State Environmental Planning Controls(Draft Environment SEPP):Urban Bushland
From Issue 339
A Bright New Future For Commercial Fishing
Eagle Eye On Illegal Dumping And Pollution
Call For National Heritage List Nominations
Exhibition Of Proposed Changes To Noise And Dust Assessment For Mining Projects
Innovative Methods To Help Prevent Coral Bleaching On The Reef
Have Your Say On Priorities For NSW Land Conservation
Salmon Experts Meet To Plan Ambitious 2018 Global Symposium
Draft Environment SEPP
“We’ve Been Told A Heap Of Porkies"
Integra Mine Complex
Integra Underground Modification 8
Bank Street, Pyrmont
Mine Rehabilitation Discussion Paper
No Open Cut Mining For Drayton South
NSW Government’s Drayton South Announcement Not Enough To Safeguard Hunter Farming And Horse Breeding
Arrow’s CSG Deal With Shell Leaves Farmers And Water Supplies At Risk
Update On Baleen 2D HR Seismic Survey
Avalon Boomerang Bags 2018 Dates
Diary Dates
Last workshop for the year at SewCraftCook for the year - passed.
Huge thanks to Kate for providing such an amazing and creative space for us to make the bags and store our "bits".
And a huge thanks to all those who have volunteered making bags, stamping bags, screen printing, cutting, ironing, folding, providing yummy treats, making cups of tea and for all the laughs, chats and good times. Without you we wouldn't be the team that we are.
On that note, dear sewers - if any of you, including the "at home" sewers need more fabric during the break, please contact Robyn via this email and she'll arrange it - the cupboards are bulging. Tuesday 31 JanuaryReturn to our regular workshops from 11am - 4pm.Come for a hour or two or come for the day.SewCraftCook 20/14 Polo Ave, Mona Vale.
Diary Dates
Last workshop for the year at SewCraftCook for the year - passed.
Huge thanks to Kate for providing such an amazing and creative space for us to make the bags and store our "bits".
And a huge thanks to all those who have volunteered making bags, stamping bags, screen printing, cutting, ironing, folding, providing yummy treats, making cups of tea and for all the laughs, chats and good times. Without you we wouldn't be the team that we are.
On that note, dear sewers - if any of you, including the "at home" sewers need more fabric during the break, please contact Robyn via this email and she'll arrange it - the cupboards are bulging.
Tuesday 31 January
Return to our regular workshops from 11am - 4pm.
Come for a hour or two or come for the day.
SewCraftCook 20/14 Polo Ave, Mona Vale.
Friends Of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Activities
Spotlight Walk - 8pm Friday Dec 15
Spotlighting walk - meet at start of Slippery Dip Trail. Spaces limited to 20 people
Wildlife Walk - 7:30am Friday January 19, 2018Meet at end of Deep Creek Carpark. Spaces limited to 30 peopleEmail: Friends of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment to get a ticket and book a place for one of these fascinating Wildlife Walks led by Jayden Walsh.
Bush Regeneration - Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment This is a wonderful way to become connected to nature and contribute to the health of the environment. Over the weeks and months you can see positive changes as you give native species a better chance to thrive. Wildlife appreciate the improvement in their habitat.
Belrose area - Thursday mornings Belrose area - Weekend mornings by arrangementContact: Phone or text Conny Harris on 0432 643 295
Wheeler Creek - Wednesday mornings 9-11amContact: Phone or text Judith Bennett on 0402 974 105Or email: Friends of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment : email@narrabeenlagoon.org.au
Eco Paddle on Narrabeen Lagoon1pm, Sunday Feb 11, 2018Black Swan have returned to the lagoon after 20 years - come and see these majestic creatures! This paddle will visit the Western Basin, Deep and Middle Creeks. Beautiful Deep Creek attracts migratory birds from as far away as Russia and Middle Creek has been the subject of a substantial remediation programme. A relaxing 2 to 3 hour afternoon paddle. No previous kayaking experience required, tuition given. BYO boat or a hire kayak can be arranged for you at cost. Bookings essential.Email tonycarr@ozemail.com.au or call 0417 502 056.
Spotlight Walk - 8pm Friday Dec 15
Spotlighting walk - meet at start of Slippery Dip Trail. Spaces limited to 20 people
Wildlife Walk - 7:30am Friday January 19, 2018
Meet at end of Deep Creek Carpark. Spaces limited to 30 people
Email: Friends of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment to get a ticket and book a place for one of these fascinating Wildlife Walks led by Jayden Walsh.
Bush Regeneration - Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment
This is a wonderful way to become connected to nature and contribute to the health of the environment. Over the weeks and months you can see positive changes as you give native species a better chance to thrive. Wildlife appreciate the improvement in their habitat.
Belrose area - Thursday mornings
Belrose area - Weekend mornings by arrangement
Contact: Phone or text Conny Harris on 0432 643 295
Wheeler Creek - Wednesday mornings 9-11am
Contact: Phone or text Judith Bennett on 0402 974 105
Or email: Friends of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment : email@narrabeenlagoon.org.au
Eco Paddle on Narrabeen Lagoon
1pm, Sunday Feb 11, 2018
Black Swan have returned to the lagoon after 20 years - come and see these majestic creatures! This paddle will visit the Western Basin, Deep and Middle Creeks. Beautiful Deep Creek attracts migratory birds from as far away as Russia and Middle Creek has been the subject of a substantial remediation programme. A relaxing 2 to 3 hour afternoon paddle. No previous kayaking experience required, tuition given. BYO boat or a hire kayak can be arranged for you at cost.
Bookings essential.
Email tonycarr@ozemail.com.au or call 0417 502 056.
Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Board Meeting In Public
Repeal Of Two Operational SEPPs
Have Your Say On Construction Waste Management Reforms
Primary Production And Rural Development
Draft SEPP And Planning Reforms
Long Reef Walks 2017/18 Season
Botanists Give New Hope To Rare Local Plants
December 7, 2017 NSW OE&H
National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) botanists in Limpinwood Nature Reserve discover hope for several threatened plant species, plants so rare they are only known to exist along one escarpment within Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage area on the NSW/Qld border.
Saving Our Species Project Officer Justin Mallee said the discovery of nearly 1000 rare Green Waxberry (Gaultheria viridicarpa) plants in high altitude rainforests of Limpinwood Nature Reserve was a pleasant surprise.
"We knew a handful of these very rare plants existed along the top of the cliff line but what we didn't know was how many plants were growing on the cliff faces or their condition," Mr Mallee said.
To survey the plants, NPWS engaged the skills of botanist Lui Weber, who got a special abseiling conservation permit, to abseil down the cliff face to conduct a threatened species assessment.
Green waxberry - Photo by Lui Weber - Office of Environment and Heritage.
Mr Mallee said nearly 1000 Green Waxberry plants were found growing along the escarpment on either side of a rocky summit.
"The mossy cliffs of Limpinwood Nature Reserve are the only place in the world where these plants are found, so the discovery of a bigger population is fantastic news for this threatened species and really boosts this plant's chance of long-term survival," said Mr Mallee.
