Northern Territory to the Northeast Pastoral district in South Australia. A deep low and associated cold front in the Great Australian Bight moved eastwards, with an active band of showers and thunderstorms producing moderate to heavy falls in central and eastern Victoria, northern Tasmania and southern New South Wales.
In the last part of the week, an inland surface trough extended from western Queensland through to eastern New South Wales. A very moist, tropical airflow over eastern Queensland produced moderate to heavy rainfall about parts of the east coast of Queensland and northeastern New South Wales.Rainfall totals in excess of 200 mm were recorded in the northwestern Top End of the Northern Territory and the far northern tip of the Cape York Peninsula. Isolated falls in excess of 300 mm were recorded about the Darwin–Daly district, including the highest weekly total of 416 mm at Labelle Downs.
Rainfall totals between 100 mm and 200 mm were recorded in central and northwestern parts of the Northern Territory; the Cape York Peninsula north of Cape Melville; isolated pockets of eastern Queensland; an area of northeastern New South Wales, and northeastern Victoria.For more rainfall details, go to www.bom.gov.au/climate/rainfall/
Issued 3 January 2017 by BOM
Key points
- Deep low pressure system and cold fronts brought moderate to heavy falls to parts of southeastern Australia
- Active monsoon trough produced heavy falls in the Top End and Cape York Peninsula
- The highest weekly total was 416 mm at Labelle Downs in the Northern Territory
Weekly rainfall totals
In the middle of the week, the active monsoon trough over northern parts resulted in showers and thunderstorms in the vicinity of a broad low pressure trough stretching from the Northern Territory to the Northeast Pastoral district in South Australia. A deep low and associated cold front in the Great Australian Bight moved eastwards, with an active band of showers and thunderstorms producing moderate to heavy falls in central and eastern Victoria, northern Tasmania and southern New South Wales.In the last part of the week, an inland surface trough extended from western Queensland through to eastern New South Wales. A very moist, tropical airflow over eastern Queensland produced moderate to heavy rainfall about parts of the east coast of Queensland and northeastern New South Wales.
Rainfall totals in excess of 200 mm were recorded in the northwestern Top End of the Northern Territory and the far northern tip of the Cape York Peninsula. Isolated falls in excess of 300 mm were recorded about the Darwin–Daly district, including the highest weekly total of 416 mm at Labelle Downs.
Rainfall totals between 100 mm and 200 mm were recorded in central and northwestern parts of the Northern Territory; the Cape York Peninsula north of Cape Melville; isolated pockets of eastern Queensland; an area of northeastern New South Wales, and northeastern Victoria.
For more rainfall details, go to www.bom.gov.au/climate/rainfall/
The New Year Kicks Off The Beginning Of The NSW National Parks And Wildlife Service
Myna Action Group Flyers Need Distribution
Pittwater Natural Heritage Association (PNHA)
Indian Mynas - what a pest - like flying rats. Can you help distribute our new flyers about our Northern Beaches Indian Myna Action Group?
They are for people in cafes and coffee shops, explaining why not to feed these birds and how to get involved in their control. Just take a few and hand out where ever you can. Cafe staff are usually glad of the help. Contact us on pnhainfo@gmail.com for more information and have a look athttps://www.facebook.com/MynaProblems/
Indian Mynas are displacing our native birds. They often nest in and around shops where their food source is. I took this one down this morning in Avalon (no chicks or eggs but I disturbed the female). There were literally hundreds of tiny bits of plastic in the nest which makes you think that all this plastic would be swilling down the stormwater drains into the sea.
Pittwater Natural Heritage Association (PNHA)
Indian Mynas - what a pest - like flying rats.
Can you help distribute our new flyers about our Northern Beaches Indian Myna Action Group?
They are for people in cafes and coffee shops, explaining why not to feed these birds and how to get involved in their control. Just take a few and hand out where ever you can. Cafe staff are usually glad of the help. Contact us on pnhainfo@gmail.com for more information and have a look athttps://www.facebook.com/MynaProblems/
Indian Mynas are displacing our native birds.
They often nest in and around shops where their food source is. I took this one down this morning in Avalon (no chicks or eggs but I disturbed the female). There were literally hundreds of tiny bits of plastic in the nest which makes you think that all this plastic would be swilling down the stormwater drains into the sea.
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Long Reef Guided Walks
Feral Cats Now Cover Over 99.8 Percent Of Australia
January 4, 2017: University of Queensland
Feral cat. Credit: Courtesy, Threatened Species Recovery Hub of the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Programme
Feral cats cover over 99.8% of Australia's land area, including almost 80% of the area of our islands.
These are just some of the findings of new research which looks at the number of feral cats in Australia.
The research was undertaken by over 40 of Australia's top environmental scientists and brings together evidence from nearly 100 separate studies across the country.
"Australia's total feral cat population fluctuates between 2.1 million when times are lean, up to 6.3 million when widespread rain results in plenty of available prey," said Dr Sarah Legge from The University of Queensland.
The study also looked at what causes variation in cat densities. Cat densities are higher on islands, especially smaller islands.
Inland areas with low rainfall and more open vegetation had higher cat densities than most coastal, wetter areas, but only after extensive rain.
In a worrying finding for conservation managers, cat densities were found to be the same both inside and outside conservation reserves, such as National Parks, showing that declaring protected areas alone is not enough to safeguard our native wildlife.
"Our study highlights the scale and impacts of feral cats and the urgent need to develop effective control methods, and to target our efforts in areas where that control will produce the biggest gains" says Dr Legge.
"At the moment feral cats are undermining the efforts of conservation managers and threatened species recovery teams across Australia.
"It is this difficulty which is pushing conservation managers into expensive, last resort conservation options like creating predator free fenced areas and establishing populations on predator-free islands.
"These projects are essential for preventing extinctions, but they are not enough -- they protect only a tiny fraction of Australia's land area, leaving feral cats to wreak havoc over the remaining 99.8% of the country."
The research has been funded by the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Programme and will be important to developing effective strategies for controlling cats and their impacts.
"This new science shows that the density of feral cats in Australia is lower than it is in North America and Europe, and yet feral cats have been devastating for our wildlife," said Mr Gregory Andrews, Australia's Threatened Species Commissioner.
"Australia is the only continent on Earth other than Antarctica where the animals evolved without cats, which is a reason our wildlife is so vulnerable to them. This reinforces the need to cull feral cats humanely and effectively.
"With feral cats having already driven at least 20 Australian mammals to extinction, I'm so glad the Threatened Species Strategy is investing in science like this.
"This science reaffirms the importance of the ambitious targets to cull feral cats that I am implementing with the support of Minister Frydenberg under the Threatened Species Strategy," said Mr Andrews.
According to Dr Legge, "As well as strategically targeting areas for cat control in bushland to maximise the conservation outcomes, we also need to address the issue of feral cats living in heavily urbanised areas, where their densities can be 30 times greater than in natural environments.
"As well as preying on the threatened species that occur in and near urban areas, these urban feral cats may provide a source of feral cats to bushland areas."
The research was funded by the Threatened Species Recovery Hub of the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Programme.It has been published in the research journal Biological Conservation.
S. Legge, B.P. Murphy, H. McGregor, J.C.Z. Woinarski, J. Augusteyn, G. Ballard, M. Baseler, T. Buckmaster, C.R. Dickman, T. Doherty, G. Edwards, T. Eyre, B.A. Fancourt, D. Ferguson, D.M. Forsyth, W.L. Geary, M. Gentle, G. Gillespie, L. Greenwood, R. Hohnen, S. Hume, C.N. Johnson, M. Maxwell, P.J. McDonald, K. Morris, K. Moseby, T. Newsome, D. Nimmo, R. Paltridge, D. Ramsey, J. Read, A. Rendall, M. Rich, E. Ritchie, J. Rowland, J. Short, D. Stokeld, D.R. Sutherland, A.F. Wayne, L. Woodford, F. Zewe.Enumerating a continental-scale threat: How many feral cats are in Australia? Biological Conservation, 2016; DOI:10.1016/j.biocon.2016.11.032
January 4, 2017: University of Queensland
Feral cat. Credit: Courtesy, Threatened Species Recovery Hub of the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Programme
Feral cats cover over 99.8% of Australia's land area, including almost 80% of the area of our islands.
These are just some of the findings of new research which looks at the number of feral cats in Australia.
The research was undertaken by over 40 of Australia's top environmental scientists and brings together evidence from nearly 100 separate studies across the country.
"Australia's total feral cat population fluctuates between 2.1 million when times are lean, up to 6.3 million when widespread rain results in plenty of available prey," said Dr Sarah Legge from The University of Queensland.
The study also looked at what causes variation in cat densities. Cat densities are higher on islands, especially smaller islands.
Inland areas with low rainfall and more open vegetation had higher cat densities than most coastal, wetter areas, but only after extensive rain.
In a worrying finding for conservation managers, cat densities were found to be the same both inside and outside conservation reserves, such as National Parks, showing that declaring protected areas alone is not enough to safeguard our native wildlife.
"Our study highlights the scale and impacts of feral cats and the urgent need to develop effective control methods, and to target our efforts in areas where that control will produce the biggest gains" says Dr Legge.
"At the moment feral cats are undermining the efforts of conservation managers and threatened species recovery teams across Australia.
"It is this difficulty which is pushing conservation managers into expensive, last resort conservation options like creating predator free fenced areas and establishing populations on predator-free islands.
"These projects are essential for preventing extinctions, but they are not enough -- they protect only a tiny fraction of Australia's land area, leaving feral cats to wreak havoc over the remaining 99.8% of the country."
The research has been funded by the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Programme and will be important to developing effective strategies for controlling cats and their impacts.
"This new science shows that the density of feral cats in Australia is lower than it is in North America and Europe, and yet feral cats have been devastating for our wildlife," said Mr Gregory Andrews, Australia's Threatened Species Commissioner.
"Australia is the only continent on Earth other than Antarctica where the animals evolved without cats, which is a reason our wildlife is so vulnerable to them. This reinforces the need to cull feral cats humanely and effectively.
"With feral cats having already driven at least 20 Australian mammals to extinction, I'm so glad the Threatened Species Strategy is investing in science like this.
"This science reaffirms the importance of the ambitious targets to cull feral cats that I am implementing with the support of Minister Frydenberg under the Threatened Species Strategy," said Mr Andrews.
According to Dr Legge, "As well as strategically targeting areas for cat control in bushland to maximise the conservation outcomes, we also need to address the issue of feral cats living in heavily urbanised areas, where their densities can be 30 times greater than in natural environments.
"As well as preying on the threatened species that occur in and near urban areas, these urban feral cats may provide a source of feral cats to bushland areas."
The research was funded by the Threatened Species Recovery Hub of the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Programme.
It has been published in the research journal Biological Conservation.
S. Legge, B.P. Murphy, H. McGregor, J.C.Z. Woinarski, J. Augusteyn, G. Ballard, M. Baseler, T. Buckmaster, C.R. Dickman, T. Doherty, G. Edwards, T. Eyre, B.A. Fancourt, D. Ferguson, D.M. Forsyth, W.L. Geary, M. Gentle, G. Gillespie, L. Greenwood, R. Hohnen, S. Hume, C.N. Johnson, M. Maxwell, P.J. McDonald, K. Morris, K. Moseby, T. Newsome, D. Nimmo, R. Paltridge, D. Ramsey, J. Read, A. Rendall, M. Rich, E. Ritchie, J. Rowland, J. Short, D. Stokeld, D.R. Sutherland, A.F. Wayne, L. Woodford, F. Zewe.Enumerating a continental-scale threat: How many feral cats are in Australia? Biological Conservation, 2016; DOI:10.1016/j.biocon.2016.11.032
Great Barrier Reef Almost Drowned; Climate Implications
January 6, 2017: University of Sydney
Acropora coral less than 2m under sea-level at One Tree Reef, One Tree Island. Credit: University of Sydney
An analysis of the Great Barrier Reef during a time prior to it becoming the modern shallow reef has found the World Heritage Listed 'wonder' almost drowned because of rapid sea-level rise from melting glaciers and polar ice sheets -- with implications for conservation in an era of climate change.
