ISSN 1324-2598
MUSEUM OUT NOW ON DVD
Sex in the Bush is a humorous, touching and ultimately very personal look at the battle of the sexes.
Mild Sexual References
Available from ABC Shops, ABC Centres and Leading DVD Retailers. Visit www.abcshop.com.au or phone 1300 360 111. © 2005 Australian Broadcasting Corporation Natur ustralia up front Summer 2005-2006 Volume 28 Number 7 Published by the Australian Museum Trust 6 College Street, Sydney, SW 20 I 0. Phone: (02) 9320 6000 have a thing for sea urchin once thought to be confined to the Fax: (02) 9320 6073 skeletons-their delicate patterns, burrow but this film footage confirms Web: ,v,v,v.natureaustralia.ncr muted colours and extraordinary that what wombats really want is space. Tru1t President: l3ria11 Sherman Mu1eu111 Director: Frank Howarth symmetry. I always look out for It just goes to show how little we still themI along beaches, often washed up know even about common animals. P11blishi11g .\ !a,wgrr JENNIFER SAUNDERS, B.SC. amongst the kelp. However, I'm Jo Isaac, from James Cook University, c1nail: [email protected] ashamed to admit that, beyond what I looks at another common animal, the Ediror le;irnt in First Year Biology, I knew Common Brushtail Possum, but ones GEORGINA HICKEY, B.SC. very little about the live animals. But with a penchant for the beach. These e111(1il: [email protected] thanks to Jane Williamson, from adaptable possums have taken to life on P//010 Ediror Macquarie University, I now know a Queensland's Magnetic Island amongst KATE LOWE c111J.il: klo,[email protected] lot more. They play a complex and the granite boulders, which make a fine Des(e11 & Prod11aio11 important role in the ecology of marine substitute for tree hollows. And with RUSSELL GIBSON COSTELLO ecosystems but are also sought after for little competition on the island, they c111ail: [email protected] their roe (eggs). Jane hopes to address arc thriving. Jo is studying these beach Ad,,errisi11,Q this imbalance with the development of brushtails with an eye to extending her KEN HILL/l3U I ESS MAGAZINES J echiniculture in Australia. J honc: (07) 3399 1885 knowledge to management of pest e111ail: [email protected] I also have a thing for sex-well, at possums 111 ew Zealand. S11bsrrip1io11s least for the sex lives of animals-as it l3ats are in the spotlight again, but Pho11c: (02) 9320 61 19 seems does Clive Marks ( ocrurnal this time we look at how they respond Toll-free ( 1800) 028 558 Wildlife R.esearch in Victoria) who to forestry practices. We also learn fax: (02) 9320 6073 email: subscribe c austnn1s.gov.au managed to videotape, for the first about life in the tropics for the time, Common Wombats mating in the Antilopine Wallaroo, the aggressive Annual 1ubscriptio11 (4 issues) wild. The sometimes-shaky hand-held Within Amrralia SA36.30 Other countries SA43 antics of the Noisy Miner, plants that r Two-year 1ub1cnption (8 111uc,) infared video footage shows the stretch the limits of life, and the long Within Aumalia SA69.30 Other countric1 SA83 comical, if nor violent and repetitive, and the short of human hair. Plus Three-year 1ub1cription ( 12 im,es) lengths wombats go to for sex. The lots more. Withrn Au1trah.1 SA97.90 Other countnc1 SAi 16 PrKl'' mdudc (;\ I \\hl·rc ,1pph(Jbk male chases the female around, bites her on the bum, either gets a kick for his Proudly primed in Ans1ralia b)' Penfold Uuscornbc Nl'w ,ub�cnpuon� c.111 bl' mJ.dl· by tn.·dn card on the :,:11111rc troubles or rolls her over for some sex .,111.,1r,1fia toll-frcl' hodme (1800) 028 558 or me 1he form III this on the side, and then they're off again magazmt..·. If 1t lu<; been remowd. ,end cheque. money order or credu card amhonsanon w the addn.''>'>.1bov1c, m.1dt..• payable10 for more chasing, biting, mounting, tht..·'Amtrahan Nlmeum' m Amtr,11!.111 currencv. kicking and mating . Wombat sex was ½��Editor All matl'rial ,ippl'{lflll,f! 111 NarnreAu<;tr,1ha i., wpyr(1,?l1t. l
Published 2005 ISSN-1324-2598
ATUR.E AUSTR.ALIA � i1 proud winner ofrhc 1987. '88. '89, '90, ·91. ·92_ '93. "99, 2000, 2002. 2003, v::v2004 and 2005 Whitley Awards for l3cst Zoological Periodical. and the I 988 & '90 Australian Heritage Awards.
FRONT COVER The Antilopine Wallaroo (Macropus antifopinus) appears to be holding its own in Oueensland's tropical savanna woodlands. PHOTO BY DAVID WEBB. Sea urchin spawning.
NATUIU:. AU�TRALIA �UMMEP.. 2005-2006 contents
Wombat Sex l)i,CO\'Cr the unco1n1non ,ex life ofchc Common Wo111b.1r. l3Y CLIVI: A. MAltKS 56 REGULAR FEATURES TI II· IIACKYAlll) A I URAi l'>T Miner Misdemeanours A, 1nuch .1, we'd lm·e co h.1re chem. wc·n, gor ro .idmirc cho,c oi,y Miners. Beach Brushtails ARTICLES l3Y STEVE A l)YCK Antilopine Wallaroo Uncovered The way Co111mo11 l3rmhuil Po,,um, 18 ha\·e taken ro life on Magnetic hland Meer Au,rralia ·, only large 111acropod i, te,tcllllellt CO the adapt,lbiliry of re,rricred enrirely co the tropic,. rhe ,pecie,. l3Y EUA RITCHIE 13Y JOA E ISAAC 24 40
Bats on Tracks HO\\. do bars respond co change, in forcsr ,cruccurc after logging; l3Y l3RAl)LEY LAW 48
Hedgehogs of the Sea Seel urchim pL1y a pivotal role in the ecology of marine eco,ysten1,. yet we ,n-c only jmt beginning co undcr,cand them. l3Y JA E WILLIAMSO 32
2 NA I URI AU\ 11,AI IA \UMMI R 21111S cllOh 11..All..E & ENl)A CE11..EI) Beautiful Nurserv-f rog lle,rricted to the mi,ty upland, of Thornton l )eak in northern Queemland. the frog with the beautiful belly is parricubrly vulner,1blc co global warmlllg. 13Y CONllAI) HO KIN 20
PI IOTOAICI COLUMNS Insect Gallerv Stunning images of weevil.,, beetle,. 1 Up front moths and flies. 13Y CU THEI"l... HMll)A 4 Leners 64 6 Summer C:I OUAL Sl'OTLICI-IT Some natural goings-on Squirming Fleshv Tentacles of Doom around Australia this ,eason. When it come, co food-eating competitions, the Star-nmed Mole is a w111ner. WILD IHI C� l3Y IMO . POLLAlll) Genes for Beans 68 Australian plam, have a lot co offer when it come, to improving the world's crops. 131:ING HUMAN l3Y TIM LOW Naked Apes Lening Their Hair Down 22 Long hair, short hair, no hair: head hair. body hair, facial hair, pubic hair. What docs it all mean' l3Y lllCHAl"l...D FULLAGAll 70
I HE �1:Cll..ET LIFE OF PLANT'> 8 Nature strips Immortal Plants ews of the latest discoveries of our natural world. Long-lived clone, dwarf previom estimate, for oldest living plant,. 74 Reviews 13Y TIME TWISLE 72 77 Societv page Clubs and societies TI IE LAST WORD around Australia. Fertilising the Greenhouse !)redicted effects of increa,ed greenhou,e 78 Q&A r ga,es range fom the benign co the Your que,tiom amwered. catacly,mic. and such uncertainty is delaying adaptive respomes co global environmental change. l3Y DAVID l30WMA 80
ATURE AU\TRALIA \UMMER 211115-21106 3 used hunting and digging Dingoes or kangaroos, but sticks and, often, spears (but they still track and kill letters not woo111cras). Their reptiles and, on the coast, husbands hunted similar catch fish. animals and, rarely, Emus. -PAT LOWE Coastal women hunted BROOME, WA Ladv'sMan? his speculative Letter land animals and went I enjoyed Richard Fullagar's "Menopause and Mothers fishing, as they still do.Their Upside-down Shower article on the "Little Lady of in-law" (N(//11re A11s1. menfolk also hunted turtles !leading a Letter in a back . Flores . (.\'11111rc AIISI. Spring Winter '.2005) that ·'humans :1nd I)ugongs. is,uc of your magazine '.2005). However, 1'111 arc unusual in that only men Aboriginal literature (Summer 1995-96)-about curious as to why Peter arc able to hunt''. Davidson includes 111any accounts of 131ack-faccd Cuckoo Schouten ·s illustration of need look no further than women hunting. The role Shrikes having a 'bath' in a Hobbir (Ho1110.florcsie11sis) Australia to see that of the grandmother had fig tree-reminded me of an was of a male when the Aboriginal women were, less to do with protecting 'incident' my husband and I p:1rtial skeleton on which it and in many areas still are, the virtue of her peripatetic witnessed in the summer of was based was female. keen hunters, regularly daughters-in-law than 2002. It had been very hot -Cl A BAILEY providing their fa111ilics with with looking after children and dry for a long time, QUEANIJEYAN, NSW meat as well as vegetable while the younger women Ceelong being a dry area food. Desert women hunted wcm food-gathering. generally. Then, one day, Woman the Hunter reptiles, marsupials of all She ,1!,o contributed to we were treated to a I must correct the kinds. Dingoes, certain birds the f.imily economy: 111agnificcnt thunderstorm, con1111only held assumption and, ,incc their women in their fifties and which we watched from the iterated by John Da\·idson in introduction. Cats. They ,ixties 111ay no longer spear safety of our outside living room. From where we stood we could see the electrical wires in the street of our backyard neighbours. And there we saw seven Cal,1h<, hanging upside down with all their feathers fluffed out. bottoms up, \\'ing'> '>�11-c.id out and i11\'crred, jll',t like our gr,111dchildren on the tr,1pcze of their ,\\'ing set. The birds were obviously allowing the torrential rain to wash away the dust. par,1sites etc. accumulated over all thme dry weeks. They did it all in unison, and for the <,,1111c length of rime. How I wi<,h I had had a ca111cr,1 on h,111d to record chi\ extr,1ordinary event. It just goe-, to '>hm\· rhat retirement h,1'> it\ rewards. Prcviomly \\'e nc\·cr had the time to jmt \\'.Heh the birdsl -FRA ('I A P. P()',IU/\IA Crni10. V1c.