The survey work, undertaken as part of the NSW Government's Saving Our Species program, also uncovered a large population of Lamington Eyebright, Euphrasia bella.
Mr Mallee said this species, was last known as a small population of only 5 plants recorded in 1982.
"Ninety-Four Lamington Eyebright plants were counted as part of this survey, a huge boost to our knowledge of this population," said Mr Mallee.
A further threatened plant, Wollumbin Dogwood Ozothamnus vagans was also re-discovered during the survey. Although known to exist in small populations in the Border Ranges area, 182 individuals were counted along the cliffs.
The aim of the survey was to document the extent of the populations of these threatened plants, assess their habitat condition and record potential threats. This information will be used by NPWS to undertake management actions needed to help care for the plants in the future.
What we found was that the plants biggest threat is climate change, due to their location in a fragile high-altitude environment.
NPWS will now actively manage the plants via regular population monitoring, ongoing weed assessment and control, monitoring for disease and disease prevention.
"We are now focusing on ongoing management to help protect these rare species. This type of survey work adds to our knowledge of exactly what's out there and how to best manage it," said Mr Mallee.
December 7, 2017 NSW OE&H
National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) botanists in Limpinwood Nature Reserve discover hope for several threatened plant species, plants so rare they are only known to exist along one escarpment within Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage area on the NSW/Qld border.
Saving Our Species Project Officer Justin Mallee said the discovery of nearly 1000 rare Green Waxberry (Gaultheria viridicarpa) plants in high altitude rainforests of Limpinwood Nature Reserve was a pleasant surprise.
"We knew a handful of these very rare plants existed along the top of the cliff line but what we didn't know was how many plants were growing on the cliff faces or their condition," Mr Mallee said.
To survey the plants, NPWS engaged the skills of botanist Lui Weber, who got a special abseiling conservation permit, to abseil down the cliff face to conduct a threatened species assessment.
Green waxberry - Photo by Lui Weber - Office of Environment and Heritage.
Mr Mallee said nearly 1000 Green Waxberry plants were found growing along the escarpment on either side of a rocky summit.
"The mossy cliffs of Limpinwood Nature Reserve are the only place in the world where these plants are found, so the discovery of a bigger population is fantastic news for this threatened species and really boosts this plant's chance of long-term survival," said Mr Mallee.
The survey work, undertaken as part of the NSW Government's Saving Our Species program, also uncovered a large population of Lamington Eyebright, Euphrasia bella.
Mr Mallee said this species, was last known as a small population of only 5 plants recorded in 1982.
"Ninety-Four Lamington Eyebright plants were counted as part of this survey, a huge boost to our knowledge of this population," said Mr Mallee.
A further threatened plant, Wollumbin Dogwood Ozothamnus vagans was also re-discovered during the survey. Although known to exist in small populations in the Border Ranges area, 182 individuals were counted along the cliffs.
The aim of the survey was to document the extent of the populations of these threatened plants, assess their habitat condition and record potential threats. This information will be used by NPWS to undertake management actions needed to help care for the plants in the future.
What we found was that the plants biggest threat is climate change, due to their location in a fragile high-altitude environment.
NPWS will now actively manage the plants via regular population monitoring, ongoing weed assessment and control, monitoring for disease and disease prevention.
"We are now focusing on ongoing management to help protect these rare species. This type of survey work adds to our knowledge of exactly what's out there and how to best manage it," said Mr Mallee.
Bringing Nature Back – To Cities
Oceans Book Launches At Critical Time
CSIRO has launched Oceans: Science and Solutions for Australia (Oceans), a book bringing together the latest science to explain the crucial role oceans play in the lives of all Australians.
CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Director Dr Tony Worby said Australia faced several opportunities and challenges, with three of the world’s four major oceans in its marine estate.
"Australia’s oceans cover almost 14 million square kilometres, nearly twice the area of our land, and hold the key to our climate, weather, economy, international security, and social well-being," Dr Worby said.
"It is important that we strike a balance between our national economic and resource requirements, while ensuring long term sustainability of our marine estate and this is key research focus for CSIRO and the Australian marine science community.
"Our oceans do the heavy lifting with respect to carbon dioxide and heat absorption and their capacity to continue to do these things is one of many areas we are focused on through our climate research.
"The effects of ocean warming can be seen already as tropical fish are found further south from warming coastal waters, cold water species decline in some regions, and coral bleaching becomes more frequent.
"There has never been a more important time to focus on marine research."
Oceans editor and CSIRO Chief Research Scientist Dr Bruce Mapstone said national and international collaboration was essential, with Australia having stewardship of the third largest marine estate in the world and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.
"The book focuses on Australia’s marine estate which includes the Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans, however many of the topics covered have global relevance because of the interconnectedness of the world’s oceans," Dr Mapstone said.
"Collaboration is the only way we can tackle the breadth of marine research Australia and the world need to fully understand our oceans.
"Indigenous coastal peoples have had cultural and livelihood connections with Australia’s oceans for thousands of years and their knowledge is extremely valuable.
"Importantly, this book takes complex and detailed research and translates it into clear English that can be understood by policy makers and just as importantly students, some of whom are Australia’s future marine scientists."
Oceans: Science and Solutions for Australia has been authored by scientists from CSIRO and other Australian research agencies and is available for free download: Oceans [PDF 21.5MB] or to order a hardcopy through CSIRO Publishing visit: Oceans.
CSIRO has launched Oceans: Science and Solutions for Australia (Oceans), a book bringing together the latest science to explain the crucial role oceans play in the lives of all Australians.CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Director Dr Tony Worby said Australia faced several opportunities and challenges, with three of the world’s four major oceans in its marine estate.
"Australia’s oceans cover almost 14 million square kilometres, nearly twice the area of our land, and hold the key to our climate, weather, economy, international security, and social well-being," Dr Worby said.
"It is important that we strike a balance between our national economic and resource requirements, while ensuring long term sustainability of our marine estate and this is key research focus for CSIRO and the Australian marine science community.
"Our oceans do the heavy lifting with respect to carbon dioxide and heat absorption and their capacity to continue to do these things is one of many areas we are focused on through our climate research.
"The effects of ocean warming can be seen already as tropical fish are found further south from warming coastal waters, cold water species decline in some regions, and coral bleaching becomes more frequent.
"There has never been a more important time to focus on marine research."
Oceans editor and CSIRO Chief Research Scientist Dr Bruce Mapstone said national and international collaboration was essential, with Australia having stewardship of the third largest marine estate in the world and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.
"The book focuses on Australia’s marine estate which includes the Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans, however many of the topics covered have global relevance because of the interconnectedness of the world’s oceans," Dr Mapstone said.
"Collaboration is the only way we can tackle the breadth of marine research Australia and the world need to fully understand our oceans.
"Indigenous coastal peoples have had cultural and livelihood connections with Australia’s oceans for thousands of years and their knowledge is extremely valuable.
"Importantly, this book takes complex and detailed research and translates it into clear English that can be understood by policy makers and just as importantly students, some of whom are Australia’s future marine scientists."
Oceans: Science and Solutions for Australia has been authored by scientists from CSIRO and other Australian research agencies and is available for free download: Oceans [PDF 21.5MB] or to order a hardcopy through CSIRO Publishing visit: Oceans.
