Showing posts with label mainland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mainland. Show all posts

Did Australian Aboriginals Plan to Reach the Continent?

Aborigines were the first out of Africa and first into Asia. Aboriginal Australians left Africa earlier that East Asians and Europeans according to analysis of DNA from a 90-year-old hair sample. Human migration from Africa first began 70,000 years ago. Genome analysis of early Australians presents a picture or isolated pockets of Aboriginal Australians from a small initial group. research, journal, science, hans villarica. roaming area least 24 000 years ancestors present-day europeans asians first live australia according dna results 90-year-old hair sample young man link aborigines first inhabitants part world 50 000 years ago study however first contradict popular theory modern humans came single out-of-africa migration wave europe asia australia does deal huge blow confirming aboriginal australians part first rounds human relocation aboriginal australians descend first human explorers explains lead author university copenhagen professor eske willerslev news release ancestors europeans asians sitting somewhere africa middle east explore their world further ancestors aboriginal australians spread rapidly traversing unknown territory asia finally crossing sea australia gallery up-close aboriginal australian hair specimen landmark study q co-author university california berkeley biologist rasmus nielsen follows learn backstory sample how genome-sequencing works technology led discoveries team's key findings why significant anthropologists long interested finding how humans dispersed agree modern humans evolved africa 50 00 thousand years ago thereafter spread rest world consensus stops anthropologists believe hypothesis so-called southern route idea aboriginal australians descended early wave dispersal modern humans southern asia other population groups africa according theory descendants separate recent wave dispersal others believe one major wave hotly debated aboriginals living australia today descend modern humans area 50,000 years ago resolve debates sequenced genome australian aboriginal 90-year-old hair sample analyzed dna computationally compared genomes individuals other geographic regions found individual must descended early dispersal wave different one leading east asians europeans humans dispersed major waves migration africa our results confirm aboriginal australians descendants first wave migrants reaching australia backstory hair specimen involved acquisition hair sample i've duckworth laboratory collections university cambridge obtained one distinguished anthropologists his generation dr alfred cort haddon 923 according haddon's notes sample obtained golden ridge kalgoorli western australia donor described young man worked together goldfields land sea council represents aboriginal traditional owners goldfields region including cultural possibly biological descendants individual who gave original sample how does genome-sequencing work perhaps can explain analogy genome compared book three billion letters sequencing genome australian aboriginal individual managed all letters book still don't really understand language book written can compare similar books genomes other populations learn differences similarities populations technically easier now ever sequence genomes cut genome many chunks feed chopped-up dna machine tell identity all chunks analogy book book shredded many pieces figure how all pieces fit together first time done human difficult now other humans compare hard analyzed dna hair sample knew individual who count europeans aboriginal australians recent ancestors wanted ensure individual 00 percent aboriginal australian descent talk methodology particularly technology team used type dna sequencing talked earlier called next-generation sequencing developed past five years provided incredible increase amount dna sequencing allowed now routinely sequence genome individual cost computational advances allow extract information dna sequences infer history populations dna accurately study developed computational method estimating divergence times populations single genome representative each population implications study any present-day aboriginal australians any significant political implications rights aboriginal australians hopefully determined genetic issues events happened 50 000 years ago however might satisfying aboriginal australian community occupied land long looking
Ancient seafarers
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New Species Found in Australia

An endangered animal, Antechinus, has two new members. Well, they have been there all along. A team from Queensland University of Technology discovered the Tasman Peninsula Dusky Antechinus (Antechinus vandycki) in south east Tasmania, and nominated the Mainland Dusky Antechinus (Antechinus mimetes). The latter was known to be in New South Wales and Victoria but it is now a species in its own right.
Tasman Peninsula Dusky Antechinus vandycki
The Tasman Antechinus is about 13 cm long with a short tail weighing roughly 90g. It is located in Port Arther, Tasmania. Under threat from clearing of trees it resides in state forest in fragmented groups.  Survival is precarious in the isolated stands.

While uncovering new species is rare in developed countries, new ones are being found in Australia all the time. This is due to the low population density of people in inland Australia. Unfortunately, new species when found are usually in small numbers and under threat.

Antechinus are not helping themselves, though. Males fight to the death every mating season. They literally go sex mad for a few weeks copulating with as many females as possible for up to 14 hours at a time. All males are dead by the time females give birth. This leaves plenty of food for females. Having a glut of insects and spiders secures a good start for the young.
Biology by Ty Buchanan
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Tasmanian Tiger Did Not Fill the Evolutionary NIche of a Dog

It was believed that the Tasmanian Tiger perished in mainland Australia due to the dingo taking over their habitat. New findings show the dingo did not directly compete with the marsupial dog. They had different ways of getting their food.

Dingos were brought to Australia from Asia in recent times. It is not native to Australia. The demise of the Tasmanian tiger on the larger part of Australia 3,000 years ago was coincidental. Settlers in Tasmania feared their cattle and sheep would be slaughtered so they eradicated the quite timid animal in the early twentieth century.

Dingoes are wild dogs that run for long periods running down their prey. Tasmanian tigers were not distance runners. They ambushed sick and young animals. The tiger's skeletal structure was more like cats than dogs, particularly the elbow joint which was feline in character. The dingo has elbows that lock, while the marsupial dog had a flexible joint. This undermines the theory that the Tasmanian tiger filled the evolutionary niche open in Australia due to the absence of a native dog.
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