The University of Sydney-led international research shows the Great Barrier Reef is resilient, with shallow reef growth recommencing once the rapid sea-level rise stabilised during the Last Interglacial period more than 125,000 years ago.
However a range of pressures on the modern reef -- including pesticide run-off, warming sea temperatures and dredging from mining operations -- combined with predicted sea-level rises could threaten the reef's survival.
The research has been published in the peer-reviewed Global and Planetary Change.
Geologists consider the Last Interglacial to be an important comparative period because temperatures and sea levels were higher than now but similar to where the Earth might be headed if CO2 emissions remain unchecked.
Lead author Dr Belinda Dechnik from the Geocoastal Research Group in the School of Geosciences undertook the research -- which included analysis of unexposed reef now up to 40 metres below sea-level -- as part of her PhD.
"This provides the first snapshot of this paleo-reef against a background of rapid environmental change, including possible mass ice-sheet collapse," Dr Dechnik said.
The research also provided an accurate identification of the age of the fossil reef that grew before the modern Great Barrier Reef, some 129,000-121,000 years ago.
"The Great Barrier Reef is like a sponge cake -- the modern reef is just the last layer," Dr Dechnik explained.
To study the ancient reef layer, researchers analysed specimens from the 1970s stored at Geosciences Australia in Canberra and in 2015 cored samples directly from the reef (the subject of an upcoming paper), which was made possible with an Australian Research Council grant as part of its Discovery Program.
University of Sydney Associate Professor Jody Webster, who supervised Dr Dechnik's PhD, said the research was the most comprehensive investigation of this second-last layer; a novel finding was the climate-change impact.
"This stage of the reef appears to have come close to drowning and therefore almost died due to major environmental changes," Associate Professor Webster said.
Dr Dechnik said it was expected that the rate of future sea-level rises resulting from climate change may not be as extreme as experienced previously but it could still be significant. In addition, it was expected that sea levels on the Great Barrier Reef could get as high as six metres -- the same level as during the Last Interglacial -- depending on the trajectory of mass ice sheet collapse.
"The findings highlight the importance of increasing the reef's resilience now," Dr Dechnik said.
"In combination with climate change predictions by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and in the absence of improvements to reef management and human impacts, sea-level pressures could tip the reef over the edge, potentially drowning it for good," Dr Dechnik said.
Belinda Dechnik, Jody M. Webster, Gregory E. Webb, Luke Nothdurft, Andrea Dutton, Juan-Carlos Braga, Jian-xin Zhao, Stephanie Duce, James Sadler. The evolution of the Great Barrier Reef during the Last Interglacial Period. Global and Planetary Change, 2016; DOI:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2016.11.018
January 6, 2017: University of Sydney
Acropora coral less than 2m under sea-level at One Tree Reef, One Tree Island. Credit: University of Sydney
An analysis of the Great Barrier Reef during a time prior to it becoming the modern shallow reef has found the World Heritage Listed 'wonder' almost drowned because of rapid sea-level rise from melting glaciers and polar ice sheets -- with implications for conservation in an era of climate change.
The University of Sydney-led international research shows the Great Barrier Reef is resilient, with shallow reef growth recommencing once the rapid sea-level rise stabilised during the Last Interglacial period more than 125,000 years ago.
However a range of pressures on the modern reef -- including pesticide run-off, warming sea temperatures and dredging from mining operations -- combined with predicted sea-level rises could threaten the reef's survival.
The research has been published in the peer-reviewed Global and Planetary Change.
Geologists consider the Last Interglacial to be an important comparative period because temperatures and sea levels were higher than now but similar to where the Earth might be headed if CO2 emissions remain unchecked.
Lead author Dr Belinda Dechnik from the Geocoastal Research Group in the School of Geosciences undertook the research -- which included analysis of unexposed reef now up to 40 metres below sea-level -- as part of her PhD.
"This provides the first snapshot of this paleo-reef against a background of rapid environmental change, including possible mass ice-sheet collapse," Dr Dechnik said.
The research also provided an accurate identification of the age of the fossil reef that grew before the modern Great Barrier Reef, some 129,000-121,000 years ago.
"The Great Barrier Reef is like a sponge cake -- the modern reef is just the last layer," Dr Dechnik explained.
To study the ancient reef layer, researchers analysed specimens from the 1970s stored at Geosciences Australia in Canberra and in 2015 cored samples directly from the reef (the subject of an upcoming paper), which was made possible with an Australian Research Council grant as part of its Discovery Program.
University of Sydney Associate Professor Jody Webster, who supervised Dr Dechnik's PhD, said the research was the most comprehensive investigation of this second-last layer; a novel finding was the climate-change impact.
"This stage of the reef appears to have come close to drowning and therefore almost died due to major environmental changes," Associate Professor Webster said.
Dr Dechnik said it was expected that the rate of future sea-level rises resulting from climate change may not be as extreme as experienced previously but it could still be significant. In addition, it was expected that sea levels on the Great Barrier Reef could get as high as six metres -- the same level as during the Last Interglacial -- depending on the trajectory of mass ice sheet collapse.
"The findings highlight the importance of increasing the reef's resilience now," Dr Dechnik said.
"In combination with climate change predictions by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and in the absence of improvements to reef management and human impacts, sea-level pressures could tip the reef over the edge, potentially drowning it for good," Dr Dechnik said.
Belinda Dechnik, Jody M. Webster, Gregory E. Webb, Luke Nothdurft, Andrea Dutton, Juan-Carlos Braga, Jian-xin Zhao, Stephanie Duce, James Sadler. The evolution of the Great Barrier Reef during the Last Interglacial Period. Global and Planetary Change, 2016; DOI:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2016.11.018
Climate Change Could Trigger Strong Sea Level Rise
January 5, 2017
Iceberg in the southeastern Weddell Sea region. Credit: Photo: Dr. Michael Weber
About 15,000 years ago, the ocean around Antarctica has seen an abrupt sea level rise of several meters. It could happen again. An international team of scientists with the participation of the University of Bonn is now reporting its findings in the magazine Scientific Reports.
University of Bonn's climate researcher Michael E. Weber is a member of the study group. He says, "The changes that are currently taking place in a disturbing manner resemble those 14,700 years ago." At that time, changes in atmospheric-oceanic circulation led to a stratification in the ocean with a cold layer at the surface and a warm layer below. Under such conditions, ice sheets melt more strongly than when the surrounding ocean is thoroughly mixed. This is exactly what is presently happening around the Antarctic.
The main author of the study, the Australian climate researcher Chris Fogwill from the Climate Change Research Center in Sydney, explains the process as follows: "The reason for the layering is that global warming in parts of Antarctica is causing land based ice to melt, adding massive amounts of freshwater to the ocean surface. At the same time as the surface is cooling, the deeper ocean is warming, which has already accelerated the decline of glaciers in the Amundsen Sea Embayment." It appears global warming is replicating conditions that, in the past, triggered significant shifts in the stability of the Antarctic ice sheet.
To investigate the climate changes of the past, the scientists are studying drill cores from the eternal ice. Layer by layer, this frozen "climate archive" reveals its secrets to the experts. In previous studies, the scientists had found evidence of eight massive melting events in deep sea sediments around the Antarctic, which occurred at the transition from the last ice age to the present warm period. Co-author Dr. Weber from the Steinmann Institute of the University of Bonn says: "The largest melt occurred 14,700 years ago. During this time the Antarctic contributed to a sea level rise of at least three meters within a few centuries."
The present discovery is the first direct evidence from the Antarctic continent which confirms the assumed models. The research team used isotopic analyzes of ice cores from the Weddell Sea region, which now flows into the ocean about a quarter of the Antarctic melt.
Through a combination with ice sheet and climate modeling, the isotopic data show that the waters around the Antarctic were heavily layered at the time of the melting events, so that the ice sheets melted at a faster rate. "The big question is whether the ice sheet will react to these changing ocean conditions as rapidly as it did 14,700 years ago," says co-author Nick Golledge from the Antarctic Research Center in Wellington, New Zealand.
C. J. Fogwill, C. S. M. Turney, N. R. Golledge, D. M. Etheridge, M. Rubino, D. P. Thornton, A. Baker, J. Woodward, K. Winter, T. D. van Ommen, A. D. Moy, M. A. J. Curran, S. M. Davies, M. E. Weber, M. I. Bird, N. C. Munksgaard, L. Menviel, C. M. Rootes, B. Ellis, H. Millman, J. Vohra, A. Rivera, A. Cooper. Antarctic ice sheet discharge driven by atmosphere-ocean feedbacks at the Last Glacial Termination. Scientific Reports, 2017; 7: 39979 DOI: 10.1038/srep39979
January 5, 2017
Iceberg in the southeastern Weddell Sea region. Credit: Photo: Dr. Michael Weber
About 15,000 years ago, the ocean around Antarctica has seen an abrupt sea level rise of several meters. It could happen again. An international team of scientists with the participation of the University of Bonn is now reporting its findings in the magazine Scientific Reports.
University of Bonn's climate researcher Michael E. Weber is a member of the study group. He says, "The changes that are currently taking place in a disturbing manner resemble those 14,700 years ago." At that time, changes in atmospheric-oceanic circulation led to a stratification in the ocean with a cold layer at the surface and a warm layer below. Under such conditions, ice sheets melt more strongly than when the surrounding ocean is thoroughly mixed. This is exactly what is presently happening around the Antarctic.
The main author of the study, the Australian climate researcher Chris Fogwill from the Climate Change Research Center in Sydney, explains the process as follows: "The reason for the layering is that global warming in parts of Antarctica is causing land based ice to melt, adding massive amounts of freshwater to the ocean surface. At the same time as the surface is cooling, the deeper ocean is warming, which has already accelerated the decline of glaciers in the Amundsen Sea Embayment." It appears global warming is replicating conditions that, in the past, triggered significant shifts in the stability of the Antarctic ice sheet.
To investigate the climate changes of the past, the scientists are studying drill cores from the eternal ice. Layer by layer, this frozen "climate archive" reveals its secrets to the experts. In previous studies, the scientists had found evidence of eight massive melting events in deep sea sediments around the Antarctic, which occurred at the transition from the last ice age to the present warm period. Co-author Dr. Weber from the Steinmann Institute of the University of Bonn says: "The largest melt occurred 14,700 years ago. During this time the Antarctic contributed to a sea level rise of at least three meters within a few centuries."
The present discovery is the first direct evidence from the Antarctic continent which confirms the assumed models. The research team used isotopic analyzes of ice cores from the Weddell Sea region, which now flows into the ocean about a quarter of the Antarctic melt.
Through a combination with ice sheet and climate modeling, the isotopic data show that the waters around the Antarctic were heavily layered at the time of the melting events, so that the ice sheets melted at a faster rate. "The big question is whether the ice sheet will react to these changing ocean conditions as rapidly as it did 14,700 years ago," says co-author Nick Golledge from the Antarctic Research Center in Wellington, New Zealand.
C. J. Fogwill, C. S. M. Turney, N. R. Golledge, D. M. Etheridge, M. Rubino, D. P. Thornton, A. Baker, J. Woodward, K. Winter, T. D. van Ommen, A. D. Moy, M. A. J. Curran, S. M. Davies, M. E. Weber, M. I. Bird, N. C. Munksgaard, L. Menviel, C. M. Rootes, B. Ellis, H. Millman, J. Vohra, A. Rivera, A. Cooper. Antarctic ice sheet discharge driven by atmosphere-ocean feedbacks at the Last Glacial Termination. Scientific Reports, 2017; 7: 39979 DOI: 10.1038/srep39979
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Growers Harness Precision Agriculture In On-Farm Trials
05.01.2017: Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), Australian GovernmentAuthor: Natalie Lee
A new publication contains working examples of how Western Australian growers have used precision agriculture (PA) tools to implement and measure on-farm trials. Calculating return on investment for on farm trials has been compiled by the South East Premium Wheat Growers Association (SEPWA) as part of the ‘Do it yourself (DIY) Precision Agriculture’ project funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).