NNTT Registration Of Contested Adani Land Deal To Be Fought Hard In Court By W&J
New Species Of Extinct Marsupial Lion Discovered In Australia
December 6, 2017
A team of Australian scientists has discovered a new species of marsupial lion which has been extinct for at least 19 million years. The findings, published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, are based on fossilised remains of the animal's skull, teeth, and humerus (upper arm bone) found by University of New South Wales (UNSW) scientists in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area of remote north-western Queensland.
Named in honour of palaeoartist Peter Schouten, Wakaleo schouteni was a predator that stalked Australia's abundant rainforests some 18 to 26 million years ago in the late Oligocene to early Miocene era. This meat-eating marsupial is estimated to have been about the size of a dog and weighed around 23 kilograms.
The new species is about a fifth of the weight of the largest and last surviving marsupial lion, Thylacoleo carnifex, that weighed in at around 130 kilograms and which has been extinct for 30,000 years. Members of this family, the Thylacoleonidae, had highly distinct large, blade-like, flesh-cutting premolars that they used to tear up prey.
The discovery comes just a year after the fossilised remains of a kitten-sized marsupial lion were found in the same famous fossil site in Queensland. The UNSW scientists named that miniature predator Microleo attenboroughi after broadcasting legend Sir David Attenborough.
With this new find, the researchers believe that two different species of marsupial lion were present in the late Oligocene at least 25 million years ago. The other, originally named Priscileo pitikantensis, but renamed Wakaleo pitikantensis, was slightly smaller and was identified from teeth and limb bones discovered near Lake Pitikanta in South Australia in 1961.
This latest discovery reveals that the new species (W. schouteni) exhibits many skull and dental features of the genus Wakaleo but it also shared a number of similarities with P. pitikantensis -- particularly the presence of three upper premolars and four molars, previously the diagnostic feature of Priscileo. Further similarities of the teeth and humerus which are shared with W. schouteni indicate that P. pitikantensis is a species of Wakaleo.
According to the authors, these dental similarities distinguish W. schouteni and W. pitikantensis from later species of this genus, all of which show premolar and molar reduction, and suggest that they are the most primitive members of the genus.
Lead author Dr Anna Gillespie, a palaeontologist from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia says that the latest finding raises new questions about the evolutionary relationships of marsupial lions: "The identification of these new species have brought to light a level of marsupial lion diversity that was quite unexpected and suggest even deeper origins for the family."
Anna K. Gillespie, Michael Archer, Suzanne J. Hand. A new Oligo–Miocene marsupial lion from Australia and revision of the family Thylacoleonidae. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 2017; 1 DOI: 10.1080/14772019.2017.1391885
Reconstruction of Wakaleo schouteni challenging the thylacinid Nimbacinus dicksoni over a kangaroo carcass in the late Oligocene forest at Riversleigh. Credit: Illustration by Peter Schouten in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology
December 6, 2017
A team of Australian scientists has discovered a new species of marsupial lion which has been extinct for at least 19 million years. The findings, published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, are based on fossilised remains of the animal's skull, teeth, and humerus (upper arm bone) found by University of New South Wales (UNSW) scientists in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area of remote north-western Queensland.
Named in honour of palaeoartist Peter Schouten, Wakaleo schouteni was a predator that stalked Australia's abundant rainforests some 18 to 26 million years ago in the late Oligocene to early Miocene era. This meat-eating marsupial is estimated to have been about the size of a dog and weighed around 23 kilograms.
The new species is about a fifth of the weight of the largest and last surviving marsupial lion, Thylacoleo carnifex, that weighed in at around 130 kilograms and which has been extinct for 30,000 years. Members of this family, the Thylacoleonidae, had highly distinct large, blade-like, flesh-cutting premolars that they used to tear up prey.
The discovery comes just a year after the fossilised remains of a kitten-sized marsupial lion were found in the same famous fossil site in Queensland. The UNSW scientists named that miniature predator Microleo attenboroughi after broadcasting legend Sir David Attenborough.
With this new find, the researchers believe that two different species of marsupial lion were present in the late Oligocene at least 25 million years ago. The other, originally named Priscileo pitikantensis, but renamed Wakaleo pitikantensis, was slightly smaller and was identified from teeth and limb bones discovered near Lake Pitikanta in South Australia in 1961.
This latest discovery reveals that the new species (W. schouteni) exhibits many skull and dental features of the genus Wakaleo but it also shared a number of similarities with P. pitikantensis -- particularly the presence of three upper premolars and four molars, previously the diagnostic feature of Priscileo. Further similarities of the teeth and humerus which are shared with W. schouteni indicate that P. pitikantensis is a species of Wakaleo.
According to the authors, these dental similarities distinguish W. schouteni and W. pitikantensis from later species of this genus, all of which show premolar and molar reduction, and suggest that they are the most primitive members of the genus.
Lead author Dr Anna Gillespie, a palaeontologist from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia says that the latest finding raises new questions about the evolutionary relationships of marsupial lions: "The identification of these new species have brought to light a level of marsupial lion diversity that was quite unexpected and suggest even deeper origins for the family."
Anna K. Gillespie, Michael Archer, Suzanne J. Hand. A new Oligo–Miocene marsupial lion from Australia and revision of the family Thylacoleonidae. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 2017; 1 DOI: 10.1080/14772019.2017.1391885
Reconstruction of Wakaleo schouteni challenging the thylacinid Nimbacinus dicksoni over a kangaroo carcass in the late Oligocene forest at Riversleigh. Credit: Illustration by Peter Schouten in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology
Surprise In The Kangaroo Family Tree
December 4, 2017Ironically, it is jumping genes that indicate the need for a reorganization of the kangaroos' phylogenetic tree. According to a new study by a Senckenberg scientist, published recently in the journal "Scientific Reports," the swamp wallaby is more closely related to the remaining wallaby species and the large red and grey kangaroos and wallaroos than previously assumed. Together with her Australian colleagues from QUT in Brisbane, the researcher was the first to examine the relationships within the kangaroo genus Macropus on the basis of retrotransposons, genes that literally jump across the genetic material.
Like their larger relatives, the kangaroos, the smaller wallabies are an iconic part of the fauna "down under." Even the Australian National Rugby Team is named after them. However, one wallaby stands out among the rest -- the swamp wallaby. It is the only marsupial that is able to switch to "turbo speed" during reproduction, becoming pregnant again before giving birth to the first set of offspring. The animal, which is widespread on the east coast of Australia, also differs from the other wallabies in its appearance, e.g., the shape of its teeth and its more crouched hop.
Until now, the swamp wallaby was placed in its own genus, Wallabia, which only comprises one single species. However, this outsider role is actually not justified -- as recently shown by the molecular-genetic studies at the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre.
"At the genetic level, the swamp wallaby does not represent a sister genus to the other wallabies, but it belongs to the genus Macropus, like all remaining wallaby species. Thus, it is not only more closely related to the other wallabies than previously thought, but also to Australia's icons, the large red and grey kangaroos and the wallaroos," explains Dr. Maria Nilsson, head of the study.