Mona Chuguna hunting goanna in the Kimberley.
4 i\ I U IU AU\ I I, '\ I I \ \ L •\ I \ 1 I R 21111 'i 2111 I 1,
s u m mer Compiled by Geordie Torr and Martyn Robinson
from predators. Still, For more about these distinctive, thick, white despite all this care and awesome predators, check tipped tail that adds about attention, on average at out A 11stmlia11 crocodiles: a another 30 centimetres, the Water-rat looks more least 80 per cent of eggs 11a/11ml l,isrory (2002) by die during incubation. Grahame Webb and like a small otter. Indeed, After about 90 days, Charlie Manolis. 1t was depending on nest once known as an Otter temperature, the baby YOU NOT-SO-DIRTY RAT IZ.at and, sadly, like crocs start to emerge from "Look at the size of that the true otters, it was enthusiastically hunted for '2 the eggs. In response to Sewer Rat!" As mistaken � their cries, the female digs identity cases go, it's fairly its thick, waterproof pelt. open the nest and gently understandable, but still Such was the level of caries them in her mouth unfair. Yes, the Water-rat hunting that it eventually
to safety. The nest (l-lydro111ys chryso,�astcr) became Australia's first HOT TO CROC temperature will also ha,·e really is a large rodent, but protected rodent species. Saltwater The nesting season of the determined the sex of the it"s considerably more What's more, it behaves Crocodile. Saltwater Crocodile babies-the closer the appealing than your like an otter, too. It's a Crorod /11s pororns) ten1perature is to 32° C, superb swimmer, diving to ( y average introduced Sewer extends from October to the higher the proportion or Brown IZ.at (Ra1111s catch its food-mostly
May, spanning the wet of males; the further away, 1/()1'/ l('.(!ICIIS). fish, crustaceans, large season of northern whether hotter or cooler. Up to nearly -l-0 aquatic insects and other Australia. As a result. the higher proportion of centi111etrcs in body arthropods, and molluscs. summer is peak breeding females. length and boasting a Shelled food is typically time. so you should be taken to an exposed site even more careful if you're such as a log or sand bar planning to visit any and there dismembered tropical swamps around and eaten-the discarded this time. hard parts arc a telltalc Nesting occurs in a indicator of its presence. variety of habitats, from Water-rats can breed at riverbanks to swamps. any time of year, but ; Female 'Salties' build a typically young are born ? mound nest using in late spring and summer. � vegetation and mud, into Females construct their ::: which they lay -l-0-60 nests in burrows in the - eggs. The raised nest helps bank<, of lakes, rivers, � r duce the likelihood of creeks and other bodies of / being eggs drowned by water. An average litter 1 rising tlood\vacers., consisrs of three or four "' Females stay with their � young, bur can be as high eggs, protecting them Water-rat. as seven. The young are All eh is explosive In addition, the process exfoliacion is good news for hastens erosion of the rock the local fauna and flora. and frees up minerals and The cxfoliatcd layers, trace elements essential for whether still attached or plant growth. laying on the ground below, For more, see make great shelters for www.gpc.edu/-pgore/geology/ insects, spiders and reptiles. history_lab/weathering.php
Rounded granite boulders created by exfoliation.
suckled for about four weeks As the rocks arc exposed by ,111d rem,1in with their weathering and erosion of mother for up to four more the overlying material, their \\·ecks. And by the age of internal pressure is reduced, four rnonths. ,orne females which causes fine cxp:msion Preserved holotype of the Stout lnfantfish. \\'ill be cracks to form. These enable ready to start breeding water to get into the rock. the111selve,. where it reacts chen1ically FROM THE COLLECTION To learn more about these with the minerals, leading to This is the current holder of the species' biology. appc,1ling rodems, visit further propagation of the wwwl .hea lthycountry.com/ cracks. If ie gets cold enough, title of world'ssmallest lnfantfishes retain many CCScience/TB/Hydromys the water can freeze, causing vertebrate. At just 8.4 characteristics of larval fish, chrysogaster the cracks co expand, millimetres in length, the such as a lack of pigmentation, sometimes violently. largest known specimen of the relatively large eyes and a NATURE'S SEASONAL Stout lnfantfish (Schindleria reduced number and size of BOMBS The interior of the rock is brevipinguis/ is smaller than fins and teeth-hence the r Have you ever been around fairly well insulated f om the many insects. Males mature at name. The 'Stout' part refers to an area of granite on a very sun's heat by the layer abm-c just 6.5-7.0 millimetres. the deep body compared with hot or cold day and heard a and docsn 't expand or This is one of only six the other two described resounding 'crack' like a rifle contract at the same race as shot) Don't worry, you 're the outer surface. So on hot specimens, all collected by species of the genus. Even so, not being used for target days too, the weakened Jeff Leis (Australian Museum) it's the lightest known practice-it's the rocks outside layer can suddenly in water ranging from 15 to 30 vertebrate, with a weight of themselves that arc (and loudly) separate from metres deep in coral lagoons just one milligram. exploding. the underlying cooler layers. near Lizard Island. All but one For more about this Granite, like other igneous In rounded granite boulders. were collected in summer, but miniature marvel, check out rocks that have formed deep the layers often flake off in this probably has more to do www.amonline.net.au/fishes/ inside the Earth under high concentric layers, just like with when ichthyologists do fishfacts/fish/sbrevip.htm temperatures and pressures, is onion skins, so this process is their fieldwork than the prone to a weathering called onion-skin process known as exfoliation. weathering. between ovember and March when they are most common. He simply walked through the garden at 30- nature strips rninutc intervals between COMPILED BY GEOI�GI A HI KEY dawn and dusk for two days, noting the flo,vers on which he first saw each Bumblebee IZ.ICI IAll..l) FULU\C It, To Bee or Not to Bee reduced seed production in (AIISI.). Zoo/. 53: 29). l
Are European Bumblebees a threat to Australian wildlife?