SEPWA project officer Alice Butler said PA tools, incorporated into normal farming operations, offered a simple and effective means of implementing and measuring on-farm trials to test the yield or economic effect of a treatment.
“Using yield data from the harvester’s monitor to analyse these trials puts a value to the practice change and allows growers to understand how profitable the change is to their businesses,” she said.
Ms Butler said the booklet included case studies of how growers in different parts of WA’s grainbelt had measured the economic returns of treatments to help them make whole-farm decisions.
“The purpose of the publication is to provide examples of the methodologies used and to assist other growers to competently conduct their own on-farm trials to calculate the potential return on an investment,” she said.
Ms Butler said farming businesses had different approaches for testing high cost treatments such as claying.
“You may be fixing something for the future and this increases the importance of doing trials so that you understand the long-term financial impact an input will have on your business’s profitability,” she said.
Ms Butler said growers featured in the publication included:- Ben Cripps, of Binnu, on variable rate phosphorus
- Brendon and Kelly O’Neill, of Ongerup, on reassessing the use of gypsum on grey clays
- Ian and Lyndon Mickel, of Beaumont and Condingup, on delving to suppress non-wetting issues
- Mic and Marnie Fels, of Wittenoom Hills, on creating a duplex soil type using a mouldboard plough and claying.
Other information included in the booklet includes a simple calculator to help growers determine return on investment; trial design; site selection; the use of global positioning systems (GPS); marking out and harvesting trials; and analysing results using yield data.
Calculating return on investment for on farm trials is available via this link.
05.01.2017: Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), Australian Government
Author: Natalie Lee
A new publication contains working examples of how Western Australian growers have used precision agriculture (PA) tools to implement and measure on-farm trials.Calculating return on investment for on farm trials has been compiled by the South East Premium Wheat Growers Association (SEPWA) as part of the ‘Do it yourself (DIY) Precision Agriculture’ project funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).
SEPWA project officer Alice Butler said PA tools, incorporated into normal farming operations, offered a simple and effective means of implementing and measuring on-farm trials to test the yield or economic effect of a treatment.
“Using yield data from the harvester’s monitor to analyse these trials puts a value to the practice change and allows growers to understand how profitable the change is to their businesses,” she said.
Ms Butler said the booklet included case studies of how growers in different parts of WA’s grainbelt had measured the economic returns of treatments to help them make whole-farm decisions.
“The purpose of the publication is to provide examples of the methodologies used and to assist other growers to competently conduct their own on-farm trials to calculate the potential return on an investment,” she said.
Ms Butler said farming businesses had different approaches for testing high cost treatments such as claying.
“You may be fixing something for the future and this increases the importance of doing trials so that you understand the long-term financial impact an input will have on your business’s profitability,” she said.
Ms Butler said growers featured in the publication included:
- Ben Cripps, of Binnu, on variable rate phosphorus
- Brendon and Kelly O’Neill, of Ongerup, on reassessing the use of gypsum on grey clays
- Ian and Lyndon Mickel, of Beaumont and Condingup, on delving to suppress non-wetting issues
- Mic and Marnie Fels, of Wittenoom Hills, on creating a duplex soil type using a mouldboard plough and claying.
Other information included in the booklet includes a simple calculator to help growers determine return on investment; trial design; site selection; the use of global positioning systems (GPS); marking out and harvesting trials; and analysing results using yield data.
Calculating return on investment for on farm trials is available via this link.
Mint Commemorates A Centenary Of Uniting Australia With New Coin In The New Year
01/01/2017: Media Release - RAMA moment in history was struck today by one lucky coin enthusiast at the Royal Australian Mint’s long awaited New Year’s traditions, receiving the highly sought-after honour to produce the first coin worldwide in 2017.
Each year ahead of the Mint’s New Year traditions, anxious collectors wait for hours and, for some enthusiasts, even days to observe the unveiling of the ongoing theme for the respective year, this year being wowed by the design and artwork on the coins, commemorating a centenary of the Trans-Australian Railway which united Australia from east to west.
Mint CEO Mr Ross MacDiarmid said that it was vital for Australians to recognise the influence that the Trans-Australian Railway has had on Australia’s development, and this popular annual event was the ideal way to kick off the centenary celebrations.
“One hundred years ago the wide brown land of Australia was a spectacular, but impassable, terrain – the east and west was divided - but then a 1698 kilometre track was opened, stretching from Kalgoorlie to Port Augusta, crossing the scorched Nullarbor Plain,” said Mr MacDiarmid.
“Since then, freight, mail and passengers have all been carried across the railway line with journeys ranging from practical and functional to whimsical and extravagant.”
2017 $1 'C' Mintmark Fine Silver Proof Coin - Reverse
“It is important for Australians to celebrate the infrastructure that assisted in our country’s advancement through the 1900s, resulting in Australia becoming a more united and progressive nation - the Trans-Australian Railway did just this.”
“As is the case each year, a certificate will be provided to the first 100 people in the queue authenticating that they were amongst the first people worldwide to strike a coin in 2017. For many of our collectors and the general public, this is a memento of great personal value.”
“The most envied position for collectors is that of the fortunate person to be at the front of the line on New Year’s Day who has the rare opportunity to strike the very first coin in the entire world for 2017, taking home a one of a kind coin set to be treasured for years to come.”
These annual traditions see members of the public line up overnight, sometimes for days, for the opportunity to be in the exclusive group of 100 collectors that receive a certificate authenticating their piece as a keepsake to keep forever.
The first person in line received a one-off coin set including the coins from the mintmark and privy mark set and the fine silver proof version, accompanied by certificate number 1.
The ‘C’ for Canberra Visitor Press coin, retailing for $3, is only available by visiting the Mint in Canberra, other coins in the Trans-Australian Railway Centenary series are available via the Mint’s eShop - https://eshop.ramint.gov.au or by calling the Contact Centre on 1300 652 020.
The Trans-Australian Railway Centenary design features a stylised version of the G Class locomotive and accompanying carriages that were used on the original journey one hundred years ago.
This design will also be struck in stunning fine silver (limited number of 4500 for $50 each) and in gold (limited number of 1000 for $300 each).
01/01/2017: Media Release - RAM
A moment in history was struck today by one lucky coin enthusiast at the Royal Australian Mint’s long awaited New Year’s traditions, receiving the highly sought-after honour to produce the first coin worldwide in 2017.
Each year ahead of the Mint’s New Year traditions, anxious collectors wait for hours and, for some enthusiasts, even days to observe the unveiling of the ongoing theme for the respective year, this year being wowed by the design and artwork on the coins, commemorating a centenary of the Trans-Australian Railway which united Australia from east to west.
Mint CEO Mr Ross MacDiarmid said that it was vital for Australians to recognise the influence that the Trans-Australian Railway has had on Australia’s development, and this popular annual event was the ideal way to kick off the centenary celebrations.
“One hundred years ago the wide brown land of Australia was a spectacular, but impassable, terrain – the east and west was divided - but then a 1698 kilometre track was opened, stretching from Kalgoorlie to Port Augusta, crossing the scorched Nullarbor Plain,” said Mr MacDiarmid.
“Since then, freight, mail and passengers have all been carried across the railway line with journeys ranging from practical and functional to whimsical and extravagant.”
2017 $1 'C' Mintmark Fine Silver Proof Coin - Reverse
“It is important for Australians to celebrate the infrastructure that assisted in our country’s advancement through the 1900s, resulting in Australia becoming a more united and progressive nation - the Trans-Australian Railway did just this.”
“As is the case each year, a certificate will be provided to the first 100 people in the queue authenticating that they were amongst the first people worldwide to strike a coin in 2017. For many of our collectors and the general public, this is a memento of great personal value.”
“The most envied position for collectors is that of the fortunate person to be at the front of the line on New Year’s Day who has the rare opportunity to strike the very first coin in the entire world for 2017, taking home a one of a kind coin set to be treasured for years to come.”
These annual traditions see members of the public line up overnight, sometimes for days, for the opportunity to be in the exclusive group of 100 collectors that receive a certificate authenticating their piece as a keepsake to keep forever.
The first person in line received a one-off coin set including the coins from the mintmark and privy mark set and the fine silver proof version, accompanied by certificate number 1.
The ‘C’ for Canberra Visitor Press coin, retailing for $3, is only available by visiting the Mint in Canberra, other coins in the Trans-Australian Railway Centenary series are available via the Mint’s eShop - https://eshop.ramint.gov.au or by calling the Contact Centre on 1300 652 020.
The Trans-Australian Railway Centenary design features a stylised version of the G Class locomotive and accompanying carriages that were used on the original journey one hundred years ago.
This design will also be struck in stunning fine silver (limited number of 4500 for $50 each) and in gold (limited number of 1000 for $300 each).
Trans-Australian Railway
In 1901, the six Australian colonies federated to form the Commonwealth of Australia. At that time, Perth, the capital of Western Australia, was isolated from the remaining Australian States by thousands of miles of desert terrain and the only practicable method of transport was by sea, a time-consuming, inconvenient and often uncomfortable voyage across the Great Australian Bight, a stretch of water known for rough seas. One of the inducements held out to Western Australians to join the new federation was the promise of a federally funded railway line linking Western Australia with the rest of the continent.
In 1907 legislation was passed, allowing for the route to be surveyed. The survey was completed in 1909 and proposed a route from Port Augusta (the existing railhead at the head of Spencer Gulf in South Australia's wheatfields) via Tarcoola to the gold mining centre of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, a distance of 1063 miles (1711 km). The line was to be to the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm), even though the state railway systems at both ends were narrow gauge at the time. Its cost was estimated at £4,045,000.
Legislation authorising the construction was passed in December 1911 by the Andrew Fisher Government and work commenced in September 1912 in Port Augusta.
Work proceeded eastwards from Kalgoorlie and westwards from Port Augusta through the years of the First World War. By 1915, the two ends of the line were just over 600 miles (966 km) apart with materials being delivered daily. Construction progressed steadily as the line was extended through dry and desolate regions until the two halves of the line met on 17 October 1917.
On inauguration, the passenger service was known as the Great Western Express.Towards the end of its life as a mixed gauge service, between Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta it was usually known as the Trans-Australian. From February 1970 the service became the Indian Pacific.
From the start of construction until 1996 the Tea & Sugar Traincarried vital supplies to the isolated work sites and towns along the route.Commonwealth Railways was established in 1917 to administer the line.
The entire intercity route was not converted to standard gauge until 1970.
The final distance was 1051.73 miles (1692.60 km), slightly less than the original survey. At no point along the route does the line cross a permanent fresh watercourse.
Bores and reservoirs were established at intervals, but the water was often brackish and unsuitable for steam locomotive use, let alone human consumption, so water supplies had to be carried on the train. In the days of steam locomotion, about half the total load was water for the engine.
According to Adelaide-born astronaut Andy Thomas, the line is identifiable from space, because of its unnatural straightness. "It's a very fine line, it's like someone has drawn a very fine pencil line across the desert," he has said.
In 2008, its engineering heritage was recognized by the installation of markers provided by the Engineers Australia's Engineering Heritage Recognition Program to the platform at the Port Augusta Station in South Australia and the ticket office at Kalgoorlie Station in Western Australia.
In text: 1930s advertising poster for the Trans-Australian Railway. By James Northfield (1888–1973) - courtesy State Library of Victoria, image number mp025066
LINKING THE CAPITALS—THE EAST-WEST LINE.