Of all things, it was retrotransposons -- genes that literally jump across the genetic material -- that shed new light on the relationships among wallabies and kangaroos. These mobile genetic elements are able to make copies of themselves and reinsert these at a different location in the genome. If they occur in the same areas in different species, these species have a common ancestry.
Nilsson elaborates: "Therefore, such jumping genes are also referred to as molecular fossils, which allow inferences on the phylogenetic history. They occur in almost all organisms; due to their properties, they have gained an increasing importance in evolutionary research in recent years."
According to the analysis, the modern subgenera of the kangaroo genus Macropus as well as the swamp wallaby subsequently evolved from a common ancestor approximately five to seven million years ago. During this time period, the forests in Australia began to open up, many later being replaced by spreading grasslands. This habitat was colonized by new species of large red and grey kangaroos and wallaroos. "The wallabies and the swamp wallaby arose at a later date, and they inhabit woodlands," says Nilsson.
Even in this genetic analysis, the swamp wallaby retains a special status. Although it now falls within the genus Macropus, it constitutes a subgenus within it -- and, not surprisingly, this subgenus only consists of one lone species.
The research also still leaves some mystery to be solved as fellow researcher, Matthew Phillips, Associate Professor at the Queenland University of Technology points out in conclusion: "Although we show that the swamp wallaby clearly falls within Macropus, we also found some evidence for a small portion of it' s genome being a relic of an ancient, now extinct kangaroo. It might be interesting to investigate this further."
William G. Dodt, Susanne Gallus, Matthew J. Phillips, Maria A. Nilsson. Resolving kangaroo phylogeny and overcoming retrotransposon ascertainment bias. Scientific Reports, 2017; 7 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16148-0
The swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) is more closely related to the remaining wallaby species and the large red and grey kangaroos and wallaroos than previously assumed.
December 4, 2017
Ironically, it is jumping genes that indicate the need for a reorganization of the kangaroos' phylogenetic tree. According to a new study by a Senckenberg scientist, published recently in the journal "Scientific Reports," the swamp wallaby is more closely related to the remaining wallaby species and the large red and grey kangaroos and wallaroos than previously assumed. Together with her Australian colleagues from QUT in Brisbane, the researcher was the first to examine the relationships within the kangaroo genus Macropus on the basis of retrotransposons, genes that literally jump across the genetic material.
Like their larger relatives, the kangaroos, the smaller wallabies are an iconic part of the fauna "down under." Even the Australian National Rugby Team is named after them. However, one wallaby stands out among the rest -- the swamp wallaby. It is the only marsupial that is able to switch to "turbo speed" during reproduction, becoming pregnant again before giving birth to the first set of offspring. The animal, which is widespread on the east coast of Australia, also differs from the other wallabies in its appearance, e.g., the shape of its teeth and its more crouched hop.
Until now, the swamp wallaby was placed in its own genus, Wallabia, which only comprises one single species. However, this outsider role is actually not justified -- as recently shown by the molecular-genetic studies at the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre.
"At the genetic level, the swamp wallaby does not represent a sister genus to the other wallabies, but it belongs to the genus Macropus, like all remaining wallaby species. Thus, it is not only more closely related to the other wallabies than previously thought, but also to Australia's icons, the large red and grey kangaroos and the wallaroos," explains Dr. Maria Nilsson, head of the study.
Of all things, it was retrotransposons -- genes that literally jump across the genetic material -- that shed new light on the relationships among wallabies and kangaroos. These mobile genetic elements are able to make copies of themselves and reinsert these at a different location in the genome. If they occur in the same areas in different species, these species have a common ancestry.
Nilsson elaborates: "Therefore, such jumping genes are also referred to as molecular fossils, which allow inferences on the phylogenetic history. They occur in almost all organisms; due to their properties, they have gained an increasing importance in evolutionary research in recent years."
According to the analysis, the modern subgenera of the kangaroo genus Macropus as well as the swamp wallaby subsequently evolved from a common ancestor approximately five to seven million years ago. During this time period, the forests in Australia began to open up, many later being replaced by spreading grasslands. This habitat was colonized by new species of large red and grey kangaroos and wallaroos. "The wallabies and the swamp wallaby arose at a later date, and they inhabit woodlands," says Nilsson.
Even in this genetic analysis, the swamp wallaby retains a special status. Although it now falls within the genus Macropus, it constitutes a subgenus within it -- and, not surprisingly, this subgenus only consists of one lone species.
The research also still leaves some mystery to be solved as fellow researcher, Matthew Phillips, Associate Professor at the Queenland University of Technology points out in conclusion: "Although we show that the swamp wallaby clearly falls within Macropus, we also found some evidence for a small portion of it' s genome being a relic of an ancient, now extinct kangaroo. It might be interesting to investigate this further."
William G. Dodt, Susanne Gallus, Matthew J. Phillips, Maria A. Nilsson. Resolving kangaroo phylogeny and overcoming retrotransposon ascertainment bias. Scientific Reports, 2017; 7 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16148-0
The swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) is more closely related to the remaining wallaby species and the large red and grey kangaroos and wallaroos than previously assumed.
Ice Core May Unlock Secrets Of Australia’s Wild Weather
4th December 2017Scientists hope a deep field mission to recover a 2000 year old Antarctic ice core will shed light on the long-term influences that impact Australian weather and climate.
Preparations to set up an ice core drilling camp at Mount Brown, 330 kilometres inland of Australia's Davis research station, began over the weekend.
Five researchers and two deep field support specialists will spend 50 days drilling a core to a depth of around 350 metres this summer.
The Australian Antarctic Program project is led by Dr Tessa Vance from the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre.
Dr Vance said there is little information on how weather patterns formed in the Indian Ocean have changed over time periods longer than a few decades, and how this then impacts Australia.
“The region is known as a ‘cyclone nursery’ as it’s where many storms are ‘born’ before they head from west to east across the Southern Ocean and impact both Australia and East Antarctica.”
“A new ice core record from Mount Brown South will provide us with a snapshot of the climate history of the Indian Ocean and hopefully an insight into climate variability in Australia over the last one to two millennia.”
Loading up the Twin Otter with gear for the field camp. (Photo: Paul Vallelonga)
The Mt Brown camp site. (Photo: Australian Antarctic Division)
The chemical constituents in Antarctic ice cores including traces of hydrogen and oxygen, sulphur from volcanoes, and sea salts, along with the amount of snowfall per year, provide information on past climate and climate processes.
In 2015, scientists developed a 1000 year record of drought in eastern Australia from the existing Law Dome ice core.
“The Law Dome record showed us that prolonged droughts in eastern Australia are part of the natural climate cycle,” Dr Vance said.
“We hope an ice core from Mount Brown will provide us with another snapshot of climate variability in the Indian and south west Pacific Oceans, and more insight into long-term climate variability in Australia.”
The scientists have used satellite and continental surveys gathered over many years to find the best drill location in East Antarctica.
The ice cores will be brought back to Australia in March on the icebreaker Aurora Australis.