8 I URI AU\ I ltAI l 1\ \Uvl 1\ll R Marsupials See Red ustralia's marsupials have Along had a reputation for being the primitive cousins of placental 111a111111,1ls. In recent years, however, scientists have been building a different evolutionary picture of our 111arsupials, with increasing evidence revealing several unique specialisations. The latest breakthroughs involve the way they see the world. R.esearch headed by Catherine Arrese (University of Western Australia) has de111onstrated a colour-\·ision systern in 111arsupials that is as well. if not rnore, developed than our own. Ar rese and her team have recently shown the presence of three different types of cone, (colour photoreceptor cells) in the retina of the Quokka (Scio11ix lm1r/1y11rus) and Southern Drown l3andicoot (lsoor/011 obes11/11s) (Pror. R. Soc. B 2.72: 791). Most mammals possess only two cone types (chat is, are dichromatic). Previously, only primates were knO\\·n to have the three-cone condition (trichrornacy) now being reported for rnarsupials. Ha\·ing three cones allows the perception of a wider Marsupials, like the Ouokka, join primates in full-colour vision. range of colours than the two-cone syscern. One cone (Cun'. Biol. 12.: 657). The co overseas travellers who highway. When Peter type detects shorter presence of three cone types adopt the accent of their Tyack (Woods Hole r wavelengths, f orn in four phylogenetically hose country. And it now Oceanographic lnsticucion) ultraviolet to \·iolec; another distant ,pecies indic1te, that also ,1pplies to elepha,m. two and colleagues analysed detects long wavelengths. in trichromacy is a common of which have been found to recordings of her calls. they the red region of the feature a111ong the Australian copy the sounds of their found chem to be nothing spectrum; while the third 111arsupials. neighbours. like the grunts and rumbles cone type, which detects -K.Mc:C. The first case involved a of other African Savanna middle wavelengths, is rnosc ten-year-old fe111alc African Eleph,rncs. but a near-perfect sensitive to green light. Copv-caning Elephants S,tvanna Elephant (Loxodo111a rnatch to the roar of a This study builds on here's a saying chat if you of,·ir//11<1) called Mlaika, who dist,rnce truck (,\·,1111rc -+3-+: previous discoveries of live with a cripple long was heard making strange -+55). trichromacy in the Fat-tailed Tenough, you lirnp. This sounds while living in semi The other c.1se involved f Dunnart (S111i111/l()psis ·rubbing of ' of habits c.tptivicy in Kenya. ,1bout C1limero, a 2J-ye.1r-old crassica11r/(l{a) and Honey (whether good, bad or three kilometres from the m,1le African Savanna Possum (Tarsipes ros1ra111s) indifferent) certainly applies busy airobi-Mombassa Elephant chat h,1d lived for
NATURE AUSTRAi IA \UMMER 2005 2006 9 African Savanna Elephants copy the sounds of their neighbours.
18 years alongside two Chewsv Termites they recorded rhe sound of not only of i nrere,t to die fe111ale Asian Elephants ermites ,ire quite chomcy ter111ites chewing into both h.ird termite C1m but could (Eil'JJ!rns 11111xi11111s) in Tabout the \\'Ood they rn1,1ll and L1rge pieces of .il,o be med by pe,t Switzerland\ l3,1�cl Zoo. 111uch 011. both in term, of wood. and then pL1yed tl1e,e controller,. All they would R.ather than emitting the its size and type. Presum,1bly recording, h,1ck to the have to do i, to play normal grunts of his own this allows for different termites. When the sigmls recording, of termites language. C,1lirnero was only species to live in the sa111e from chewing a large piece che,,·ing big bit, of ,,·ood ever he,ird to 111ake the ,1re,1 without co111petition. of \\'OOd were played into a (which they don ·t like) into chirp-like voc.1lisatiom l3ut what h,1s always puzzled small piece of wood. the infested p,lrt\ of ,1 house and typical of Asian Elcpha,m. researcher, is how termite, termites would \top their the termite, in theory Cornpari�on of the c.m quickly tell so 111uch tunnelling: ,rnd when should pack up ,rnd leave. spectrogr.1111s of CJli111ero ·s ,1bout a cert:iin piece of vibr,1tiom from e,1ting ,m ,111 -A.T. chirps and that of his Asian \\'ood. gi,-cn th,1t they ,ire pieces or \\'OOd were pL1yed. room mates showed the blind. the ter111ites ,prang into ,natch co be remarkable. Theodore Evam (CSI l�O). ,1ction. reg,irdle" of the ,i7e White-Arse Pigeons These arc the first known Joseph L:ii (Al)FA/U SW) of the wood they were in ,lt here aren "t _coolll,llly ex.in1ples of vocal learning ,rnd colleague, offered the ti111e. Tpi.ice, to h 1dc 111 the sky. and mimicry in a terrestrial termite \\'orker, Termite, gener,ire ,o it\ ,1 good itk,1 to h,1,T at mammal other than ( Cryp101cn11cs do111cs1 iws) vibroacou,tic ,ignal, th,1t lea,t one trick up your primates. Vocal 111imicry also pieces of pine th,H were bounce off the imerior of ,leeve to throw predators off occurs in bird,. b,m and either 20 or 160 111illi111etn:\ the wood ,rnd b,1ck through che trail. dolphins, and m1dies have in length. Thi, parcicul:ir the body of the imect. Fer.ii pigcom (l�ock ,uggested it helps strengthen species of termite showed a bringing information about Dow,. Co/11111/,,1 /i1•h1) exhibit individual bonds \\·ithin the greater preference for the the size of the wood. The .1 r.rnge of plurn,1gc ,ocial group. E ,-en though ,horter piece,. chewing lower the frequency, the colour,1tiom including the ML1ika may h,ive got it '>ignificamly 111ore and Lirger the piece of wood ,rnd 'wild" ,·,iri,111t. ,,·h1ch i, bluc wrong by mimicking an deeper turn1el, into the therefore the le'>'> de<,irablc. "t'Cv ,,·ili1 ,1 white rurnp inanimate noi'>e, sounding wood (P.\'AS 102: 3732). Evans cl al. smpect that the ;.1t�h between the b,1,c of like your neighbours appears The rese,ircher, ,u,pected termite, ha,-c ·car,· the tail ,rnd lower b.ick. to have it, advantages. termite, med \'ibratiom to (vibr,Hion-detecting org.rn,) lntere,ted 1n ho,,· the -G.1-1. choose between the '>izes. \O on their feet. Thi, 1-c,c,1rch i, variom plu111,1gc
10 "->\ I URI \L \ I R •\ I I o\ \ l \I \I I R Peregrine Falcon chases a white (now extinct) birds, reptiles rumped pigeon. and marsupials, collectively called 111egafauna. 13ut how combinations affect long did the relationship predation in a population, last? How did they cope? and in what advantage wild S0111e have argued that the colouration might convey co relationship went our quite its owners, Albert Palleroni quickly, but not all can agree (Harvard University) and exactly when humans first colleagues studied the arrived in Australia frequency of each of six (certainly by 45,000 years pigeon phenotypes :imong ago), or when each the fatal victims of ! Jeregrine megafaunal species became F,1lcons (Fa/rn pcrc;