The Great Western Express has now made federation a dramatic reality, for every capital in Australia is linked by steel hands. The line is one of the most remarkable in the world, and travels from the sunrise to sunset of Australian geography. There is one unequalled stretch of an veless road for 330 miles across the Nullarbor Plain. The line is 1,052 miles long (600 in South Australia), and connects Port Augusta in this State to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. The cost was about £5.000,000, and the building of the railway occupied four years. It was linked up on October 18, and the Governor-General (Sir Ronald Crauford Munro Ferguson) performed the official opening ceremony (which had been fixed to lake place at Wynbring on November 12, but was abandoned in consequence of the reinforcements referendum campaign) at Perth on November 16. The project of construction was attended by formidable disadvantages, as 800 miles of the route was uninhabited, the workers having to lead nomadic lives, shifting camp further and further into the spaces as the railway forged ahead. When the line is properly ballasted it is expected that the journey between Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta will be accomplished in 35 hours. Our photographs show:—1. First Commonwealth Railway Station in Australia, at Port Augusta, now superseded by the new structure. Commonwealth Railway Station, Port Augusta terminus of the East-West Railway train... at which the trains arrive from Kalgoorlie. 3. Portion of Roma house for accommodating railway engines. 4. Construction train This train moved forward from point to point as the rails extended. It accommodated the engineers, &c.. serving as an office car, stores car, and hospital car. 5. Wharf at Port Augusta. showing loads of wool, 6. Punting across the gulf at Port Augusta. 7. Rough shed hotel, Ooldea. 8. The first bore at 310 miles from Kalgoorlie; plant and material carted from the coast by camel teams -a distance of 130 miles. 9. Wells at Wirraninna. 10. Wombat flats of Nullabor Plains. 11. Cliff road at Eucla, which is 60 miles south of the line, at a point 450 miles from Kalgoorlie. 12. Border peg near .... and telegraph line. 13. Camels near Ooldea. 428 miles from Port Augusta. 14. Donkey team. 15. Engine watering, Parkeston Depot. near Kalgoorlie.
LINKING THE CAPITALS—THE EAST-WEST LINE. (1917, November 24). Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931), p. 24. Retrieved fromhttp://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164141505
In 1901, the six Australian colonies federated to form the Commonwealth of Australia. At that time, Perth, the capital of Western Australia, was isolated from the remaining Australian States by thousands of miles of desert terrain and the only practicable method of transport was by sea, a time-consuming, inconvenient and often uncomfortable voyage across the Great Australian Bight, a stretch of water known for rough seas. One of the inducements held out to Western Australians to join the new federation was the promise of a federally funded railway line linking Western Australia with the rest of the continent.
In 1907 legislation was passed, allowing for the route to be surveyed. The survey was completed in 1909 and proposed a route from Port Augusta (the existing railhead at the head of Spencer Gulf in South Australia's wheatfields) via Tarcoola to the gold mining centre of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, a distance of 1063 miles (1711 km). The line was to be to the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm), even though the state railway systems at both ends were narrow gauge at the time. Its cost was estimated at £4,045,000.
Legislation authorising the construction was passed in December 1911 by the Andrew Fisher Government and work commenced in September 1912 in Port Augusta.Work proceeded eastwards from Kalgoorlie and westwards from Port Augusta through the years of the First World War. By 1915, the two ends of the line were just over 600 miles (966 km) apart with materials being delivered daily. Construction progressed steadily as the line was extended through dry and desolate regions until the two halves of the line met on 17 October 1917.
On inauguration, the passenger service was known as the Great Western Express.Towards the end of its life as a mixed gauge service, between Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta it was usually known as the Trans-Australian. From February 1970 the service became the Indian Pacific.
From the start of construction until 1996 the Tea & Sugar Traincarried vital supplies to the isolated work sites and towns along the route.
Commonwealth Railways was established in 1917 to administer the line.
The entire intercity route was not converted to standard gauge until 1970.
The final distance was 1051.73 miles (1692.60 km), slightly less than the original survey. At no point along the route does the line cross a permanent fresh watercourse.
Bores and reservoirs were established at intervals, but the water was often brackish and unsuitable for steam locomotive use, let alone human consumption, so water supplies had to be carried on the train. In the days of steam locomotion, about half the total load was water for the engine.
According to Adelaide-born astronaut Andy Thomas, the line is identifiable from space, because of its unnatural straightness. "It's a very fine line, it's like someone has drawn a very fine pencil line across the desert," he has said.
In 2008, its engineering heritage was recognized by the installation of markers provided by the Engineers Australia's Engineering Heritage Recognition Program to the platform at the Port Augusta Station in South Australia and the ticket office at Kalgoorlie Station in Western Australia.
In text: 1930s advertising poster for the Trans-Australian Railway.
By James Northfield (1888–1973) - courtesy State Library of Victoria, image number mp025066
LINKING THE CAPITALS—THE EAST-WEST LINE.
The Great Western Express has now made federation a dramatic reality, for every capital in Australia is linked by steel hands. The line is one of the most remarkable in the world, and travels from the sunrise to sunset of Australian geography. There is one unequalled stretch of an veless road for 330 miles across the Nullarbor Plain. The line is 1,052 miles long (600 in South Australia), and connects Port Augusta in this State to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. The cost was about £5.000,000, and the building of the railway occupied four years. It was linked up on October 18, and the Governor-General (Sir Ronald Crauford Munro Ferguson) performed the official opening ceremony (which had been fixed to lake place at Wynbring on November 12, but was abandoned in consequence of the reinforcements referendum campaign) at Perth on November 16. The project of construction was attended by formidable disadvantages, as 800 miles of the route was uninhabited, the workers having to lead nomadic lives, shifting camp further and further into the spaces as the railway forged ahead. When the line is properly ballasted it is expected that the journey between Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta will be accomplished in 35 hours. Our photographs show:—1. First Commonwealth Railway Station in Australia, at Port Augusta, now superseded by the new structure. Commonwealth Railway Station, Port Augusta terminus of the East-West Railway train... at which the trains arrive from Kalgoorlie. 3. Portion of Roma house for accommodating railway engines. 4. Construction train This train moved forward from point to point as the rails extended. It accommodated the engineers, &c.. serving as an office car, stores car, and hospital car. 5. Wharf at Port Augusta. showing loads of wool, 6. Punting across the gulf at Port Augusta. 7. Rough shed hotel, Ooldea. 8. The first bore at 310 miles from Kalgoorlie; plant and material carted from the coast by camel teams -a distance of 130 miles. 9. Wells at Wirraninna. 10. Wombat flats of Nullabor Plains. 11. Cliff road at Eucla, which is 60 miles south of the line, at a point 450 miles from Kalgoorlie. 12. Border peg near .... and telegraph line. 13. Camels near Ooldea. 428 miles from Port Augusta. 14. Donkey team. 15. Engine watering, Parkeston Depot. near Kalgoorlie.
LINKING THE CAPITALS—THE EAST-WEST LINE. (1917, November 24). Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931), p. 24. Retrieved fromhttp://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164141505
How Long Did It Take To Hatch A Dinosaur Egg? 3-6 Months
January 2, 2017: Florida State University
Researchers examined a fossilised embryo of the dinosaur Hypacrosaurus. Credit: Courtesy of Darla Zelinitsky
A human typically gives birth after nine months. An ostrich hatchling emerges from its egg after 42 days. But how long did it take for a baby dinosaur to incubate?
Groundbreaking research led by a Florida State University professor establishes a timeline of anywhere from three to six months depending on the dinosaur.
In an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, FSU Professor of Biological Science Gregory Erickson and a team of researchers break down the complicated biology of these prehistoric creatures and explain how embryonic dental records solved the mystery of how long dinosaurs incubated their eggs.
"Some of the greatest riddles about dinosaurs pertain to their embryology -- virtually nothing is known," Erickson said. "Did their eggs incubate slowly like their reptilian cousins -- crocodilians and lizards? Or rapidly like living dinosaurs -- the birds?"
Scientists had long theorised that dinosaur incubation duration was similar to birds, whose eggs hatch in periods ranging from 11-85 days. Comparable-sized reptilian eggs typically take twice as long -- weeks to many months.
Because the eggs of dinosaurs were so large -- some were about 4 kilograms or the size of a volleyball -- scientists believed they must have experienced rapid incubation with birds inheriting that characteristic from their dinosaur ancestors.
Erickson, FSU graduate student David Kay and colleagues from University of Calgary and the American Museum of Natural History decided to put these theories to the test.
To do that, they accessed some rare fossils -- those of dinosaur embryos.
"Time within the egg is a crucial part of development, but this earliest growth stage is poorly known because dinosaur embryos are rare," said co-author Darla Zelenitsky, assistant professor of geoscience at University of Calgary. "Embryos can potentially tell us how dinosaurs developed and grew very early on in life and if they are more similar to birds or reptiles in these respects."
The two types of dinosaur embryos researchers examined were those from Protoceratops -- a sheep-sized dinosaur found in the Mongolian Gobi Desert whose eggs were quite small (194 grams) -- and Hypacrosaurus, an enormous duck-billed dinosaur found in Alberta, Canada with eggs weighing more than 4 kilograms.
Erickson and his team ran the embryonic jaws through a CT scanner to visualize the forming dentition. Then, they extracted several of the teeth to further examine them under sophisticated microscopes.
Researchers found what they were looking for on those microscope slides. Growth lines on the teeth showed researchers precisely how long the dinosaurs had been growing in the eggs.
"These are the lines that are laid down when any animal's teeth develops," Erickson said. "They're kind of like tree rings, but they're put down daily. We could literally count them to see how long each dinosaur had been developing."
Their results showed nearly three months for the tiny Protoceratops embryos and six months for those from the giant Hypacrosaurus.
Hypacrosaurus - drawing by Debivort June 2007
"Dinosaur embryos are some of the best fossils in the world," said Mark Norell, Macaulay Curator for the American Museum of Natural History and a co-author on the study. "Here, we used spectacular fossils specimens collected by American Museum expeditions to the Gobi Desert, coupled them with new technology and new ideas, leading us to discover something truly novel about dinosaurs."
The implications of long dinosaur incubation are considerable.
In addition to finding that dinosaur incubation was similar to primitive reptiles, the researchers could infer many aspects of dinosaurian biology from the results.
Prolonged incubation put eggs and their parents at risk from predators, starvation and other environmental risk factors. And theories that some dinosaurs nested in the more temperate lower latitude of Canada and then traveled to the Arctic during the summer now seem unlikely given the time frame for hatching and migration.
The biggest ramification from the study, however, relates to the extinction of dinosaurs. Given that these warm-blooded creatures required considerable resources to reach adult size, took more than a year to mature and had slow incubation times, they would have been at a distinct disadvantage compared to other animals that survived the extinction event.
"We suspect our findings have implications for understanding why dinosaurs went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period, whereas amphibians, birds, mammals and other reptiles made it through and prospered," Erickson said.
This research was supported by the National Science Foundation.
Gregory M. Erickson, Darla K. Zelenitsky, David Ian Kay, and Mark A. Norell. Dinosaur incubation periods directly determined from growth-line counts in embryonic teeth show reptilian-grade development. PNAS, 2017 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1613716114
January 2, 2017: Florida State University
Researchers examined a fossilised embryo of the dinosaur Hypacrosaurus. Credit: Courtesy of Darla Zelinitsky
A human typically gives birth after nine months. An ostrich hatchling emerges from its egg after 42 days. But how long did it take for a baby dinosaur to incubate?
Groundbreaking research led by a Florida State University professor establishes a timeline of anywhere from three to six months depending on the dinosaur.
In an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, FSU Professor of Biological Science Gregory Erickson and a team of researchers break down the complicated biology of these prehistoric creatures and explain how embryonic dental records solved the mystery of how long dinosaurs incubated their eggs.