Ice cores including traces of hydrogen and oxygen, sulphur from volcanoes, and sea salts. (Photo: Tas van Ommen)
The team sailed to Davis research station on the Aurora Australis. (Photo: Martin Walch)
4th December 2017
Scientists hope a deep field mission to recover a 2000 year old Antarctic ice core will shed light on the long-term influences that impact Australian weather and climate.
Preparations to set up an ice core drilling camp at Mount Brown, 330 kilometres inland of Australia's Davis research station, began over the weekend.
Five researchers and two deep field support specialists will spend 50 days drilling a core to a depth of around 350 metres this summer.
The Australian Antarctic Program project is led by Dr Tessa Vance from the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre.
Dr Vance said there is little information on how weather patterns formed in the Indian Ocean have changed over time periods longer than a few decades, and how this then impacts Australia.
“The region is known as a ‘cyclone nursery’ as it’s where many storms are ‘born’ before they head from west to east across the Southern Ocean and impact both Australia and East Antarctica.”
“A new ice core record from Mount Brown South will provide us with a snapshot of the climate history of the Indian Ocean and hopefully an insight into climate variability in Australia over the last one to two millennia.”
Loading up the Twin Otter with gear for the field camp. (Photo: Paul Vallelonga)
The Mt Brown camp site. (Photo: Australian Antarctic Division)
The chemical constituents in Antarctic ice cores including traces of hydrogen and oxygen, sulphur from volcanoes, and sea salts, along with the amount of snowfall per year, provide information on past climate and climate processes.
In 2015, scientists developed a 1000 year record of drought in eastern Australia from the existing Law Dome ice core.
“The Law Dome record showed us that prolonged droughts in eastern Australia are part of the natural climate cycle,” Dr Vance said.
“We hope an ice core from Mount Brown will provide us with another snapshot of climate variability in the Indian and south west Pacific Oceans, and more insight into long-term climate variability in Australia.”
The scientists have used satellite and continental surveys gathered over many years to find the best drill location in East Antarctica.
The ice cores will be brought back to Australia in March on the icebreaker Aurora Australis.
Ice cores including traces of hydrogen and oxygen, sulphur from volcanoes, and sea salts. (Photo: Tas van Ommen)
The team sailed to Davis research station on the Aurora Australis. (Photo: Martin Walch)
As Parks Become Backyards, Smart Street Furniture Essential
December 7, 2017: by Lucy Carroll, UNSW
An interdisciplinary team from UNSW will give parks and urban spaces in the Georges River area a makeover as part of the federal government's Smart Cities and Suburbs Program.
Public spaces in south Sydney will be transformed by urban planners and industrial designers from UNSW Sydney as part of the first federal grants awarded by the Smart Cities and Suburbs Program.
The UNSW Built Environment interdisciplinary team was awarded more than $650,000 to work with Georges River City Council to install "responsive" technology such as smart sensors on street furniture and amenities to monitor and respond in real time to their use.
Senior Lecturer Nancy Marshall said the project, Smart Social Spaces: Smart Street Furniture Supporting Social Health, would respond to the pressures of high urban density and apartment living resulting in parks and plazas being used as urban backyards.
Marshall said the 18-month project would involve using social media and behaviour mapping to track foot traffic and movement patterns to capture data on how often public space was used.
"We are asking people to live in two-bedroom apartments with families so the need for healthy open local spaces is critical. There is so much opportunity for smart cities to improve efficiencies from council service providers so people do feel comfortable going to local parks with great facilities," Marshall said.
The team will install digital Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to measure sound, use and flow of water on picnic tables, bins, barbeques, seats, ash receptacles, bubblers and lights to get immediate data sent to the council.
"The aim is for the council to receive live messages, for example sensors on bins will detect fullness, register if ash receptacles are overheating or if a street bollard is damaged. This will help providers to know exactly which bins are ready to be emptied and when to send service teams out," Marshall said.
New-generation bins use fullness-level sensors and software to alert providers when collection is needed. Photo: Solar Bins Australia
The project's co-lead, Industrial Design Senior Lecturer Dr Christian Tietz, will design a range of public furniture prototypes for the local parks that will include cooking facilities, water, WiFi and shaded seating that asks users to log in or authorise them to use equipment via a unique identifier.
Marshall said the team would be mentored by the city of Tel Aviv, a hub for smart city technology that has pioneered personalised "digital cards" that give real-time notifications about what's happening in a neighbourhood and free WiFi across the city.
The project also includes Nancy Marshall, Kate Bishop, Linda Corkery, Christine Steinmetz, Susan Thompson, Miles Park and Homa Rahmat from UNSW Built Environment.
December 7, 2017: by Lucy Carroll, UNSW
An interdisciplinary team from UNSW will give parks and urban spaces in the Georges River area a makeover as part of the federal government's Smart Cities and Suburbs Program.
Public spaces in south Sydney will be transformed by urban planners and industrial designers from UNSW Sydney as part of the first federal grants awarded by the Smart Cities and Suburbs Program.
The UNSW Built Environment interdisciplinary team was awarded more than $650,000 to work with Georges River City Council to install "responsive" technology such as smart sensors on street furniture and amenities to monitor and respond in real time to their use.
Senior Lecturer Nancy Marshall said the project, Smart Social Spaces: Smart Street Furniture Supporting Social Health, would respond to the pressures of high urban density and apartment living resulting in parks and plazas being used as urban backyards.
Marshall said the 18-month project would involve using social media and behaviour mapping to track foot traffic and movement patterns to capture data on how often public space was used.
"We are asking people to live in two-bedroom apartments with families so the need for healthy open local spaces is critical. There is so much opportunity for smart cities to improve efficiencies from council service providers so people do feel comfortable going to local parks with great facilities," Marshall said.
The team will install digital Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to measure sound, use and flow of water on picnic tables, bins, barbeques, seats, ash receptacles, bubblers and lights to get immediate data sent to the council.
"The aim is for the council to receive live messages, for example sensors on bins will detect fullness, register if ash receptacles are overheating or if a street bollard is damaged. This will help providers to know exactly which bins are ready to be emptied and when to send service teams out," Marshall said.
New-generation bins use fullness-level sensors and software to alert providers when collection is needed. Photo: Solar Bins Australia
The project's co-lead, Industrial Design Senior Lecturer Dr Christian Tietz, will design a range of public furniture prototypes for the local parks that will include cooking facilities, water, WiFi and shaded seating that asks users to log in or authorise them to use equipment via a unique identifier.
Marshall said the team would be mentored by the city of Tel Aviv, a hub for smart city technology that has pioneered personalised "digital cards" that give real-time notifications about what's happening in a neighbourhood and free WiFi across the city.
The project also includes Nancy Marshall, Kate Bishop, Linda Corkery, Christine Steinmetz, Susan Thompson, Miles Park and Homa Rahmat from UNSW Built Environment.
Green Talent Recognised With International Award
December 6, 2017: University of Tasmania
One of the world’s leading young environmental researchers has chosen to continue her ground-breaking work at the Australian Maritime College.
Pratiksha Srivastava, who was working at the Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar, India, is one of 25 winners of theInternational Green Talent Awards.