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A I UIU. AU\ I RAI IA \UMMI H.. 100S 101)(, 11 Sydney) E111elums and r\Jerophis pickings of specialised Ce11yon,is actually survived (University of the pipefishes) or in shallow skin browsers like Ge11yon,is until about 30,000 years ago, recently studied the bones, depressions (the seadragons), 11c1111011i-a giant bird almost co-existing with humans in geochemistry of amounts the internal fertilisers brood twice the size of today's Australia for at least ·15,000 which acquire trace that and nurture their eggs in a E111u-whereas the Emu years. New evidence comes of rare earth elements bones substantial brood pouch survived on a less fussy diet from Cuddie Springs (south indicate whether fossil (seahorses and Syngnathus (Scie11re 309: 287). The eastcrn Australia)-an have remained in their pipefishes). In the pouch scientists studied thousands ancient lakebed where original position afterburial of eggshell frag111ents, thousands of stone artefacts (PJ\'AS 102: 8381). They brooders, the female lays her determining their ages and and 111cgafaunal bones have found that so111e bones had eggs directly into the male's also extinct diets (by been found in discrete layers, moved around in lower brood pouch, which he analysing isotopes). and dated to between 28,000 and (older) units, but argue fertilises internally. This concluded that Ce11yornis 36. 000 years ago. against mixing of bones in the makes it virtually impossible apparently ceased laying in Some scientists have successive archaeological for another male to fertilise several parts of Australia doubted the integrity of the layers with stone artefacts and that particular female. about -k:i.000 years ago. site, suggesting that older extinct n1cgafauna (Ge11yon,is, Charlotta Kvarnemo After then. only E111u bones have worked their way Dipro1odo11, S1he1111rus and (Stockholm University) and eggshells arc found. up to younger sediment Pro1e11111odo11). Leigh Simmons (University Others argue that levels. However Clive The archaeologists argue of Western Australia) increasing aridity played a Tr ue111an (University of that the fate of the megafauna predicted that the externally critical role in the Portsmouth) together with was driven by continental and fertilising ,yngnathids would vegetation changes. and that Judith Field and colleagues global cli111ate change, and have proportionally larger was out of the hands of te,tes than thme that fertilise hun1am. They support the internally. To their surprise, theory that hu111ans 111ay have ho\\'ever, they found no had the giants for dinner but difference (Biol. J. Li1111. Soc. Aboriginal ancestors cannot 83: 369). The re searchers be guilty of either mcgafaunal boldly question a long-held or environmental genocide. assumption of external Instead. they tend to bla111e it fertilisation in syngnathids, on the weather. which holds that males -n... F 'decorclted" \\'ith unfertilised eggs mmt ,\\'im through a Seahorse Balls cloud of their O\\·n ,perm to I n the strange life of fishes. fertilise the111. They imtead one of the strategics used suggc,t ,ome r.1dic1l new by those species that fertilise ways of fertilisation. Perhaps externally is to produce huue::, the female brushes up r a111ounts of sperm f o111 large against the 1mlc just long testes. This helps reduce the enough to fertilise each chance of a female's eggs egg befc.)1-e ,he ,lttaches it co being fertilised with sperm the 111,1lc\ bod . 111 other r y fom another male (sperm \\'Ord,. it's not \\·h,lt he's got co111petition), and reduces the th.1t\ i111port.111t. but ho\\' he impact of dilution of sperm u,es It. by seawater. l3ut in seahorses -A.T. and pipefishes (familv Syngnathidac), some, species Noisv Reefs fertilise externally while o fish and inwrtcbr.ltl">. reef� others fertilise internallv '· can be like 11()1',y The males of all undcr\\'atcrT citie,: huh of syngn,1thids have the intense ,1cti\·ity fro111 \\ hich responsibility of C1JT\·inu, ::, the the ·ch,1tterin,,::, of bu,\. · egg, somcwhnc on c their n1.1rinc lif.·-frrnm un be bodie,. But whcrca, thme detected in the ,urroumling thought to fercili,c e<>u, t">b \\",ltcr tc.)r 111.111y kilo111L'rrL',. cxtern,dly carry them O\\' Uni\'cr,it\· ol Genyornis newtoni was a giant bird, nearly twice the size of an Emu. ,1trachcd to the skin (in Edinburgh biologi,t \tephc11 12 'A I URI AU\ I J,,\111\ \U\1\111, 21111 211111, The sounds of the reef lure young fish.
Simpson and colleagues column ro take up residence Giant Eagles 01 Middle Earth To le,1rn more ,1bour the belie,·e this clamour might on the noisy reefs co111pared n To lkien's Lord c:f 1/,c eagle\ evolurion,iry history, be important in luring fish \\'ith the silent one,. I Ri11g,, Middle E.irth is Mich,1el l3unce (Oxford and invertebrate larvae out Next the researchers inhabited by giant eagles University) and colleagues from the persuasive pull of investigated whether high that swoop in to rescue extr.1cred I) A from 2,000- ocean currents to the reef frequency and low Frodo from the d,rnger, of ye,ir-old fossil bones and homes \\'here they settle frequency reef charter Mordor. The idea of comp,ired it with I) A ready for adult life. resulted in different 111omrer-sized e,1gle, flying from 16 extant ,pecies They tested the theory in recruitment levels. around New Zealand on (PLoS Biolo,Qy 3: I). They a recent series of Da1melfish species showed a '/1,c Lord c:f tl,c Ri11g, film set expected to find the extinct experiments on parch reefs preference for reefs with might seem like a fanciful bird clmely related to the comrrucred from cor,11 high-frequency ide,1. Yer, according to Lirge Australian Wedge f rubble in waters of Lizard (predominantly shrin1p) recern I) A research, it is t,1iled Eagle (;l q11ila t111dnx). '51and, ar the northern end sounds, while cardinalfish not that far from the truth. The results showed that. of the Crear Barrier l�eef larvae ,etrled 011 reefs with Only SOO years ago, New while it did have an (Scic11ff 308: 221 ). ighrly high- and low-frequency Zealand was home co one of Australian ,111cestor, its for almmr a \\'eek. rhe (fi,h) ,ounds in equal the l,irgesr bird, of prey ever clme,r relative \\'a, the Little researchers played mapping numbers. to have graced our ,kies. E,1gle (l--licmac111s shrimp ,ounds and fah calls The research r,1i,e, ow extinct, Haase\ Eagle 111orp/111oidcs), which at less on halfrhe reefs while questions about the (I !arpnxomis /1/()()l'ci) had a than one kilogran1 is one of le.wing the others silent. potential impacts of noise wingspan up to three metres the world"s smalle,t eagles. They then measured the pollution from marine-based and weighed ,is; much as IS Stranger still, their common le\'el of new recruit, to each human activities such as kilograms. This fierce ,111ce,tor li\'ed only about a sire from t\\'O key reef-fish shipping and drilling for pred,1tor launched brutal million years ,1go, which families, the can..linc1lfishes minerals. And it could also attacks on moas. flighrless 111eam that Haasr's Eagle ,rnd da1melfishes. They lead to the development of birds that weighed up ro :ZOO incre,1sed in weight by I() ro found considerably more new ways ro restock kilograms yet were IS times in thi, relati\'cly L1r\'ae from borh families depicted marine reserves. defenceless ,1g,1imt ,1erial ,hort period of time. Such a had settled out of the \\'ater -K.McC. assa u Jr. r.ipid change in size is
NA I Ull..1 AU'> I RAJ IA '>UMMI R 20llS 21106 13 f 1 111.. L-- Haast's Eagle, with its wingspan of three metres, attacks a pair of moas.