"Some of the greatest riddles about dinosaurs pertain to their embryology -- virtually nothing is known," Erickson said. "Did their eggs incubate slowly like their reptilian cousins -- crocodilians and lizards? Or rapidly like living dinosaurs -- the birds?"
Scientists had long theorised that dinosaur incubation duration was similar to birds, whose eggs hatch in periods ranging from 11-85 days. Comparable-sized reptilian eggs typically take twice as long -- weeks to many months.
Because the eggs of dinosaurs were so large -- some were about 4 kilograms or the size of a volleyball -- scientists believed they must have experienced rapid incubation with birds inheriting that characteristic from their dinosaur ancestors.
Erickson, FSU graduate student David Kay and colleagues from University of Calgary and the American Museum of Natural History decided to put these theories to the test.
To do that, they accessed some rare fossils -- those of dinosaur embryos.
"Time within the egg is a crucial part of development, but this earliest growth stage is poorly known because dinosaur embryos are rare," said co-author Darla Zelenitsky, assistant professor of geoscience at University of Calgary. "Embryos can potentially tell us how dinosaurs developed and grew very early on in life and if they are more similar to birds or reptiles in these respects."
The two types of dinosaur embryos researchers examined were those from Protoceratops -- a sheep-sized dinosaur found in the Mongolian Gobi Desert whose eggs were quite small (194 grams) -- and Hypacrosaurus, an enormous duck-billed dinosaur found in Alberta, Canada with eggs weighing more than 4 kilograms.
Erickson and his team ran the embryonic jaws through a CT scanner to visualize the forming dentition. Then, they extracted several of the teeth to further examine them under sophisticated microscopes.
Researchers found what they were looking for on those microscope slides. Growth lines on the teeth showed researchers precisely how long the dinosaurs had been growing in the eggs.
"These are the lines that are laid down when any animal's teeth develops," Erickson said. "They're kind of like tree rings, but they're put down daily. We could literally count them to see how long each dinosaur had been developing."
Their results showed nearly three months for the tiny Protoceratops embryos and six months for those from the giant Hypacrosaurus.
Hypacrosaurus - drawing by Debivort June 2007
"Dinosaur embryos are some of the best fossils in the world," said Mark Norell, Macaulay Curator for the American Museum of Natural History and a co-author on the study. "Here, we used spectacular fossils specimens collected by American Museum expeditions to the Gobi Desert, coupled them with new technology and new ideas, leading us to discover something truly novel about dinosaurs."
The implications of long dinosaur incubation are considerable.
In addition to finding that dinosaur incubation was similar to primitive reptiles, the researchers could infer many aspects of dinosaurian biology from the results.
Prolonged incubation put eggs and their parents at risk from predators, starvation and other environmental risk factors. And theories that some dinosaurs nested in the more temperate lower latitude of Canada and then traveled to the Arctic during the summer now seem unlikely given the time frame for hatching and migration.
The biggest ramification from the study, however, relates to the extinction of dinosaurs. Given that these warm-blooded creatures required considerable resources to reach adult size, took more than a year to mature and had slow incubation times, they would have been at a distinct disadvantage compared to other animals that survived the extinction event.
"We suspect our findings have implications for understanding why dinosaurs went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period, whereas amphibians, birds, mammals and other reptiles made it through and prospered," Erickson said.
This research was supported by the National Science Foundation.
Gregory M. Erickson, Darla K. Zelenitsky, David Ian Kay, and Mark A. Norell. Dinosaur incubation periods directly determined from growth-line counts in embryonic teeth show reptilian-grade development. PNAS, 2017 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1613716114
An Historic Hobart Letter All The Way From Normandy
January 4, 2016: National Library of AustraliaA letter dated 25 March 1824, described by our curator of manuscripts Kylie Scroope as 'a rare find', has recently made its home in the National Library's collection. 
Giving a rare glimpse of everyday life in Van Diemen’s Land, the letter came to us through some rather fortuitous circumstances.
Written by William Charleson of Hobart Town to his mother in Caithness, Scotland, the letter was tracked down across the world by Canberra researcher and Charleson descendant Keith Blackburn. When Mr Blackburn found a fellow Charleson descendant, Claire Henson, in Normandy, France, he asked if she knew about the letter. 'This is your lucky day,' she told him. 'Not only do I know where it is. I have it.'
New convict research guideAnother gem for family historians! With more than 160,000 convicts transported to Australia over 80 years, many Australians discover they have convict ancestors. Our new research guide provides a wealth of information on how to find resources to help you research your ancestry.
Announcing our 2017 National Library Fellows and Japan Study Grant recipientsMore congratulations are in order as we reveal our National Library Fellows and Japan Study Grant recipients for 2017.
Digital Classroom module explores Australia's advertising historyA new Library digital classroom module for year 9 and 10 studentswill help them explore the messages, meanings and mechanics behind advertising and media. Using examples and sources from our current exhibition, The Sell: Australian Advertising, 1790s to 1990s, students will develop skills as writers, historians and consumers of visual media.
January 4, 2016: National Library of Australia
A letter dated 25 March 1824, described by our curator of manuscripts Kylie Scroope as 'a rare find', has recently made its home in the National Library's collection.
Giving a rare glimpse of everyday life in Van Diemen’s Land, the letter came to us through some rather fortuitous circumstances.
Written by William Charleson of Hobart Town to his mother in Caithness, Scotland, the letter was tracked down across the world by Canberra researcher and Charleson descendant Keith Blackburn. When Mr Blackburn found a fellow Charleson descendant, Claire Henson, in Normandy, France, he asked if she knew about the letter. 'This is your lucky day,' she told him. 'Not only do I know where it is. I have it.'
New convict research guide
Another gem for family historians! With more than 160,000 convicts transported to Australia over 80 years, many Australians discover they have convict ancestors. Our new research guide provides a wealth of information on how to find resources to help you research your ancestry.
Announcing our 2017 National Library Fellows and Japan Study Grant recipients
More congratulations are in order as we reveal our National Library Fellows and Japan Study Grant recipients for 2017.
Digital Classroom module explores Australia's advertising history
A new Library digital classroom module for year 9 and 10 studentswill help them explore the messages, meanings and mechanics behind advertising and media. Using examples and sources from our current exhibition, The Sell: Australian Advertising, 1790s to 1990s, students will develop skills as writers, historians and consumers of visual media.
How Long Did It Take To Hatch A Dinosaur Egg? 3-6 Months
January 2, 2017: Florida State University
Researchers examined a fossilised embryo of the dinosaur Hypacrosaurus. Credit: Courtesy of Darla Zelinitsky
A human typically gives birth after nine months. An ostrich hatchling emerges from its egg after 42 days. But how long did it take for a baby dinosaur to incubate?
Groundbreaking research led by a Florida State University professor establishes a timeline of anywhere from three to six months depending on the dinosaur.
In an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, FSU Professor of Biological Science Gregory Erickson and a team of researchers break down the complicated biology of these prehistoric creatures and explain how embryonic dental records solved the mystery of how long dinosaurs incubated their eggs.
"Some of the greatest riddles about dinosaurs pertain to their embryology -- virtually nothing is known," Erickson said. "Did their eggs incubate slowly like their reptilian cousins -- crocodilians and lizards? Or rapidly like living dinosaurs -- the birds?"
Scientists had long theorised that dinosaur incubation duration was similar to birds, whose eggs hatch in periods ranging from 11-85 days. Comparable-sized reptilian eggs typically take twice as long -- weeks to many months.
Because the eggs of dinosaurs were so large -- some were about 4 kilograms or the size of a volleyball -- scientists believed they must have experienced rapid incubation with birds inheriting that characteristic from their dinosaur ancestors.
Erickson, FSU graduate student David Kay and colleagues from University of Calgary and the American Museum of Natural History decided to put these theories to the test.
To do that, they accessed some rare fossils -- those of dinosaur embryos.
"Time within the egg is a crucial part of development, but this earliest growth stage is poorly known because dinosaur embryos are rare," said co-author Darla Zelenitsky, assistant professor of geoscience at University of Calgary. "Embryos can potentially tell us how dinosaurs developed and grew very early on in life and if they are more similar to birds or reptiles in these respects."
The two types of dinosaur embryos researchers examined were those from Protoceratops -- a sheep-sized dinosaur found in the Mongolian Gobi Desert whose eggs were quite small (194 grams) -- and Hypacrosaurus, an enormous duck-billed dinosaur found in Alberta, Canada with eggs weighing more than 4 kilograms.
Erickson and his team ran the embryonic jaws through a CT scanner to visualize the forming dentition. Then, they extracted several of the teeth to further examine them under sophisticated microscopes.
Researchers found what they were looking for on those microscope slides. Growth lines on the teeth showed researchers precisely how long the dinosaurs had been growing in the eggs.
"These are the lines that are laid down when any animal's teeth develops," Erickson said. "They're kind of like tree rings, but they're put down daily. We could literally count them to see how long each dinosaur had been developing."
Their results showed nearly three months for the tiny Protoceratops embryos and six months for those from the giant Hypacrosaurus.
Hypacrosaurus - drawing by Debivort June 2007
"Dinosaur embryos are some of the best fossils in the world," said Mark Norell, Macaulay Curator for the American Museum of Natural History and a co-author on the study. "Here, we used spectacular fossils specimens collected by American Museum expeditions to the Gobi Desert, coupled them with new technology and new ideas, leading us to discover something truly novel about dinosaurs."
The implications of long dinosaur incubation are considerable.
In addition to finding that dinosaur incubation was similar to primitive reptiles, the researchers could infer many aspects of dinosaurian biology from the results.
Prolonged incubation put eggs and their parents at risk from predators, starvation and other environmental risk factors. And theories that some dinosaurs nested in the more temperate lower latitude of Canada and then traveled to the Arctic during the summer now seem unlikely given the time frame for hatching and migration.
The biggest ramification from the study, however, relates to the extinction of dinosaurs. Given that these warm-blooded creatures required considerable resources to reach adult size, took more than a year to mature and had slow incubation times, they would have been at a distinct disadvantage compared to other animals that survived the extinction event.
"We suspect our findings have implications for understanding why dinosaurs went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period, whereas amphibians, birds, mammals and other reptiles made it through and prospered," Erickson said.
This research was supported by the National Science Foundation.
Gregory M. Erickson, Darla K. Zelenitsky, David Ian Kay, and Mark A. Norell. Dinosaur incubation periods directly determined from growth-line counts in embryonic teeth show reptilian-grade development.PNAS, 2017 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1613716114
January 2, 2017: Florida State University
Researchers examined a fossilised embryo of the dinosaur Hypacrosaurus. Credit: Courtesy of Darla Zelinitsky
A human typically gives birth after nine months. An ostrich hatchling emerges from its egg after 42 days. But how long did it take for a baby dinosaur to incubate?
Groundbreaking research led by a Florida State University professor establishes a timeline of anywhere from three to six months depending on the dinosaur.
In an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, FSU Professor of Biological Science Gregory Erickson and a team of researchers break down the complicated biology of these prehistoric creatures and explain how embryonic dental records solved the mystery of how long dinosaurs incubated their eggs.
"Some of the greatest riddles about dinosaurs pertain to their embryology -- virtually nothing is known," Erickson said. "Did their eggs incubate slowly like their reptilian cousins -- crocodilians and lizards? Or rapidly like living dinosaurs -- the birds?"
Scientists had long theorised that dinosaur incubation duration was similar to birds, whose eggs hatch in periods ranging from 11-85 days. Comparable-sized reptilian eggs typically take twice as long -- weeks to many months.
Because the eggs of dinosaurs were so large -- some were about 4 kilograms or the size of a volleyball -- scientists believed they must have experienced rapid incubation with birds inheriting that characteristic from their dinosaur ancestors.
Erickson, FSU graduate student David Kay and colleagues from University of Calgary and the American Museum of Natural History decided to put these theories to the test.