General Director Matthias Graf von Kielmansegg and Green Talent Pratiksha Srivastava. © DLR-PT / Hans-Christian Plambeck
Conferred under the patronage of the German Research Minister, Professor Johanna Wanka, the awards provide young researchers with a platform for sharing their views on green concepts to improve environmental sustainability.
A high-ranking jury of experts selected 25 up and coming scientists out of 602 applicants from more than 95 countries. Their prize is one of the coveted tickets to go to the Green Talents – International Forum for High Potentials in Sustainable Development.
Raised in a small village in India, Ms Srivastava has drawn on her personal experiences to direct her career into wastewater treatment and sanitation technologies with the aim of improving the lives of villagers in her home country.
“Coming from a small village, I was aware of the villagers’ situation. Most of the time they and their cattle share the same water resources for drinking, bathing and other tasks,” she said.
“While pursuing my university education, I learned more about environmental issues and was fascinated to study these issues in detail to try and solve these problems for the villagers.”
Ms Srivastava identified a number of constraints to improving the quality of life in Indian villages including the lack of technical know-how, very poor infrastructure, a shortage of electricity and poverty.
She recognised the implementation of a low-cost solution for wastewater treatment and sanitation was likely to be one of the best options to improve the situation.
Ms Srivastava focussed on constructed wetlands, which is a low-cost and simple technology, appropriate for Indian conditions.
A series of shallow, densely-planted man-made ponds, constructed wetlands help filter water through physical and biological processes. They can run on solar energy without the need for any chemical and mechanical equipment, have almost no operation and maintenance costs and can be built with local resources.
But while constructed wetland technology has several advantages, it has a slow wastewater treatment rate and a high land-use footprint.
So to improve the performance and speed of treatment in constructed wetlands, Ms Srivastava and her supervisor successfully developed a novel technology named Integrated Constructed Wetlands Microbial Fuel Cell (CW –MFC).
Using this approach, the performance efficiency of the constructed wetlands almost doubled. The CW-MFC has a reduced land-use footprint and in something of a world-first, can generate electricity.
The new technology is gaining much interest at a global level from key constructed wetlands scientists.
Ms Srivastava and her research group also designed and built a unique zero-discharge water recyclable community toilet which is working in Bhubaneswar. It is integrated with constructed wetlands and innovative septic tanks.
Her research deals with biotechnology, microbiology, process engineering, electrochemistry, inorganic chemistry, botany and environmental science and engineering.
Ms Srivastava is now in the early phases of her PhD at AMC, where she is focussing on the development of marine microbial fuel cells for various environmental applications.
“Terrestrial resource based microbial fuel cell technology have limited applications, while marine resources are vast and have enormous potential. I wish to use this technology for marine applications and want to develop next-generation microbial fuel cells for various applications using marine resources like marine bacteria or marine sludge,” she said.
While it’s a long way from her home in India, Ms Srivastava is excited by the opportunity to study at AMC, after hearing about the institution through a colleague and then researching it on the internet.
“The University of Tasmania’s AMC is providing me with world-class facilities and expertise for doing and improving my work.”
Ms Srivastava’s PhD is supervised by Drs Vikram Garaniya and Rouzbeh Abbassi from AMC, and Dr Trevor Lewis from the School of Physical Sciences.
“My supervisors have vast experience and are very supportive. In fact, I cannot progress much further in the work without the significant support of AMC lecturers and staff,” she said.
Dr Garaniya is proud the AMC has attracted such a highly talented scholar and grateful for funding support through the Tasmanian Community Fund to enable Ms Srivastava to take up the PhD opportunity.
For Ms Srivastava, studying a PhD at AMC provides the chance to bridge a gap in her research and collaborate with experts, but perhaps more importantly, allows her to develop technologies that will significantly improve the lives of people around the world.
“I am really hopeful that our work will lead to innovative microbial fuel cells based technology which will solve some of the wastewater treatment and other environmental problems as it will be cheaper, faster and easily manageable.”
December 6, 2017: University of Tasmania
One of the world’s leading young environmental researchers has chosen to continue her ground-breaking work at the Australian Maritime College.
Pratiksha Srivastava, who was working at the Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar, India, is one of 25 winners of theInternational Green Talent Awards.
General Director Matthias Graf von Kielmansegg and Green Talent Pratiksha Srivastava. © DLR-PT / Hans-Christian Plambeck
Conferred under the patronage of the German Research Minister, Professor Johanna Wanka, the awards provide young researchers with a platform for sharing their views on green concepts to improve environmental sustainability.
A high-ranking jury of experts selected 25 up and coming scientists out of 602 applicants from more than 95 countries. Their prize is one of the coveted tickets to go to the Green Talents – International Forum for High Potentials in Sustainable Development.
Raised in a small village in India, Ms Srivastava has drawn on her personal experiences to direct her career into wastewater treatment and sanitation technologies with the aim of improving the lives of villagers in her home country.
“Coming from a small village, I was aware of the villagers’ situation. Most of the time they and their cattle share the same water resources for drinking, bathing and other tasks,” she said.
“While pursuing my university education, I learned more about environmental issues and was fascinated to study these issues in detail to try and solve these problems for the villagers.”
Ms Srivastava identified a number of constraints to improving the quality of life in Indian villages including the lack of technical know-how, very poor infrastructure, a shortage of electricity and poverty.
She recognised the implementation of a low-cost solution for wastewater treatment and sanitation was likely to be one of the best options to improve the situation.
Ms Srivastava focussed on constructed wetlands, which is a low-cost and simple technology, appropriate for Indian conditions.
A series of shallow, densely-planted man-made ponds, constructed wetlands help filter water through physical and biological processes. They can run on solar energy without the need for any chemical and mechanical equipment, have almost no operation and maintenance costs and can be built with local resources.
But while constructed wetland technology has several advantages, it has a slow wastewater treatment rate and a high land-use footprint.
So to improve the performance and speed of treatment in constructed wetlands, Ms Srivastava and her supervisor successfully developed a novel technology named Integrated Constructed Wetlands Microbial Fuel Cell (CW –MFC).
Using this approach, the performance efficiency of the constructed wetlands almost doubled. The CW-MFC has a reduced land-use footprint and in something of a world-first, can generate electricity.
The new technology is gaining much interest at a global level from key constructed wetlands scientists.
Ms Srivastava and her research group also designed and built a unique zero-discharge water recyclable community toilet which is working in Bhubaneswar. It is integrated with constructed wetlands and innovative septic tanks.
Her research deals with biotechnology, microbiology, process engineering, electrochemistry, inorganic chemistry, botany and environmental science and engineering.
Ms Srivastava is now in the early phases of her PhD at AMC, where she is focussing on the development of marine microbial fuel cells for various environmental applications.
“Terrestrial resource based microbial fuel cell technology have limited applications, while marine resources are vast and have enormous potential. I wish to use this technology for marine applications and want to develop next-generation microbial fuel cells for various applications using marine resources like marine bacteria or marine sludge,” she said.
While it’s a long way from her home in India, Ms Srivastava is excited by the opportunity to study at AMC, after hearing about the institution through a colleague and then researching it on the internet.
“The University of Tasmania’s AMC is providing me with world-class facilities and expertise for doing and improving my work.”