unprecedented in in che rc;ilms of fantasy. e\·olutionary records. And -K.H. the fact that it occurred in a species still capable of flight FriendlV Foxes makes it even more OOl
14 /\ I UIU t\U\ I R/\/ 1/\ \U1\\\\I ll 21111; 211116 the ability to guess what a Falling Cephalotes atratus ants human is thinking (that food can steer themselves back to the is under the container) is no safety of the tree trunk. small accomplishment, and Perched 30 metres up in the normal Foxes, Chimpanzees canopy, Yanoviak noticed and Grey Wolves failed the when he brushed off biting test (C11rr. Biol. 15: I). ants that they'd fall then land It seems that by breeding on the tree trunk and climb the Foxes to be friendlier, back up. These arboreal they accidentally bcca111e ants, Cep/111/otes atratus, smarter. Hare believes the appeared to be actively sa111c thing happened with steering their free fall. As no Dogs and Grey Wolves. other wingless insects are Dogs arc better at reading known to do this, Yanoviak our body language than decided to investigate wolves, but perhaps it wasn't further. because we bred the111 to be I:3y painting the ants' rear intelligent, but because we legs with white nail polish, bred them to be friendly. dropping them, then In terms of pet potential, Ants' Aerial Acrobats snakes do it and, it now videotaping their fall, the Hare says the Foxe are not hen it comes to seems, even ants do it. researchers were able to quite perfect. They hide Wnavigating the jungle Ecologist Stephen track their dive through the food under the sofa and canopy, many ani111als find it Yanoviak (University of air. They found that about leave it there to rot. Foxes in easier to glide through the Te xas Medical Branch) and 85 per cent of ants landed a pet store near you' open spaces and make a colleagues made this unusual on the tree, compared with r ot yet. quick fee-fall descent. discovery while working in an expected five per cent if -V.W. Squirrels do it, frogs do it, the Peruvian rainforest. they were falling randomly
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NATUllE AUSTRAi IA ':,UMMER 21105-200<, 15 (.\·c1111rc -+33: 61-+). On (Amtr,1lian ational chromosomes, while males QUICK QUIZ takeoff. the plummeting nivcrsity) and colleague, have one copy of the five X 1. What are rns11ari11as ant, ,pL1yed their legs to have di,covcred that , rather and one copy of five Ys. also co111111011/y imo11111 ,lo\\' their fall. increasing th,rn a ,inglc pair of sex Crt.itzner and colleagues as? dr,1g like ,1 parachutist. chromo,onH.:s, the Platypm were Jble to watch how, 2. Gwion Gwion, Mimi Then. to gain control of ( Ornithor/1y11rl111s a11ati1111s) during the process of sperm a11d Wandjina are their trajectory, the ants has five. formation (meiosis), the ten exa111ples �r 111/l(lt? or ientated their bodies so Using fluorescent marked sex chromosomes 3. Ho111 111m1y pla11ets are their hind legs pointed 'chro111mome paints' to formed a long chain, all there i11 the solar syste111? to\\',1rd, the tree. Incrcdibly. identify :ind track lining up in perfect 4. I Vll(lt do sili1imlt11rists rhe anr, were also seen to chromosome, under the alternating fashion (X IY I wftill(lte? 111,1ke 180° turm in micLiir, micrmcope during cell X'.2Y'.2XJYJ X-+Y-tX3Y3). 5. I Vltat is the 11ick11a111e ef so if rhey missed the divi,ion. the researchers This i the only way to the 11e111 Homo species landing. they"d make ,l hair were ,1ble to idemify which 111,111age such an unwieldy fo1111d 011 the I11do11esia11 pin rurn ,111d glide in for a of the f >latypus \ 31 sy�tem, allowing all five Ys is/mid of Flores' second attempt. chrommomes were to end up in one sperm (to 6. /11 111/,ic/1 year did the Gliding is obviomly an ,1uroson1,1I (inherited equally produce male offspring), Chemobyl 1111clear reactor ,1dva11tage for high-canopy by both sexe,), and which and all theXs in another (to explode? d\\'ellcrs like Cc1,fl(l/cJ1<'S. If dctcrn1i11e sex (.\"at11rc -+31: produce females). Any 1. What objects do so111e ,1ppro,1Ched by ,1 predaror. 9 IJ: P.\";-IS IOI: 16137). rnixing ofX and Y fe111ale dolphins i11 Slwrk the tiny thrcde\·ils can Mmt mammals and birds chromosomes in the same Bay rn1-ry 011 their noses 11,/1ileforaging? l3AS--jump to ,,1fcry at four have one p,1ir of ,ex \perm would lead to 8. I Vhat percentage ef the n1etres per second \\·ithout chrommome,. In humans. unviablc offspring. Eanh � at111osphere is falling ,111 the \\'ay to the female, have t\\'o X Amazingly, 110 mistakes oxyge11? fore,t floor. chro111oso111e, ,rnd males an \\'ere witnessed in the 9. J\'(1111e tl1e pro1ei11 fo1111d -IU-- 1. X ,1nd ,l Y. \\'hile in bird, it hundn:d, of sperm i11 _fem hers, hair a11d i, the oppmitc, with males exarnined. /,o�fs- sexv Platvpus having a p,1ir of Z Sign i fic,rntly, the 10. What t)1JJC tree is tl,e J y �r or only i� the f btpu, chron1mo111e, and females ,1 1T,earchers found rheX3 'Priso11 "free' i11 Derb \ ) \\Tird on the out,ide. it, Z and ,1 W. I 11 PL1t:ypme,. chromo,ome to resemble IVA, N gene, ,111d chro111mo111cs arc ho\\'C\Tr. fe111,1les have t\\'O the bird Z chromosome. (A11s,,,ers 011 paJ!e 79) \\'cird roo. Frank Griirzncr copic, e,1ch of five X \\'hile the X I chromosome
The Platypus is a continual source of wonder-both inside and out.
16 '-J\ILJIU \L\l1�\11\ ,L\1\1\R 1111, 211111, at the other end of the chain (Pompcii brothels arc were frequently placed 50 A service counter used to sell food resembles the human X. notoriou5 for erotic that they faced bustling and drink to the ancient citizens of Pompeii. This suggests a completely frescoes), but Ellis counters incerscctions. They were also unexpected evolutionary that bars provided regular oftl'.n found nl'.ar tl'.mplcs, linkage between the sex services like accommodation for thl'. convenil'.nt purchase chromosome systems of and a place co rest, talk, buy of food and wine offerings r mammals and birds, food and drink (Food & for the gods. Up f om the challenging rhc long-held Hisrory '.21: -+I). main city gates . there were r view chat the cwo systems The problem with I '.2 open 5hop fonts, each evolved independently. studying bars in Pompeii is with a bar in full froncal -n.... s. that few food or drink vil'.\\' of tired cravcllcrs remains survived the trudging up thl'. hill U Ro111. Ancient Pubs eruptiom of Mt Vesuvius Arclweo/. 17: 371). ars in die ancient town of that buried the city in 79 Eat-in or cake-away. B Pornpcii were not the AD. However, Ellis went bars were possibly more FURTHER READING back co the Latin imporcanc than today, dens of iniquity they were References for the stories thought to have been, inscriptions, contemporary especially for poorer classes according co archaeologist books and archaeological who were ccruinly not that have appeared in this scruccu1-c,, and found. of an dining on the couchc5 we Steven Ellis (University of edition of Nature Strips Sydney). Prcviou5 writers, estimated 577 5hops, there sec paimcd on the ];l\'ish ancient and modern, were 158 retail outlets with villa walls. Life was not that are available online: serving counters. 130 of good. l3uc the bars wl'.re not associated bars with www.natureaustralia.net Pompcii\ low life-drunks, which had cooking and that bad either. thieves and prostitutes scoragc facilities. These bars -11.....F.
NAl URL AU',"f llAI IA SUMMEil 2005-200/, 17 THE BACKYARD ATURALIST make a miner gag) then sometimes feel like reaching for the bazooka instead of the binoculars. ow after observing 20 years-worth of belligerent manners from that veran Miner misdemeanours dah, it really is time I sat clown and had Not only are Noisy 1Vli11ers /1ig/1/y aggressi11e, tl,ey are, a good hard think about those delin i11 zoolo<(!ical circles, spectawlarly (i11)ja111ousfor it. quent rubbernecks. But have you ever tried to be hone tly objective when a true-blue Aussie is being called to account? We're not talking here about the introduced chocolate-brown Com mon (Indian) Myna (Acrirlotheres tristis) that struts around cities and is con Oil.. MA FA \ILIE.5 THE St\TURDAY know that you can assess the mental paper arrives in the dark to the health of your family by sorting scionably easier to knock offbecause it piping 'win-,vin-win' calls of through what's left of the Saturday fills valuable nesting hollows with plas Noisy Miners (Ma11ori1111 111cla110Ci'p/111/11). paper one hour after it's been disem tic bags and garbage, making them It's a pity that most of us snore through bowelled? From my teenagers I follow unsuitable for a lot natives, and it does that ten-minute session-it is, without a trail of honey blobs sliding clown n't really belong here in the first place. a doubt, the only harmonious thing images of people embellished with We arc talking about an Australian hon miners are capable of doing all clay. moustaches, blackened teeth and aug eyeater as dinky-di as 131inky Bi!J. How 13ut back to the newspaper. Did you mented breasts. My wifc leaves can we appraise it honestly without let Olympic chains of welting coffee-cup ting the old school-tie strangle our rings around hacked windows where objectivity? NoisvMiner interesting ideas were snipped out for Well, let's introduce a little science Manorina melanocephala her scrapbook. And me, what do I into the court room. Are oisy Miners leave behind? Great tufts of ripped-out unduly aggressive? Volume S of the Classification hair-enough every week to stuff a jail H1111rl/Jook (bible) of A11srrali1111, 1\·e111 Family Meliphagidae (honeyeaters mattress. Ze11/1111rl 1111rl A 11/arrric birds (2001) and Australian chats). The hair is torn out in desperate describes them as "compicuous, noisy defeat. Not so much from my brood's and aggressive. driving off all other Identification crying need of professional help. but avian species from lthcirl communal r Drab grey; black crown and fom the agony the local oisy Miners territory". ot a re,1I good <,tart. It goes bandit mask; bright yellow beak, inflict on me. Each Saturday morning I on to clocu111e11t ,1 <,tudy from south legs and bare skin behind eyes. tell myself to relax. sit on the verandah, eastern Queen�land that actually rallied Sexes similar; length 26 cm. wash the Valium clown with some good up the number of bird ,pecies atracked coffee, slump over the paper and enjoy by oisy Miners at the one site. Sixty Distribution the backyard birds. And every time the five species were ha111merecl and Eastern half of Old south of same drama unfolds. A rosclla might molested by the miners. including not Laura, throughout NSW (except start to nibble a lantana berry, or a only s111all birds like parclalotes. finches extreme north-west); Vic.; south R.ose R.obin might land above me with and other honeyeaters (six species). bur east SA; central and eastern Tas. a moth, ,,·hen clown they come out of grebes, ducks. p,1rrots ( 13 species). the blue. like grey sniping spitfires, herons. cor111ora11ts and pigeom. Ecol r Biology snapping and squealing-warriors fom ogist Doug l)o"· (Uni,-crsiry of Highly social, colonies comprising the hooligan rat-pack of Noisy Miners Queensland). who did the long-term a few to several hundred birds. driving out anything that hasn't got research, later de�cribed oi,y Miners Males and females promiscuous. feathers as dull as their own. as "one of the rn:!rre1- n10,t puu11.1ciom� .. ,._,.:..� I could maintain . Only female builds cup-shaped my rage with a lot sive species in eastern Au1tr.1lia . and more dignity if they nest and incubates 2-4 brown only brutalised documented several attacks "·here min those birds that were either blotched eggs. Nestlings fed by attackino- ers were seen catching and pecking rhi:: ancl eat111g. them, or at least � mother and attendant males. stealino- heads of other birds; (Home 'parro\\·. their insects and nectar. Staple diet invertebrates, nectar l3ut when : Black-headed Parclalote. S,1crcd King poor old clove is nearly nutted and fruit. Usually breeds for scoff fisher) until they'd killed them. I)o\\· winter-summer. ing clown a few graim of spilt chook concluded that the occurrence of a sin food (the thought of which would gle species of bird successfully exclud ing all other species fro111 it, h,1biw \\·,11 BY STEVE VAN DYCK "unique". So the ,mswer to the que1- tion is yes, bur not only ,11-c ois;y \in-
18 11111> NAru,u 1\U\l lt t\l IA \U\\\11 R 2110,-2 ·r
0 It
Noisy Miners are the bullies of the bird world.