To do that, they accessed some rare fossils -- those of dinosaur embryos.
"Time within the egg is a crucial part of development, but this earliest growth stage is poorly known because dinosaur embryos are rare," said co-author Darla Zelenitsky, assistant professor of geoscience at University of Calgary. "Embryos can potentially tell us how dinosaurs developed and grew very early on in life and if they are more similar to birds or reptiles in these respects."
The two types of dinosaur embryos researchers examined were those from Protoceratops -- a sheep-sized dinosaur found in the Mongolian Gobi Desert whose eggs were quite small (194 grams) -- and Hypacrosaurus, an enormous duck-billed dinosaur found in Alberta, Canada with eggs weighing more than 4 kilograms.
Erickson and his team ran the embryonic jaws through a CT scanner to visualize the forming dentition. Then, they extracted several of the teeth to further examine them under sophisticated microscopes.
Researchers found what they were looking for on those microscope slides. Growth lines on the teeth showed researchers precisely how long the dinosaurs had been growing in the eggs.
"These are the lines that are laid down when any animal's teeth develops," Erickson said. "They're kind of like tree rings, but they're put down daily. We could literally count them to see how long each dinosaur had been developing."
Their results showed nearly three months for the tiny Protoceratops embryos and six months for those from the giant Hypacrosaurus.
Hypacrosaurus - drawing by Debivort June 2007
"Dinosaur embryos are some of the best fossils in the world," said Mark Norell, Macaulay Curator for the American Museum of Natural History and a co-author on the study. "Here, we used spectacular fossils specimens collected by American Museum expeditions to the Gobi Desert, coupled them with new technology and new ideas, leading us to discover something truly novel about dinosaurs."
The implications of long dinosaur incubation are considerable.
In addition to finding that dinosaur incubation was similar to primitive reptiles, the researchers could infer many aspects of dinosaurian biology from the results.
Prolonged incubation put eggs and their parents at risk from predators, starvation and other environmental risk factors. And theories that some dinosaurs nested in the more temperate lower latitude of Canada and then traveled to the Arctic during the summer now seem unlikely given the time frame for hatching and migration.
The biggest ramification from the study, however, relates to the extinction of dinosaurs. Given that these warm-blooded creatures required considerable resources to reach adult size, took more than a year to mature and had slow incubation times, they would have been at a distinct disadvantage compared to other animals that survived the extinction event.
"We suspect our findings have implications for understanding why dinosaurs went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period, whereas amphibians, birds, mammals and other reptiles made it through and prospered," Erickson said.
This research was supported by the National Science Foundation.
Gregory M. Erickson, Darla K. Zelenitsky, David Ian Kay, and Mark A. Norell. Dinosaur incubation periods directly determined from growth-line counts in embryonic teeth show reptilian-grade development.PNAS, 2017 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1613716114
Sprinting Towards Extinction? Cheetah Numbers Crash Globally
December 26, 2016
Cheetah on a rock. Credit: Zoological Society of LondonThe world's fastest land animal, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), is sprinting towards the edge of extinction and could soon be lost forever unless urgent, landscape-wide conservation action is taken, according to a study published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Led by Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Panthera and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the study reveals that just 7,100 cheetahs remain globally, representing the best available estimate for the species to date. Furthermore, the cheetah has been driven out of 91% of its historic range. Asiatic cheetah populations have been hit hardest, with fewer than 50 individuals remaining in one isolated pocket of Iran.
Due to the species' dramatic decline, the study's authors are calling for the cheetah to be up-listed from 'Vulnerable' to 'Endangered' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Typically, greater international conservation support, prioritization and attention are granted to wildlife classified as 'Endangered', in efforts to stave off impending extinction.
Dr. Sarah Durant, ZSL/WCS lead author and Project Leader for the Rangewide Conservation Program for Cheetah and African Wild Dog, said: "This study represents the most comprehensive analysis of cheetah status to date. Given the secretive nature of this elusive cat, it has been difficult to gather hard information on the species, leading to its plight being overlooked. Our findings show that the large space requirements for cheetah, coupled with the complex range of threats faced by the species in the wild, mean that it is likely to be much more vulnerable to extinction than was previously thought."
Durant continued, "We have worked with range state governments and the cheetah conservation community to put in place comprehensive frameworks for action to save the species, but funds and resources are needed to implement them. The recent decisions made at the CITES CoP17 meeting in Johannesburg represent a significant breakthrough particularly in terms of stemming the illegal flow of live cats trafficked out of the Horn of Africa region. However, concerted action is needed to reverse ongoing declines in the face of accelerating land use changes across the continent."
While renowned for its speed and spots, the degree of persecution cheetahs face both inside and outside of protected areas is largely unrecognized. Even within guarded parks and reserves, cheetahs rarely escape the pervasive threats of human-wildlife conflict, prey loss due to overhunting by people, habitat loss and the illegal trafficking of cheetah parts and trade as exotic pets.
To make matters worse, as one of the world's most wide-ranging carnivores, 77% of the cheetah's habitat falls outside of protected areas. Unrestricted by boundaries, the species' wide-ranging movements weaken law enforcement protection and greatly amplify its vulnerability to human pressures. Indeed, largely due to pressures on wildlife and their habitat outside of protected areas, Zimbabwe's cheetah population has plummeted from 1,200 to a maximum of 170 animals in just 16 years -- representing an astonishing loss of 85% of the country's cheetahs.
Scientists are now calling for an urgent paradigm shift in cheetah conservation, towards landscape-level efforts that transcend national borders and are coordinated by existing regional conservation strategies for the species. A holistic conservation approach, which incentivises protection of cheetahs by local communities and trans-national governments, alongside sustainable human-wildlife coexistence is paramount to the survival of the species.
Panthera's Cheetah Program Director, Dr. Kim Young-Overton, shared, "We've just hit the reset button in our understanding of how close cheetahs are to extinction. The take-away from this pinnacle study is that securing protected areas alone is not enough. We must think bigger, conserving across the mosaic of protected and unprotected landscapes that these far-ranging cats inhabit, if we are to avert the otherwise certain loss of the cheetah forever."
The methodology used for this study will also be relevant to other species, such as African wild dogs, which also require large areas of land to prosper and are therefore similarly vulnerable to increasing threats outside designated protected areas.
Sarah M. Durant, Nicholas Mitchell, Rosemary Groom, Nathalie Pettorelli, Audrey Ipavec, Andrew P. Jacobson, Rosie Woodroffe, Monika Böhm, Luke T. B. Hunter, Matthew S. Becker, Femke Broekhuis, Sultana Bashir, Leah Andresen, Ortwin Aschenborn, Mohammed Beddiaf, Farid Belbachir, Amel Belbachir-Bazi, Ali Berbash, Iracelma Brandao de Matos Machado, Christine Breitenmoser, Monica Chege, Deon Cilliers, Harriet Davies-Mostert, Amy J. Dickman, Fabiano Ezekiel, Mohammad S. Farhadinia, Paul Funston, Philipp Henschel, Jane Horgan, Hans H. de Iongh, Houman Jowkar, Rebecca Klein, Peter Andrew Lindsey, Laurie Marker, Kelly Marnewick, Joerg Melzheimer, Johnathan Merkle, Jassiel M'soka, Maurus Msuha, Helen O'Neill, Megan Parker, Gianetta Purchase, Samaila Sahailou, Yohanna Saidu, Abdoulkarim Samna, Anne Schmidt-Küntzel, Eda Selebatso, Etotépé A. Sogbohossou, Alaaeldin Soultan, Emma Stone, Esther van der Meer, Rudie van Vuuren, Mary Wykstra, and Kim Young-Overton. The global decline of cheetah Acinonyx jubatus and what it means for conservation. PNAS, December 27, 2016 DOI:10.1073/pnas.1611122114
December 26, 2016
Cheetah on a rock. Credit: Zoological Society of London
The world's fastest land animal, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), is sprinting towards the edge of extinction and could soon be lost forever unless urgent, landscape-wide conservation action is taken, according to a study published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Led by Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Panthera and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the study reveals that just 7,100 cheetahs remain globally, representing the best available estimate for the species to date. Furthermore, the cheetah has been driven out of 91% of its historic range. Asiatic cheetah populations have been hit hardest, with fewer than 50 individuals remaining in one isolated pocket of Iran.
Due to the species' dramatic decline, the study's authors are calling for the cheetah to be up-listed from 'Vulnerable' to 'Endangered' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Typically, greater international conservation support, prioritization and attention are granted to wildlife classified as 'Endangered', in efforts to stave off impending extinction.
Dr. Sarah Durant, ZSL/WCS lead author and Project Leader for the Rangewide Conservation Program for Cheetah and African Wild Dog, said: "This study represents the most comprehensive analysis of cheetah status to date. Given the secretive nature of this elusive cat, it has been difficult to gather hard information on the species, leading to its plight being overlooked. Our findings show that the large space requirements for cheetah, coupled with the complex range of threats faced by the species in the wild, mean that it is likely to be much more vulnerable to extinction than was previously thought."
Durant continued, "We have worked with range state governments and the cheetah conservation community to put in place comprehensive frameworks for action to save the species, but funds and resources are needed to implement them. The recent decisions made at the CITES CoP17 meeting in Johannesburg represent a significant breakthrough particularly in terms of stemming the illegal flow of live cats trafficked out of the Horn of Africa region. However, concerted action is needed to reverse ongoing declines in the face of accelerating land use changes across the continent."
While renowned for its speed and spots, the degree of persecution cheetahs face both inside and outside of protected areas is largely unrecognized. Even within guarded parks and reserves, cheetahs rarely escape the pervasive threats of human-wildlife conflict, prey loss due to overhunting by people, habitat loss and the illegal trafficking of cheetah parts and trade as exotic pets.
To make matters worse, as one of the world's most wide-ranging carnivores, 77% of the cheetah's habitat falls outside of protected areas. Unrestricted by boundaries, the species' wide-ranging movements weaken law enforcement protection and greatly amplify its vulnerability to human pressures. Indeed, largely due to pressures on wildlife and their habitat outside of protected areas, Zimbabwe's cheetah population has plummeted from 1,200 to a maximum of 170 animals in just 16 years -- representing an astonishing loss of 85% of the country's cheetahs.
Scientists are now calling for an urgent paradigm shift in cheetah conservation, towards landscape-level efforts that transcend national borders and are coordinated by existing regional conservation strategies for the species. A holistic conservation approach, which incentivises protection of cheetahs by local communities and trans-national governments, alongside sustainable human-wildlife coexistence is paramount to the survival of the species.
Panthera's Cheetah Program Director, Dr. Kim Young-Overton, shared, "We've just hit the reset button in our understanding of how close cheetahs are to extinction. The take-away from this pinnacle study is that securing protected areas alone is not enough. We must think bigger, conserving across the mosaic of protected and unprotected landscapes that these far-ranging cats inhabit, if we are to avert the otherwise certain loss of the cheetah forever."
The methodology used for this study will also be relevant to other species, such as African wild dogs, which also require large areas of land to prosper and are therefore similarly vulnerable to increasing threats outside designated protected areas.