Ms Srivastava’s PhD is supervised by Drs Vikram Garaniya and Rouzbeh Abbassi from AMC, and Dr Trevor Lewis from the School of Physical Sciences.
“My supervisors have vast experience and are very supportive. In fact, I cannot progress much further in the work without the significant support of AMC lecturers and staff,” she said.
Dr Garaniya is proud the AMC has attracted such a highly talented scholar and grateful for funding support through the Tasmanian Community Fund to enable Ms Srivastava to take up the PhD opportunity.
For Ms Srivastava, studying a PhD at AMC provides the chance to bridge a gap in her research and collaborate with experts, but perhaps more importantly, allows her to develop technologies that will significantly improve the lives of people around the world.
“I am really hopeful that our work will lead to innovative microbial fuel cells based technology which will solve some of the wastewater treatment and other environmental problems as it will be cheaper, faster and easily manageable.”
Avalon Boomerang Bags: An Idea That's Spreading To Stop Plastic Bag Use
Avalon Boomerang Bags
Tuesdays
11am-5pm @ sewcraft cook Unit 20/14 Polo Ave Mona Vale
Boomerang Bags is a bag-share initiative involving the installation of a number of ‘Boomerang Bag’ boxes throughout any given business district, shopping centre, street or market. Each box is stocked with re-useable bags for customers to borrow if they have forgotten to bring their own.
Unlike the traditional purchase-and-keep approach, Boomerang Bags are free, and local community members are responsible for returning the bags once they’re no longer required. The availability of free re-useable bags reduces the reliance of local businesses to supply bags to all customers, and encourages a mentality of re-use among local communities, thereby reducing the amount of plastic bag material entering our landfills and waterways.
So who makes the Boomerang Bags? Well, you do! Boomerang Bags are made by local communities for local communities, and are sewn from recycled and donated materials.
Get in touch if you'd like to donate materials, join us making bags, or implement Boomerang Bags in your own local area!
Tuesdays
11am-5pm @ sewcraft cook
Unit 20/14 Polo Ave Mona Vale
Boomerang Bags is a bag-share initiative involving the installation of a number of ‘Boomerang Bag’ boxes throughout any given business district, shopping centre, street or market. Each box is stocked with re-useable bags for customers to borrow if they have forgotten to bring their own.
Unlike the traditional purchase-and-keep approach, Boomerang Bags are free, and local community members are responsible for returning the bags once they’re no longer required. The availability of free re-useable bags reduces the reliance of local businesses to supply bags to all customers, and encourages a mentality of re-use among local communities, thereby reducing the amount of plastic bag material entering our landfills and waterways.
So who makes the Boomerang Bags? Well, you do! Boomerang Bags are made by local communities for local communities, and are sewn from recycled and donated materials.
Get in touch if you'd like to donate materials, join us making bags, or implement Boomerang Bags in your own local area!
Women In NSW Living Longer And Healthier Lives
December 5, 2017: Media Release - Minister for Women and Minister for Mental Health, The Hon. Tanya Davies
The latest snap shot of the health of women in NSW will be released today in the Women in NSW Report Series 2017: Health and Wellbeing.
Minister for Women and Minister for Mental Health Tanya Davies said while the health of women across the state is improving, the NSW Government and the community need to continue to work together to improve health education and access to services.
“Overall women in NSW are participating in physical activity more than ever, and the number of female smokers has now halved since 2002,” Mrs Davies said.
“However there are still factors such as where women live, Aboriginality and socioeconomic status that impact the overall health of women in NSW.”
The Health and Wellbeing Report revealed the current leading cause of death for women in NSW aged between 25-44 years of age is injury and poisoning, while for women 45-74 years of age it is cancer.
The report has been released by the NSW Government and examines health factors for women both over time and compared with men.
“Last year almost 20 per cent of women aged 16 years or older engaged in risky drinking behaviours, which is classified as two or more standard drinks a day, this is compared to over 40 per cent for men,” Mrs Davies said.
The full report will be launched at a forum in Sydney this morning, where a panel of experts will discuss health and wellbeing issues for women in NSW. Panelists include:
- Professor Julie Byles, Director, Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health
- Pauline DeWeerd, Director, Aboriginal Health, St Vincent’s Health Network
- Scientia Professor Helen Christensen, Director and Chief Scientist, Black Dog Institute
- Dr Jo Mitchell, Executive Director, Centre for Population Health, NSW Ministry of Health.
The entire Women in NSW Report Series 2017: Health and Wellbeing will be available online at www.women.nsw.gov.au from 12.30pm today.
Other findings of the report include:
- A significant decline in deaths from coronary heart disease
- Aboriginal women and culturally and linguistically diverse women are less likely to access breast cancer screening services
- One in four women in NSW die as a result of cancer
- Fewer teenagers are giving birth, falling from 3,099 in 2011 to 2,377 in 2015.
- In the two years to December 2016, 55.9% of women aged 20 to 69 years received a pap test (cervical cancer screening)
- Young women aged 16 to 24 years who were current smokers declined from 28.1% in 2002 to 14.1% in 2016
- A total fertility rate of 1.8 children per woman in NSW, slightly lower in metro areas and slightly higher in remote areas
- 13.6% of all women reported experiencing high or very high levels of psychological distress, with the figure increasing to 21.6% for women aged 16 to 24 years.
Living On Thin Air -- Microbe Mystery Solved
December 6, 2017: UNSW
UNSW-Sydney led scientists have discovered that microbes in Antarctica have a previously unknown ability to scavenge hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide from the air to stay alive in the extreme conditions.
The find has implications for the search for life on other planets, suggesting extra-terrestrial microbes could also rely on trace atmospheric gases for survival.
"Antarctica is one of the most extreme environments on Earth. Yet the cold, dark and dry desert regions are home to a surprisingly rich diversity of microbial communities," says study senior author and UNSW scientist Associate Professor Belinda Ferrari.
"The big question has been how the microbes can survive when there is little water, the soils are very low in organic carbon and there is very little capacity to produce energy from the sun via photosynthesis during the winter darkness.
"We found that the Antarctic microbes have evolved mechanisms to live on air instead, and they can get most of the energy and carbon they need by scavenging trace atmospheric gases, including hydrogen and carbon monoxide," she says.
Adams Flat, one of the two sites in Antarctica where microbes were collected. Credit: Phil O'Brien
The Australasian-based study, by researchers at UNSW, Monash University, the Australian Centre for Ecogenomics at the University of Queensland, GNS Science in New Zealand, and the Australian Antarctic Division, is published in the journal Nature.
Soil samples were collected from two coastal ice-free sites in different regions of eastern Antarctica. One was Robinson Ridge, 10 kilometres from Casey Station, in Wilkes land. The other was Adams Flat, 242 kilometres from Davis Station in Princes Elizabeth Land.
"Both areas are pristine polar deserts devoid of any vascular plants," says Associate Professor Ferrari, of the UNSW School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences.
The researchers studied the microbial DNA in the surface soil from both sites and reconstructed the genomes of 23 of the microbes that lived there, including some of the first genomes of two groups of previously unknown bacteria called WPS-2 and AD3.