crs highly aggressive, they arc, in zoo fodder for more miner\ to defend. ing co others, but it' ci111c for difficult logical circles, spcctacul:irly (in)famous The success of these prying stand decisions to be made. From now for it. over merchants evidently stems from 011...you guessed ic. .. l stay in bed on Following up on this. more recent their well-choreographed teamwork Saturday morning and read the paper studies have show11 that, by removing that in tur11 relic on their ability to sec there. The business section would oisy Miners fron1 remnant patches of one another quickly. ot h,wing Cl3 or describe this as a 'win-win· situation for degraded woodland. a major influx of radar, their communication network both stakeholders. D honcyeaters and insectivorous birds jams when trees and shrubs interfere occurs within the first three months. In with their lines of vision. so they usual FURTHER READING fact. after their removal, species richness ly opt for tall-creed open space and 00111, D.D., I 977. t,,discri111i11mc was up to 16 times greater than in con avoid densely planted areas. i111ersperijic {lg_grcssio11 /e{ldi11,{/ 10 {l/11,osr sole trol plots. Studies on what makes the miner Offll/Hlll[)'
1 miners get off on the same things, cmuing developmental struggle and the l,ypcmg_grcssil'c bc/1111 io11r b y 011c .,perics aggression not necessarily being the least whole group is glued cogcthcr by sing 1/l{l)' l/lcdiarc 1ll'!fi1111111/ decr('{ISCS ill of them. 13ut in our love of open spaces. songs. corroborees. 111ass mating orgies. _(i-agl/lc111cd /·lllsrmliall _fc1rcs1. Oikos / 0 I: mature trees and m.rnicured lawm we gang warfare and pooled aggression. 602-61.J. play right into their hands. And when, Ta king all this on board, I've decided in our concern to revcgctatc areas rav co make a stand, deal with the problem 1)11.. Sn.v1 VA l)vcK 1� SEN1011.. aged by new development. we pla11t gar and strike a blow for sanity. I know n1y CUl1..ATOll.. or V1:.1nEBl1..KI[� AI 11 IE dens full of nectar-dripping grcvilleas course of action will shock and dis,1p QUECN�I ANI) MU EUM WI IFIU 111:. I IN, and bottle-brushes, we then provide point my fa111ily and might be distress- W0l1..KED �INO 1975.
Al URF AUSTRAi IA SUM IER 21111'i 211116 19 RARE & ENDANGERED ic data have revealed that they are actu ally only distantly related amongst the Australian Copliixa/11s. Resolving the taxonomic confusion was important as it allowed the recogni Beautiful Nurserv-trog tion of the Beautiful Nursery-frog as a species restricted to the uplands of 011 its island in tl,c sky t/1e Bea11t[fit! N11rseryjro,_Q lives a111011 11' 20 NA"! UIU· AU\ I !(Al IA \U\1�11 I( >1111, 1111 The Beautiful Nursery-frog, flipped onto its back (below) to reveal its colourful underside. and hrrcdi11.1: /,iofc(l!Y. ALl',L J. Zool. 52: 237-269. ll'il!it1111s, S.F, /30/i1/,o, E.E. & Fox, S., 2003. Cli111111c r/,1111,1:c i11 A11simlir111 1ropirnl mi1!fc,rcsrs: a11 i111pc11r/i11,I! c11Firo11111c111 CONRAD HO'>l AT U ll E AU\ I RA I I A \ U tvl NI Ell 2 O o a - 2 O O (> 21 Australian native Mung Beans are unappealing WILD THI GS as foods compared with their larger cultivated counterparts, but contained within their chromosomes may be genes that help create better cultivated beans. 01Genes1cr tl,c years 11,a11y ator plant brccrlcr beans /,as tumcrl to our 11ali/Jc 11(�ctatio11 native species co create disease-resistant in t/1e quest to e11/ia11ce a 11,ajor crop. culcivars. This means chat every 'cancer stick' you sec is partly a native product, chc I) A in the cured leaves containing genes lifted from native cobaccos-cra clicional drugs of Outback Aborigines. 13rcccling work on our planes can be traced all the way back co the early years of che 20th century. In J 909 a citrus breeder in America crossed an Aus tralian rainforest Finger Lime (Citms a11s1rr,/nsicn) with a dwarf orange, although nothing u,eful came of that. fn more rccelll trial, i11 Florida (in the 1970s and 1980s). cultivated citrus were crossed with wild Australian citrus in a bid co improve their cold tolerance. But che planes either did not cross, or the hybrid, died in the cold. More often than not the Australian relatives of crop'>. although in the same genus, are not clme enough to hybridise freely. Several projects, have faltered or failed bec1me progrny \\'ere not forth coming. When native Wild Flax (Li,111111 111m;ei1111/c) could not be crossed with co111111erci,1l Fl,1x or Limeed (L. 11si1(1!is si 111 11111), in the quest for edible-quality limecd oil, all i11terest \\'.JS lost. 13ut so111e nati\'l' plants contain such highly pr17ed genes that ackanced work is under\\·,1y to extr.1ct them. Soybean llu,t (Pht1/.!opsor11 /}(1(/,yr/1i::::1). the most '>Criou, dise,1se of Soybeam (Cl yci11e 11111.,"). reduces yiL·lds i11 Geld, by up ro 90 per cent. Ausrrali,1 h,1s plemy of Soy f USTRAi IA I IAS C.'O 1TIUlll l 1::1) VEIW vegccacion in the quest to enhance a be,111 rel,m,·es ,111d ,c,·eral ,ho\\' high di, little co the range of world crops. 111.lJOr crop. c,1se rcsi,t,1nce. lkc.1u,e th,1t res1,t,111ce i� with only the dclccrablc In a striking example from the 1960s comrolled by ,1 single dominant gene. A r Macadamia nut, fom the ALl5tr,1li,m the Auscr,1lia11 flor,1 saved one industry there 1s ,1111ple 111ce11t1,·c ro bre,1ch the rai 11 forest (.\ lnrnrln111in i111c:er(fcili11, ,\/. from disaster. During the 195()<, a di'> genetic h,1rr1n,. 7 he plant ,er to yield 1r1mpl,y/ln, and their hybrids). ,1chicving casc that the ,1 infects Austr,1lia11 native cobac gene is d,1imy little rn·incr (C:l yti11c any foreign fame. cos-13lue Mould (Pcro11ospom 1ab11ri- 10111c111c//11) f"ound 111 euc.1lypt forest in That's not much co skicc about, yet 11a)-,prcad abroad ,111d blighted tobac e,1stern Austr,1li;1. Mo11s,11Ho 1, 1ntcn:,tL'd there's a little more co the story than co crops in America and Europe. in chi, work. this. ALl5tralian plants ha,·e a 111ore sub 13ccame this disea,c originated here, ,Hi\'l' sorghurn, (So1xl11u11 ,pec1c,) tle contribution co make co world agri some of our native tobaccm (.\"ico1i1111a sho\\' grc,1t prorn1,e f'or their rc,M,111ce culture. by yielding up genes co improve species) are highly resist.lilt. In complex to drought, ergot ,llld 111lle,. ,llld rcx,1, cxi,cing crops. Over the yeJrs 111a11y a breeding trials. comrnercial tobacco A & M " 1th Un1,·ersn\'. h,1, be<>u11::, \\Ork plane breeder has turned co our n,itivc planes were cros,-hred with ,ever,11 the QueensLrnd gm·eri1111e1H tn ,ur- moum the fi:rtility problems. \,'\'hen BY TIM LOW cross-pollin,1tio11 trials yield 110 off '�1r ing the next step i, to elund lll' the NA I 22 UIU 1\U\I R ,\I I\ \L \\\\II� , , 211116 fertility barrier. Sturt's Desert Rose (Cossypi11111 s111r- 1ia1111111), the floral emblem of the orthern Te rritory, happens to be closely related to cotton ( Cossypi11111 nt species). and not only does it fare better in the cold than any cotton variety, it also offers resistance to a ,·indent new disease. Scientists arc very imcrested. l· cay tuned. The Mung 13ean ( I '(�1w mdiara) is an ideal candidate for cross-breeding because native Austr,1lian Mung 13eans II< hybridise freely with crop plams-they S· arc the same species. In the 1980s Bob La\\·n (now