Australia"s oldest dinosaur was a peaceful vegetarian, not a fierce predator
Ipswich, about 40 kilometers west of Brisbane, seems an unlikely place to find dinosaur fossils. Yet the area has produced the oldest evidence of dinosaurs in Australia......»»
Too many Aussies are starting a family and raising their kids in poverty, researchers say
Australia is a high-income country with universal health, education and social services. But, like many countries around the world, Australia is in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis......»»
Universal antivenom for lethal snake toxins developed by researchers
Scripps Research scientists have developed an antibody that can block the effects of lethal toxins in the venoms of a wide variety of snakes found throughout Africa, Asia and Australia......»»
Fire is a chemical reaction—here"s why Australia is supremely suited to it
Over the last 15 million years, Australia has slowly dried out. After humans arrived more than 65,000 years ago, they learned to use fire to their advantage. Today, fire weather is getting more frequent—and fires are following as the world heats up.....»»
Australia wants navy boats with lots of weapons, but no crew. Will they run afoul of international law?
The Australian Navy is set to be transformed. On top of existing plans for nuclear submarines, the government yesterday announced a scheme for an "enhanced lethality surface combatant fleet" including six new "optionally crewed" vessels......»»
Diving into the secret life of mixed-species dolphin groups in Australia
In-depth research of two of Australia's dolphin species shows how their behaviors have evolved to co-exist and form mixed-species groups in northwestern Australia......»»
Economists have proposed a $100 billion-a-year fossil fuel tax: A debate Australia should embrace
Leading Australian economists Ross Garnaut and Rod Sims this week sought to shake up the carbon policy debate in Australia, by proposing a tax on the nation's fossil fuel production. They claim it could raise A$100 billion in its first year and posit.....»»
Stone Age "megastructure" under Baltic Sea sheds light on strategy used by Paleolithic hunters over 10,000 years ago
Archaeologists have identified what may be Europe's oldest human-made megastructure, submerged 21 meters below the Baltic Sea in the Bay of Mecklenburg, Germany. This structure—which has been named the Blinkerwall—is a continuous low wall made fr.....»»
Australia"s most at-risk bird species share some common traits
Australian birds that live on islands are among the species most at risk of extinction, a first-of-its-kind study from The Australian National University (ANU) has shown. The study is published in the journal Emu—Austral Ornithology......»»
Drowning in "digital debt"? AI assistants can help—but we must use them carefully
In recent days, the "right to disconnect" has entered Australia's legislative agenda. It refers to employees' rights to refuse unreasonable after-hours contact from their employer......»»
Cave art in Patagonia found to be oldest pigment-based cave art in South America
An international team of scientists reports that cave art at a site in Patagonia is the oldest of its type ever found in South America. In their study, published in the journal Science Advances, the group conducted radiocarbon dating of the material.....»»
Application of ultrasound found to greatly speed up motility of human sperm
A team of engineers at Monash University in Australia has found that exposing human sperm to ultrasound can cause them to swim faster. In their study, published in the journal Science Advances, the group exposed human semen samples to ultrasonic wave.....»»
An evolutionarily conserved pathway that achieves a peaceful co-existence with genomic parasites
Transposable elements are mobile genetic elements that can relocate within the genome and disrupt the normal function of genes, but are at the same time a source of evolutionary diversity. The lab of Tugce Aktas at the Max Planck Institute for Molecu.....»»
Australia"s shot-hole borer beetle invasion has begun, but we don"t need to chop down every tree under attack
A new pest attacking Perth's trees threatens to spread across Australia, damaging crops and native forests as well as our urban forest. To control its spread, the Western Australian government is chopping down hundreds of established trees. But these.....»»
A secret war between cane toads and parasitic lungworms is raging across Australia
When the first cane toads were brought from South America to Queensland in 1935, many of the parasites that troubled them were left behind. But deep inside the lungs of at least one of those pioneer toads lurked small nematode lungworms......»»
Imperfect mimicry in spiders and insects mainly shaped by adaptive processes rather than constraints, finds study
Two natural scientists at Macquarie University, working with an evolutionary specialist at the University of New South Wales, all in Australia, have found that imperfect mimicry in spiders and insects is likely mainly shaped by adaptive processes rat.....»»
French fungus as a biocontrol agent against sea spurge in Australia
Field trials have confirmed the successful establishment of Venturia paralias, a biocontrol agent for sea spurge. This line in the sand marks the first time the fungus has established at release sites. It has now begun to spread......»»
Vera Rubin"s keen eye on our solar system will inspire future missions
When the interstellar object (ISO) 'Oumuamua appeared in our solar system in 2017, it generated a ton of interest. The urge to learn more about it was fierce, but unfortunately, there was no way to really do so. It came and went, and we were left to.....»»
Secrets of night parrot unlocked after first genome sequenced
Researchers at CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, have sequenced the first genome of the night parrot, one of the world's rarest and most elusive birds. The development will answer questions about population genetics and biology that could b.....»»
Power of nostalgia: Vintage typography can build emotional connections, influence attitudes, boost willingness to pay
Researchers from University of Newcastle–Australia have published a new Journal of Marketing study that examines how brands can use references to the past via vintage typography to establish emotional bonds with today's consumers......»»
Migrant and refugee children need early education supports, too
Early childhood educators need more support to deliver positive outcomes for Australia's most vulnerable children—including migrant and refugee children—say early childhood experts at the University of South Australia......»»