They found the dominant species in the soils had genes which gave them a high affinity for hydrogen and carbon monoxide, allowing them to remove the trace gases from the air at a high enough rate to sustain their predicted energy needs and support primary production.
"This new understanding about how life can still exist in physically extreme and nutrient-starved environments like Antarctica opens up the possibility of atmospheric gases supporting life on other planets," says Associate Professor Ferrari.
Most organisms use energy from the sun or the earth to grow. More research is needed to see if this novel use of atmospheric gases as an alternative energy source is more widespread in Antarctica and elsewhere, the scientists say.
Mukan Ji, Chris Greening, Inka Vanwonterghem, Carlo R. Carere, Sean K. Bay, Jason A. Steen, Kate Montgomery, Thomas Lines, John Beardall, Josie van Dorst, Ian Snape, Matthew B. Stott, Philip Hugenholtz, Belinda C. Ferrari. Atmospheric trace gases support primary production in Antarctic desert surface soil. Nature, 2017; DOI: 10.1038/nature25014
State Of The (Innovation) Nation
6 December 2017: Media Release - The Hon Craig Laundy MP, Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science
There are more than 10,000 high-growth firms in Australia at any given time and these firms make a disproportionate contribution to the country’s jobs and growth, according to an Australian Government report released today.
Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Craig Laundy, said the latest annual Australian Innovation System Report found innovation is a key driver of high-growth firms.
“Since 2010, the Australian Innovation System Report series has been tracking the performance of core components of the innovation system,” Mr Laundy said.
“The 2017 report uses newly obtained data from the Business Longitudinal Analysis Data Environment (BLADE) to analyse the phenomenon of high-growth firms in Australia.
“The report shows that innovation-active firms are more likely to report increases in sales, profitability, productivity, firm, size and other growth-related measures than firms which do not innovate. That is why the government’s innovation and science agenda is so important.
“Our successful adoption of digital technology is fundamental in boosting productivity growth and maintaining global competitiveness.”
Report key findings:
- Innovation has a positive effect on firm growth. Across all firms, product innovation is estimated to lift turnover growth by 3.3 percentage points.
- In 2015–16, an estimated 48.7 per cent of all employing firms were innovation-active. These firms are distributed broadly across all industries, with the highest proportion found in manufacturing.
- High-growth firms make a disproportionate economic contribution to sales and jobs growth, compared to other firms.
- High-growth firms are difficult to predict and rarely sustain high rates of growth for more than four years.
- The proportion of high-growth firms in the economy has been in decline since the global financial crisis. However, the proportion of high-growth firms in Australia is still above average among OECD countries.
“The report provides new insights into the importance of business growth and innovation,” Mr Laundy said.
“The Australian Government is working to ensure we have the right conditions to ensure high-growth firms can continue to thrive.”
The Australian Innovation System Report is available online at
Revising The Story Of The Dispersal Of Modern Humans Across Eurasia
December 7, 2017
Map of sites and postulated migratory pathways associated with modern humans dispersing across Asia during the Late Pleistocene. Credit: Bae et al. 2017. On the origin of modern humans: Asian perspectives. Science. Image by: Katerina Douka and Michelle O'Reilly
Most people are now familiar with the traditional "Out of Africa" model: modern humans evolved in Africa and then dispersed across Asia and reached Australia in a single wave about 60,000 years ago. However, technological advances in DNA analysis and other fossil identification techniques, as well as an emphasis on multidisciplinary research, are revising this story. Recent discoveries show that humans left Africa multiple times prior to 60,000 years ago, and that they interbred with other hominins in many locations across Eurasia.
A review of recent research on dispersals by early modern humans from Africa to Asia by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History and the University of Hawai'i at Manoa confirms that the traditional view of a single dispersal of anatomically modern humans out of Africa around 60,000 years ago can no longer be seen as the full story. The analysis, published in the journal Science, reviews the plethora of new discoveries being reported from Asia over the past decade, which were made possible by technological advances and interdisciplinary collaborations, and shows that Homo sapiens reached distant parts of the Asian continent, as well as Near Oceania, much earlier than previously thought. Additionally, evidence that modern humans interbred with other hominins already present in Asia, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, complicates the evolutionary history of our species.
New model: Multiple dispersals of modern humans out of Africa, beginning as early as 120,000 years ago
The authors brought together findings from multiple recent studies to refine the picture of human dispersals out of Africa and into Asia. While scientists once thought that humans first left Africa in a single wave of migration about 60,000 years ago, recent studies have identified modern human fossils in far reaches of Asia that are potentially much older. For example, H. sapiens remains have been found at multiple sites in southern and central China that have been dated to between 70,000 and 120,000 years ago. Additional finds indicate that modern humans reached Southeast Asia and Australia prior to 60,000 years ago.
However, other recent studies do confirm that all present-day non-African populations branched off from a single ancestral population in Africa approximately 60,000 years ago. This could indicate that there were multiple, smaller dispersals of humans out of Africa beginning as early as 120,000 years ago, followed by a major dispersal 60,000 years ago. While the recent dispersal contributed the bulk of the genetic make-up of present-day non-Africans, the earlier dispersals are still evident.
"The initial dispersals out of Africa prior to 60,000 years ago were likely by small groups of foragers, and at least some of these early dispersals left low-level genetic traces in modern human populations. A later, major 'Out of Africa' event most likely occurred around 60,000 years ago or thereafter," explains Michael Petraglia of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
Multiple interbreeding events
Recent genetic research has resolved the question of whether or not modern humans interbred with other ancient hominins -- they definitely did. Modern humans interbred not only with Neanderthals, but also with our recently-discovered relatives the Denisovans, as well as a currently unidentified population of pre-modern hominins. One estimate is that all present-day non-Africans have 1-4% Neanderthal heritage, while another group has estimated that modern Melanesians have an average of 5% Denisovan heritage. In all, it is now clear that modern humans, Neanderthals, Denisovans and perhaps other hominin groups likely overlapped in time and space in Asia, and they certainly had many instances of interaction.
The increasing evidence of interactions suggests that the spread of material culture is also more complicated than previously thought. "Indeed, what we are seeing in the behavioral record is that the spread of so-called modern human behaviors did not occur in a simple time-transgressive process from west to east. Rather, ecological variation needs to be considered in concert with behavioral variation between the different hominin populations present in Asia during the Late Pleistocene," explains Christopher Bae of the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.
In light of these new discoveries, our understanding of human movements across the Old World has become much more complex, and there are still many questions left open. The authors argue for the development of more complicated models of human dispersals and for conducting new research in the many areas of Asia where none has been done to date. Additionally, it will be important to review materials collected prior to the development of modern analytic methods, to see what more can now be learned from them. "Fortunately," states Katerina Douka, also of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, "there have been an increasing number of multidisciplinary research programs launched in Asia over the past few decades. The information that is being reported is helping to fill in the gaps in the evolutionary records."
"It is an exciting time to be involved with interdisciplinary research projects across Asia," adds Bae.
Christopher J. Bae, Katerina Douka, Michael D. Petraglia. On the origin of modern humans: Asian perspectives. Science, 2017; 358 (6368): eaai9067 DOI: 10.1126/science.aai9067