at James Cook Uni,·ersity) established beyond doubt that the wild Mung 13c,1m growing in Australia arc It nati,·e plants. not escapees from farms. At the British Muscu111 he examined a Mung 13ca11 speci111en collected in JI northern Queensland by Joseph 13anks in 1770. proving that the native r,mge of the Mung 13ean extends from Asia to Australia. Lawn hopes to breed hard seeded Mu11g Beam better uited to Australia ·s er ratic climate than cx1st111g Asian forms. In each f the e examples any new culci,·ar is years away. but one striking new crop is ready for the world right now. The CSI RO's Steve Sykes works on cli,easc 1-c,i,tancc and tree size in cit rus, and he started crossing mandarins with native limes back in 1981. That projecr is progressing ,lowly, but as a sideline he crossed a reel colour-form of the Finger Lime (which hybridises easi ly) with a foreign lime and with little further effort produced a striking reel fruit he christened '13lood Lime·. The bush tucker industry has seized upon this product (even though it is only half bush tucker), and interest has al'io come from abroad. Citrus growers want new colours co promote, to match the varied The native tobacco is an important chewing tobacco for Pitjantjatjara people palette available for stone fruits. and Nicotiana excelsior in central Australia, and one of several native species used in breeding trials to create disease 13lood Lime may have a big future over resistant cultivated tobacco. seas. Apart from the crops mentioned here, FURTHER READING Aust. lmt. Agric. ci. -17: l-19-15-1. l<..icc. Sweet Pocacoc\ and Banana, may Bro11 111, A./-1.D. &Bmb11kcr, CL., aim benefit one day from a native infu 2000. Cc11ctics and rhc co11scn1ario11 1111d I <1l lidso11, S., 1985-86. Dc11clopi11,1f ,ion. Advances in gene technology 11sc £!( A11srr11/ia11 1/ Jild relr11i,,es £!( Cl'Of>S. 1111111,lf /)(•,111s rcsisra111 ro 111cr11/1cri11g l<..ural increa,e the prospects of Au,tralian Aust. J. 13ot. -18: 297-303. l<..esearch. 129. 28-J I. genes finding their way into cultivated foods. Australia's contr ibution to the ,\ larsha/l, D. I<.., fr Bro11c, P, 198 I. The TIM Low ,� A 13101 OCl'iT A I) AUTI JOit global crop base can only grow and 11,i/d relari11cs £!{ crop p/ 111lfs i11d(1fc11011s ro OJ- SIX IJOOK'>. INCLUl)INC FER. IL grow. 'l A 11srmli11 and rhcir 11sc i11 pla111 brecdi11g J. / ( T( R/: AND Tue .'-:!,II .. \·. IT( "Rf:. NA I UR.I AU'-, I R.AI IA '-,UMMtll 2005-2006 23 the north HAT IS YOUR IMAGE OF orthern Territory and into of Western Australia's tropical western Kimberley region found in low, savannas? Fiery sunsets, Australia. It is commonly and is vase areas of golden undulating savanna woodlands, the Eastern Wgrasslands, and a spectacular , rugged ecologically most similar to A and remote wilderness' A reasonable Grey Kangaroo (1\lacrop11s i(rza11re11s). and common view, but you rnay also distinctive feature of the Antilopine with harbour the romantic notion that this Wallaroo is its gregarious nature, ani immense and relatively inaccessible group sizes averaging three to four and expanse, covering nearly a quarter of mals. Indeed groups of six to ten. are mainland Australia, is shielded from the even aggregations of 20 or more, impacts of humans. Unfortunately, this known to occur. Arguably Antilopines view is incorrect. We are presently wit are the most social of all macropods. nessing a broad-scale decline m num The species also displays strong sexual bers of the north's diverse 1na1 11mal dimorphism (difference in body size) assemblage, most of which is endemic with adult males weighing over 50 kilo to the region. This poses a significant grams and adult females averaging threat to preserving Australia's biodiversity. 20-30 kilograms. One mammal reported as being in Anecdotal reports of Ancilopine decline 1s the declines arc wide Antilopinc Walla- spread and come roo ( .\ larrop11s from a broad spec 11111i/opi1111s). Most trum of the com large macropods. in munity including contrast to pascora I iscs. Antilopines. arc Indigcnous people thought to have ANECDOTAL REPORTS OF and park rangers. increased in range Anti/opine declines For example. Tim and abundance Flannery, 111 his since European set are widespread book Co1111rry tlement because of ('.200..J-), makes ref- an increase in the and come from erencc to a conver availability of graz sation with ing pastures and a broad spectrum of Thompson Yulijir access to water. the community. ri, an Aboriginal This makes the cider of Arnhem apparellt decline of Land, who speaks Antilopine Walla- of the decline of roos puzzling. the Ancilopine Anrilopine, mean- around Ocnpelli ing 'antelope-like' , (Western Arnhem refers to the head Land) and tells shape and coat colouration of this wal how his people must now go far to laroo. And what makes it a wallaroo' hunt this species. And a recently com .1 r roo is clearly required . need char my Wallaroos arc distinguished f om walla pleted CALM (Dcparc111enc of Conser Ph.D. is currcnrl\', addre,sin 26 h NA! UIU AU\ I Rt\! IA \U\\\11 t, :,0115 :'lltl macropod. factors on Ancilopinc W:ill:iroo ecology. An alert motherand young: the ears are turned Specifically, my study addresses the outwards to enhance hearing. II! current distribution and abundance, ALl:WAY TIIROUC:11 MY STUDY, dice, habitat preference, reproductive H 70,000 kilometres of driving and biology, social behaviour, phylogeogra 3,500 Ancilopine W:ill:iroos lacer, what phy, conservation and managclllent of have I discovered' First, and most pleas the Ancilopinc Wallaroo. There arc ing frolll a management perspective, three lllain factors influencing the Ancilopinc Wallaroo populations appear Queensland cnv1ron111enc where to be relatively stable in Queensland. Ancilopine Wallaroos are found: cattle Mose sites 111 Queensland where grazing, fire, and extreme rainfall sea declines h,1d been reported appear to sonality, characteristics shared by most currently support good populations of of the monsoonal tropics. My research Ancilopincs. However, based on anec aims to deterlllinc the relative impor dotal reports, this docs not appear to be tance and influence of each of these the case for populations in the North- NATURE AUSTltALIA �UMMER 2005-2006 27 Pouch-cleaning behaviour by an adult female Antilopine Wallaroo with small pouch-young. cm Territory and Kimberley. This may be a,sociated with inappropriate fire regime,. and I now plan to assess the apparent difference in stability of Antilooine Wallaroo Anrilopine Wallaroo populations across Macropus antilopinus Australia by ,urveying these areas as well. Classification In relation to fire ecology. the highest Family Macropodidae. abundance of Antilopine Wallaroos I've recorded in Quecml.rnd occurs on a Identification cattle ,t,1t1on ne,1r It Surprise (north Short fur, large black nose, white ring around inside and edge of ears; \\'C,t of To\\'m\·illc) 111 the Einasleigh males red on back and white on underside; females similar but with grey Upland,. It h, 1, nor been burnt for over through head, neck and shoulders to mid back; males = 50 kg, females av. ten ye,ir,. and the O\\'ner pr,1ccises rota 20 kg. tional grazing (\\'here p,1ddock, are reg Distribution and Habitat ularly re,ted), ,1 n1an,1ge111ent