Sarah M. Durant, Nicholas Mitchell, Rosemary Groom, Nathalie Pettorelli, Audrey Ipavec, Andrew P. Jacobson, Rosie Woodroffe, Monika Böhm, Luke T. B. Hunter, Matthew S. Becker, Femke Broekhuis, Sultana Bashir, Leah Andresen, Ortwin Aschenborn, Mohammed Beddiaf, Farid Belbachir, Amel Belbachir-Bazi, Ali Berbash, Iracelma Brandao de Matos Machado, Christine Breitenmoser, Monica Chege, Deon Cilliers, Harriet Davies-Mostert, Amy J. Dickman, Fabiano Ezekiel, Mohammad S. Farhadinia, Paul Funston, Philipp Henschel, Jane Horgan, Hans H. de Iongh, Houman Jowkar, Rebecca Klein, Peter Andrew Lindsey, Laurie Marker, Kelly Marnewick, Joerg Melzheimer, Johnathan Merkle, Jassiel M'soka, Maurus Msuha, Helen O'Neill, Megan Parker, Gianetta Purchase, Samaila Sahailou, Yohanna Saidu, Abdoulkarim Samna, Anne Schmidt-Küntzel, Eda Selebatso, Etotépé A. Sogbohossou, Alaaeldin Soultan, Emma Stone, Esther van der Meer, Rudie van Vuuren, Mary Wykstra, and Kim Young-Overton. The global decline of cheetah Acinonyx jubatus and what it means for conservation. PNAS, December 27, 2016 DOI:10.1073/pnas.1611122114
2nd Phase Subdivision - Stage 1A Barangaroo South
Amended DA/EIS Exhibition
Have Your Say On The Redevelopment Of Cockle Bay Wharf
15.12.2016: Departmental Media Release - Department of Planning and EnvironmentA concept proposal for the redevelopment of Cockle Bay Wharf will be on exhibition from today for community consultation.
The Department of Planning and Environment is keen to hear the community’s views on DPT & DPPT Operator Pty Ltd’s proposal for 241-249 Wheat Road, Cockle Bay.
Key elements of the proposal for a concept plan and demolition works include:- demolition of existing site improvements
- up to 12,000m2 of public domain space
- building envelopes for a tower base and a tower up to 235 metres high
- a maximum gross floor area of 85,000m2 for commercial and 25,000m2 for retail development.
A spokesperson for the Department of Planning and Environment said the local community always has an opportunity to share their views.
“Community consultation is an integral part of the planning process and the applicant will have to respond to the feedback we receive,” the spokesperson said.
“This feedback is taken into consideration as part of the assessment. “It’s easy to participate by going online and we encourage everyone to take a look and have their say.”
To make a submission or view the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), visit www.majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au.
Submissions can be made from Thursday 15 December 2016 until Tuesday 14 February 2017.
People wishing to make a submission are encouraged to use the online form if possible.
The form can be found at www.majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/page/on-exhibition.
Written submissions can also be made to:
Department of Planning and EnvironmentAttn: Director – Key Site AssessmentsGPO Box 39 Sydney NSW 2001
The application and EIS are also available to view in person at: Department of Planning and Environment: Information Centre, Level 22, 320 Pitt Street, SydneyCity of Sydney Council: Customer Service Centre, Level 2, Town Hall House, 456 Kent Street, Sydney.
15.12.2016: Departmental Media Release - Department of Planning and Environment
A concept proposal for the redevelopment of Cockle Bay Wharf will be on exhibition from today for community consultation.
The Department of Planning and Environment is keen to hear the community’s views on DPT & DPPT Operator Pty Ltd’s proposal for 241-249 Wheat Road, Cockle Bay.
Key elements of the proposal for a concept plan and demolition works include:
- demolition of existing site improvements
- up to 12,000m2 of public domain space
- building envelopes for a tower base and a tower up to 235 metres high
- a maximum gross floor area of 85,000m2 for commercial and 25,000m2 for retail development.
A spokesperson for the Department of Planning and Environment said the local community always has an opportunity to share their views.
“Community consultation is an integral part of the planning process and the applicant will have to respond to the feedback we receive,” the spokesperson said.
“This feedback is taken into consideration as part of the assessment.
“It’s easy to participate by going online and we encourage everyone to take a look and have their say.”
To make a submission or view the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), visit www.majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au.
Submissions can be made from Thursday 15 December 2016 until Tuesday 14 February 2017.
People wishing to make a submission are encouraged to use the online form if possible.
The form can be found at www.majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/page/on-exhibition.
Written submissions can also be made to:
Department of Planning and Environment
Attn: Director – Key Site Assessments
GPO Box 39
Sydney NSW 2001
The application and EIS are also available to view in person at:
Department of Planning and Environment: Information Centre, Level 22, 320 Pitt Street, Sydney
City of Sydney Council: Customer Service Centre, Level 2, Town Hall House, 456 Kent Street, Sydney.
Have Your Say On The Redevelopment Of Harbourside Shopping Centre
15.12.2016: Departmental Media Release - Department of Planning and EnvironmentA concept proposal by Mirvac Projects Pty Ltd to redevelop the Harbourside Shopping Centre in Sydney is on exhibition for community consultation.
The Department of Planning and Environment is keen to hear the community’s views on the proposal, which seeks to provide a new retail shopping centre, residential apartment tower and public domain improvements at 2-10 Darling Drive.
Key elements of the proposal include:- a network of open space areas and pedestrian links
- building envelopes for the base of a tower and a tower up to 166.35 metres above sea level
- a maximum gross floor area of 87,000m2 for residential and non-residential uses.
This concept proposal does not seek approval for any construction works on site.
A spokesperson for the Department of Planning and Environment said the local community always has an opportunity to share their views.
“Community consultation is an integral part of the planning process and the applicant will have to respond to the feedback we receive,” the spokesperson said.
“This feedback is taken into consideration as part of the assessment. “It’s easy to participate by going online and we encourage everyone to take a look and have their say.”
To make a submission or view the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), visit www.majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au.
Submissions can be made from Thursday 15 December 2016 until Tuesday 14 February 2017. People wishing to make a submission are encouraged to use the online form if possible.
The form can be found at www.majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/page/on-exhibition.Department of Planning and EnvironmentAttn: Director – Key Site AssessmentsGPO Box 39 Sydney NSW 2001
The application and EIS are also available to view in person at: Department of Planning and Environment: Information Centre, Level 22, 320 Pitt Street, SydneyCity of Sydney Council: Customer Service Centre, Level 2, Town Hall House, 456 Kent Street, Sydney.
15.12.2016: Departmental Media Release - Department of Planning and Environment
A concept proposal by Mirvac Projects Pty Ltd to redevelop the Harbourside Shopping Centre in Sydney is on exhibition for community consultation.
The Department of Planning and Environment is keen to hear the community’s views on the proposal, which seeks to provide a new retail shopping centre, residential apartment tower and public domain improvements at 2-10 Darling Drive.
Key elements of the proposal include:
- a network of open space areas and pedestrian links
- building envelopes for the base of a tower and a tower up to 166.35 metres above sea level
- a maximum gross floor area of 87,000m2 for residential and non-residential uses.
This concept proposal does not seek approval for any construction works on site.
A spokesperson for the Department of Planning and Environment said the local community always has an opportunity to share their views.
“Community consultation is an integral part of the planning process and the applicant will have to respond to the feedback we receive,” the spokesperson said.
“This feedback is taken into consideration as part of the assessment.
“It’s easy to participate by going online and we encourage everyone to take a look and have their say.”
To make a submission or view the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), visit www.majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au.
Submissions can be made from Thursday 15 December 2016 until Tuesday 14 February 2017. People wishing to make a submission are encouraged to use the online form if possible.
The form can be found at www.majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/page/on-exhibition.
Department of Planning and Environment
Attn: Director – Key Site Assessments
GPO Box 39
Sydney NSW 2001
The application and EIS are also available to view in person at:
Department of Planning and Environment: Information Centre, Level 22, 320 Pitt Street, Sydney
City of Sydney Council: Customer Service Centre, Level 2, Town Hall House, 456 Kent Street, Sydney.
Chemically Modified Insulin Is Available More Quickly
January 3, 2017
Binding of the insulin analog (green) to the receptor (light blue). The receptor’s surface is shown in transparent gray. Credit: © University of Basel, Department of Chemistry
Replacing a hydrogen atom by an iodine atom in insulin, the hormone retains its efficacy but is available more rapidly to the organism. Researchers at the University of Basel were able to predict this effect based on computer simulations and then confirm it with experiments. The results have been published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Insulin is formed in the pancreas and regulates the blood glucose level. In the body it is stored as a zinc-bound complex of six identical molecules, called a hexamer. However, the physiologically active form is a single insulin monomer. Only when the body requires insulin the hexamer divides into monomers available for blood sugar regulation.
Researchers attempt to control this disassembly process by developing artificial insulin preparations, in order to optimize clinical treatment of diabetes mellitus. By means of chemical modifications, the release and availability of insulin can be improved. One possible approach is to strategically replace individual atoms in a targeted manner. This results in what is known as an insulin analog, which differs from natural insulin in both structure and properties.
Artificial insulin is released more rapidly
The team led by Professor Markus Meuwly from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Basel has investigated this process in collaboration with researchers from the USA and Australia. The researchers exchanged a single hydrogen atom by an iodine atom which modulates intermolecular interactions that resulted in more rapid insulin disassembly and release.
Introducing the iodine atom improved the insulins' availability, while the affinity for the insulin receptor and the biological function remained unchanged when compared to the natural hormone. These advantageous properties were first predicted by a combination of quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics simulations. In a next step, the stability changes of the chemically modified insulin were directly probed by using crystallographic and nuclear magnetic resonance experiments which confirmed the computations.
Clinical application possible
The use of halogen atoms is a promising approach for compound optimization in medicinal chemistry. The results obtained for iodinated insulin demonstrate that the concept of chemical modification has also great potential in the field of protein engineering. A future clinical application of the insulin analog, which differs from natural insulin by only a single atom, is quite conceivable.
Krystel El Hage, Vijay Pandyarajan, Nelson B. Phillips, Brian J. Smith, John G. Menting, Jonathan Whittaker, Michael C. Lawrence, Markus Meuwly, Michael A. Weiss. Extending Halogen-based Medicinal Chemistry to Proteins. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2016; 291 (53): 27023 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M116.761015
The Beating Heart Of Solar Energy
January 3, 2017
This is the first real-life study to provide data on the potential of powering medical implants with solar cells. Credit: Lukas Bereuter.
The notion of using solar cells placed under the skin to continuously recharge implanted electronic medical devices is a viable one. Swiss researchers have done the math, and found that a 3.6 square centimeter solar cell is all that is needed to generate enough power during winter and summer to power a typical pacemaker. The study is the first to provide real-life data about the potential of using solar cells to power devices such as pacemakers and deep brain stimulators. According to lead author Lukas Bereuter of Bern University Hospital and the University of Bern in Switzerland, wearing power-generating solar cells under the skin will one day save patients the discomfort of having to continuously undergo procedures to change the batteries of such life-saving devices. The findings are set out in Springer's journal Annals of Biomedical Engineering.
Most electronic implants are currently battery powered, and their size is governed by the battery volume required for an extended lifespan. When the power in such batteries runs out, these must either be recharged or changed. In most cases this means that patients have to undergo implant replacement procedures, which is not only costly and stressful but also holds the risk of medical complications. Having to use primary batteries also influences the size of a device.
Various research groups have recently put forward prototypes of small electronic solar cells that can be carried under the skin and can be used to recharge medical devices. The solar cells convert the light from the sun that penetrates the skin surface into energy.
To investigate the real-life feasibility of such rechargeable energy generators, Bereuter and his colleagues developed specially designed solar measurement devices that can measure the output power being generated. The cells were only 3.6 square centimeters in size, making them small enough to be implanted if needed. For the test, each of the ten devices was covered by optical filters to simulate how properties of the skin would influence how well the sun penetrates the skin. These were worn on the arm of 32 volunteers in Switzerland for one week during summer, autumn and winter.
No matter what season, the tiny cells were always found to generate much more than the 5 to 10 microwatts of power that a typical cardiac pacemaker uses. The participant with the lowest power output still obtained 12 microwatts on average.
"The overall mean power obtained is enough to completely power for example a pacemaker or at least extend the lifespan of any other active implant," notes Bereuter. "By using energy-harvesting devices such as solar cells to power an implant, device replacements may be avoided and the device size may be reduced dramatically."
Bereuter believes that the results of this study can be scaled up and applied to any other mobile, solar powered application on humans. Aspects such as the catchment area of a solar cell, its efficiency and the thickness of a patient's skin must be considered.
L. Bereuter, S. Williner, F. Pianezzi, B. Bissig, S. Buecheler, J. Burger, R. Vogel, A. Zurbuchen, A. Haeberlin. Energy Harvesting by Subcutaneous Solar Cells: A Long-Term Study on Achievable Energy Output. Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 2017; DOI:10.1007/s10439-016-1774-4
Hormone-Sensitive Gene Complex Link To Premenstrual Mood Disorder
January 3, 2017
Expression of the ESC/E(Z) gene network was found to be systematically disturbed in PMDD. Credit: Peter Schmidt, M.D., NIMH., David Goldman, M.D., NIAAA
National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers have discovered molecular mechanisms that may underlie a woman's susceptibility to disabling irritability, sadness, and anxiety in the days leading up to her menstrual period. Such premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) affects 2 to 5 percent of women of reproductive age, whereas less severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is much more common.
"We found dysregulated expression in a suspect gene complex which adds to evidence that PMDD is a disorder of cellular response to estrogen and progesterone," explained Peter Schmidt, M.D. of the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health, Behavioral Endocrinology Branch. "Learning more about the role of this gene complex holds hope for improved treatment of such prevalent reproductive endocrine-related mood disorders."
Schmidt, David Goldman, M.D., of the NIH's National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and colleagues, report on their findings January 3, 2017 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
"This is a big moment for women's health, because it establishes that women with PMDD have an intrinsic difference in their molecular apparatus for response to sex hormones -- not just emotional behaviors they should be able to voluntarily control," said Goldman.
By the late 1990s, the NIMH team had demonstrated that women who regularly experience mood disorder symptoms just prior to their periods were abnormally sensitive to normal changes in sex hormones -- even though their hormone levels were normal. But the cause remained a mystery.
In women with PMDD, experimentally turning off estrogen and progesterone eliminated PMDD symptoms, while experimentally adding back the hormones triggered the re-emergence of symptoms. This confirmed that they had a biologically-based behavioral sensitivity to the hormones that might be reflected in molecular differences detectable in their cells.
Following up on clues -- including the fact that PMS is 56 percent heritable -- the NIH researchers studied the genetic control of gene expression in cultured white blood cell lines from women with PMDD and controls. These cells express many of the same genes expressed in brain cells -- potentially providing a window into genetically-influenced differences in molecular responses to sex hormones.
An analysis of all gene transcription in the cultured cell lines turned up a large gene complex in which gene expression differed conspicuously in cells from patients compared to controls. Notably, this ESC/E(Z) (Extra Sex Combs/Enhancer of Zeste) gene complex regulates epigenetic mechanisms that govern the transcription of genes into proteins in response to the environment -- including sex hormones and stressors.
More than half of the ESC/E(Z) genes were over-expressed in PMDD patients' cells, compared to cells from controls. But paradoxically, protein expression of four key genes was decreased in cells from women with PMDD. In addition, progesterone boosted expression of several of these genes in controls, while estrogen decreased expression in cell lines derived from PMDD patients. This suggested dysregulated cellular response to the hormones in PMDD.
"For the first time, we now have cellular evidence of abnormal signaling in cells derived from women with PMDD, and a plausible biological cause for their abnormal behavioral sensitivity to estrogen and progesterone," explained Schmidt.
Using cutting edge "disease in a dish" technologies, the researchers are now following up the leads discovered in blood cell lines in neurons induced from stem cells derived from the blood of PMDD patients -- in hopes of gaining a more direct window into the ESC/E(Z) complex's role in the brain.
N Dubey, J F Hoffman, K Schuebel, Q Yuan, P E Martinez, L K Nieman, D R Rubinow, P J Schmidt, D Goldman. The ESC/E(Z) complex, an effector of response to ovarian steroids, manifests an intrinsic difference in cells from women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Molecular Psychiatry, 2017; DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.229
Bats Avoid Collisions By Calling Less In A Crowd
January 3, 2017
Bat in hand. Credit: Image courtesy of Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB)
In the warm summer months, bats go about their business each night, flying and gobbling up insects (a benefit to us). Using echolocation (making calls and listening for returning echoes to figure out where objects are) they can hunt and navigate around obstacles in total darkness, often in large groups. But if everybody is echolocating at once, how do bats pick out their own echoes?
This question has mystified scientists since the discovery of echolocation, but Dr. Amanda Adams and Dr. Michael Smotherman at Texas A&M University may have found part of the answer. Using wild-caught Mexican free-tailed bats, they study whether the bats adjust their echolocation calls in response to other bat calls.
When bats are flying in a cluttered environment they increase their call rates and listen for returning echoes. This gives them a detailed idea of the location of objects or even other bats. But if a bat's echo overlaps with another bat's call or echo, the information gets lost. This is "interference," and it can be a real problem for a bat because losing information could cause it to miss the insect it was trying to eat or even run into something.
So how do bats get around this, so to speak? More bats mean more echolocation calls, but as soon as a bat hears another bat's call, they actually start to call less. "We call it 'mutual suppression,'" says Adams, "and we really think that this is the key to how they are able to live and function socially."
Adams and her colleagues allowed bats to fly around in a small room that looked a bit like a recording studio: the walls were covered in acoustic foam, there were small microphones for recording, and speakers for playing bat calls.
Each bat used in the experiment started by flying in the room alone and making echolocation calls, which Adams recorded to figure out baseline calling rates. Then the researchers played calls from other bats from up to four speakers placed around the room. By playing calls over one or more speakers, the researchers could simulate a single bat, or a crowd of up to four bats. They discovered that the bat in the room called less when it heard other bats over the speakers.
Next the researchers created a cluttered environment by hanging thin strings from the ceiling. Each string had a piezo sensor (similar to a motion sensor) on it, which allowed Adams to tell if a bat touched one of the strings. Adams found that playing bat calls over the speakers caused the bats to touch the strings more often. The researchers are not yet sure if this reduced navigational performance was because the bats were calling less due to mutual suppression, making their surroundings less clear, or if it was due to interference from the other bat calls.
Finally, each bat was tested with a fake bat, affectionately called "RoboBat." RoboBat is a robotic bat that can move and flap its wings simulating another, real bat. Although the researchers have put multiple live bats in the room, there is a big benefit of using RoboBat over a live bat: RoboBat can be silenced. Adams found that live bats called more in response to RoboBat's bat-like physical presence, but called less when calls were played in conjunction with RoboBat. These findings indicate that the bats suppressed their own calls when they heard another bat's call.
Surprisingly, Adams and her colleagues saw mutual suppression in all of the individual bats that they tested. "This isn't something where we can only use one bat for a few trials and then the behavior disappears. This is hard-wired in them across every individual that we're using," says Adams. The team predicts they will find the same suppression of calling rates in other species of bats.
Interestingly, Adams's findings could be useful for improving wireless telecommunication networks. In a wireless network, information is sent from multiple computers simultaneously without much interference. Adams says, "You stop and listen for a second and go again. It's the same thing we're seeing with the bats." The team's future research will determine how bats handle interference from multiple individuals, which may shed light on how to develop better wireless networks.
We have a lot of reasons to be thankful for bats. Who knows? We may soon be thanking bats for more efficient wireless communication.
Materials provided by Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB).
Tool To Understand Spread Of Fake News Launched
A Hoaxy search reveals articles that claim cannabis cures cancer. The graph on the left shows the rise in these claims over the past five months. The graph on the right shows the claim's spread on social media.
Credit: Image courtesy of Indiana University
December 21, 2016
The Observatory on Social Media at Indiana University has launched a powerful new tool in the fight against fake news.
The tool, called Hoaxy (http://hoaxy.iuni.iu.edu/), visualizes how claims in the news -- and fact checks of those claims -- spread online through social networks. The tool is built upon earlier work at IU led by Filippo Menczer, a professor and director of the Center for Complex Networks and Systems Research in the IU School of Informatics and Computing.
"In the past year, the influence of fake news in the U.S. has grown from a niche concern to a phenomenon with the power to sway public opinion," Menczer said. "We've now even seen examples of fake news inspiring real-life danger, such as the gunman who fired shots in a Washington, D.C., pizza parlor in response to false claims of child trafficking."
Previous tools from the observatory at IU include BotOrNot, a system to assess whether the intelligence behind a Twitter account is more likely a person or a computer, and a suite of online tools that allows anyone to analyze the spread of hashtags across social networks.
In response to the growth of fake news, several major web services are making changes to curtail the spread of false information on their platforms. Google and Facebook recently banned the use of their advertisement services on websites that post fake news, for example. Facebook also rolled out a system last week through which users can flag stories they suspect are false, which are then referred to third-party fact-checkers.
Over the past several months, Menczer and colleagues were frequently cited as experts on how fake news and misinformation spread in outlets such as PBS Newshour, Scientific American, The Atlantic, Reuters, Australian Public Media, NPR and BuzzFeed.
Giovanni Luca Ciampaglia, a research scientist at the IU Network Science Institute, coordinated the Hoaxy project with Menczer. Ciampaglia said a user can now enter a claim into the service's website and see results that show both incidents of the claim in the media and attempts to fact-check it by independent organizations such as snopes.com, politifact.com and factcheck.org. These results can then be selected to generate a visualization of how the articles are shared across social media.
The site's search results display headlines that appeared on sites known to publish inaccurate, unverified or satirical claims based upon lists compiled and published by reputable news and fact-checking organizations.
A search of the terms "cancer" and "cannabis," for example, turns up multiple claims that cannabis has been found to cure cancer, a statement whose origins have been roundly debunked by the reputable fact-checking website snopes.com. A search of social shares of articles that make the claim, however, shows a clear rise in people sharing the story, with under 10 claims in July rising to hundreds by December.
Specifically, Ciampaglia said, Hoaxy's visualizations illustrate both temporal trends and diffusion networks as they relate to online claims and fact-checks. Temporal trends plot the cumulative number of Twitter shares over time. Diffusion networks show how claims spread from person to person. Twitter is currently the only social network tracked by Hoaxy, and only publicly posted tweets appear in the visualizations.
"Importantly, we do not decide what is true or false," Menczer said. "Not all claims you can visualize on Hoaxy are false, nor are we saying that the fact-checkers are 100 percent correct all of the time. Hoaxy is a tool to observe how unverified stories and the fact-checking of those stories spread on public social media. It's up to users to evaluate the evidence about a claim and its rebuttal."
Menczer's interest in fake news began over seven years ago. In an experiment reported in a paper titled "Social Spam Detection," he created a website of fake celebrity news clearly marked as false and promoted the articles on social bookmarking websites, which were popular at the time. After a month, Menczer was shocked to receive a check based on ad revenue from the site.
"That early experiment demonstrated the power of the internet to monetize false information," he said. "I didn't expect at the time that the problem would reach the level of national debate."
In the years since the experiment, however, the volume and influence of fake news have expanded across the web from sources as disparate as satirical websites, ideologically motived organizations and Macedonian teenagers working to rake in advertising dollars.
"If we want to stop the growing influence of fake news in our society, first we need to understand the mechanisms behind how it spreads," Menczer said. "Tools like Hoaxy are an important step in the process."
Menczer is also a member of the IU Network Science Institute, a project partner that contributed support to Hoaxy. Other researchers on the project were Chengcheng Shao, a visiting doctoral student, and graduate students Lei Wang and Gregory Maus, all of the IU School of Informatics and Computing.
An academic paper on the project, "Hoaxy: A Platform for Tracking Online Misinformation," is available online from the Proceedings of the 25th International Conference Companion on World Wide Web (http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2890098).
This research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation and the J.S. McDonnell Foundation.
Materials provided by Indiana University.
Surf Photo And Surf Video Of The Year
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Photo: 2016 Nikon Surf Photo of the Year by Leroy Bellet