practice Common but patchily distributed throughout low undulating tropical savanna Jtypiul for the region. Thi, suggests woodlands in northern Qld, NT and the Kimberley in WA. that the Antilopine Wallaroo 111,1\' be a fire-semiti\-C ,pecie,. preferring ]�55 fre of Biology quent fire,. Com1dering th,1t much Seasonal breeder giving birth in wet season; highly gregarious; sexes northern Amtr.1k1 1, ch,1r,1cteri,ed by segregate outside breeding season; activity crepuscular and nocturnal; feeds regular. i11te11,c ,111d L1tc-,c,1,on fires, almost exclusively on grass. thi, i, ,lll i1nport,111t finding frolll a 111a11Jgc111cnr per,pcctJ\'l'. From ,1 biologic.1! pcr,pccti\·c. it 1, 28 Nf\l UIU •\U',J i,•\I I\ \L \\\II R 2• 11, 21111<, the behaviour of Antilopine Wallaroos that is most intriguing . They display a behavioural phenomenon known as sexual segregation, currently a hot topic in the field of behavioural ecology. I r refers to .i situ,1tio11 in which males and fc111,1les of c1 species separate into single sex groups when not breeding. In A11tilopi11e W,1IL1roos. groups of five to ten fe111alc,. and b,1chelor groups rypi- cill-y consisting of three to five L1rger Tropic of Capricorn ,izcd 111,de\. ,ire ,1 COllllllOn occurrence. • Recorded locations To identify the reasons behind sexu,11 of wallaroos ,egreg,1tion in Anrilopine Wallaroos. I • Core distribution decided to carry out a year-long analy- sis of the beha,·iour. activity patterns Sub-optimal distribution and diet of lll,1lcs ,llld females near Mt Surprise, in the southern part of· its Peripheral distribution r,rnge. Physiologic.ii theory predicts that fe111.1k, ,hould have higher meta- bolic demand, than males, due to their smaller body ,ize and the energetic com ,moci,1ted with reproduction (for V example. L1ct,1tio11). 13cc.1use gr,1ss is a relatively low-nutriem food, L1rge quantitie, ,111d large digestive times ,ire Distribution of the Antilopine Wallaroo in Australia. Ritualised fighting between two young male Antilopine Wallaroos. In adult males this behaviour assists in establishing a dominance hierarchy. NATUl"tE AU', 1 ltAI IA ',UMMElt 21JOS-2111H, 29 ---, and remain to be tested. Females with young may be more vulnerable to pre dation than larger males and therefore safer areas seek to feed. In addition because female Antilopines are smalle; than males they muse feed more often resulting in higher levels of activity and a split between the sexes within the same habitat. One result of sexual segregation is that males spend long periods of ti me with each other, possibly impacting on their reproductive success. My observa tions indicate that a dominance hierar chy tends to become established within bachelor groups. This hierarchy may establi,h the strongest male in the group. and the one most likely to suc ceed in male-male competition for females, and ultimately to mate in the breeding season. llitualised fighting occurs regularly, involving clawing of the ground, head flicking, wrestling and wallaroo kickboxing. One of the more unusual exa111ples of dominance a,sertion I witnessed was an attempted copulation chat la'>ted 111ore than ten minutes. between a small and a medi um-sized male. \\'ith a LHger male observing. On the topic of reproduction. my study ha, al,o defined the breeding ,ea son of Antilopine Wallarom in Queensland. Early in the wet season (lace December). \\'hen grass i, most abundant and nutritiou, following heavy rains, young \'acace the pouch. Salt is often lacking from the natural diet of many large herbivores, and Antilopine Wallaroos Adule males then begin fighcing and routinely supplement their diet by using cattle licks. This adult female may be gaining minerals by behal'iour licking a termite mound. displaying mate-guarding toward� oestrous female,. follo\\'lng hi required. meaning that smaller animals patchily distributed than grass. The them for extended period,. Bin sea are disadvantaged. female preference for forbs may at least occur towards the end of che \\'et then In collaboration with Peter Fossan, a in part explain sexual segregation, as it son (March-April). \\'ith young . . O\'el' the Ja111es Cook University masters student, leads to separation of male and female rema1n1ng. 111 t I1e pouch - lo\·ernber we found. as predicted by the diet groups. Interestingly, on the topic of extended ,dn·, ,eason (l\!Liy leted. hypothesis, that male and female nutrient availability. I have observed a as food resource, becornc , Jep . 1in11lar Anrilopine Wallaroos feed on different female Antilopine licking a termite Thi'> pattern appear, to lJc , 1·e n·. types and amounts of plant material. 01·cl 1ern Tern- mound. presumably trying to access the for Antilop1. ne, 1ll. c I1e . . from rhe Crass makes up 8:i per cent of the diet mineral salts that had accumulated tory and We,tern Au,tra Iu. of males ,1nd 7-+ per cent of the diet of through evaporation. limited information \1·e ha\·e. females, but females feed on significant However, diet is not the only possible SEJl Ill I L�R ly more non-grass items (forbs) than explanation for sexual segregation in I IFH.E 11..1-NlAIN'> MU( I I I() . Walbroo. males (1 I per cent compared with three Ancilopines. Other mechanis111s, such as about the Ann.1 opine, T o n1.1ke per cent). Forbs are higher in nutrients to l1C , 1l1 IL , t . differences in the risk of predation (par and I feel privileged t . ·,t 111d111g 0 than grass, and may be preferentially ticularly by Dingoes and Wedge-tailed a concribut1011 co our umI ei ' - ...\ n eaten by females due to their greater . tI 111'1 l-ro p.od Eagles), social affinities between similar eh 1, poorly under,to. o 1 roJcct 1 '1 energy demands. Within our study site, sex and age classes, or ,lctivicy patterns, unexpected benefit ot- tieI P . ,1\·c e1r.1b- forbs were less abundant and more may offer equally plausible hypotheses also been the relanomhipi I h �Ill" \l \\Ill 30 A I U ll I \ U '> I !l \ I I '\ ·L ' Thermoregulatory behaviour by a subadult male Antilopine Wallaroo involves licking the arms to facilitate evaporative cooling. lished with ,1 broad range of individuals :r and communities, including graziers, 1, Indigenous people and park rangers. I have been inspired by the genuine inter- 1e est that people from these diverse groups have shown in my work, and the li help and cooperation that they have le extended to me. I am thankful that this >n is the case as these are the people who a- will shape the future of our tropical r- savannas. Ill My project is just one example of the 1y recent escalation in research effort that 1e is now being directed to the tropical savannas of northern Australia. I firmly lr believe that. although we face many dif- 1e ficult challenges in maintaining the 1g inregrity of these environments, our Ji collective successes indicate we are 1g heading in the right direction. D 1e :e FURTHER READING � Crc!fr, D.B., 1987. Socio-erolc�Qy ojtl1e ·n A11tilopi11e I 1/allamo Macropus I· antilopinus i11 the Northern Territory, le A11stmlia, 11,ith obser11atio11s 011 sy111patric Macropus robustus woodwardii a11rl Macropus agilis. Aust. Wild!. Res. 1-+(3): 2-13-256. R11sscll, E..\J. &Richardson, BJ., 1971. S0111e obscnJ(ltio11s 011 the breerli11g, ale str11011re, rlispersio11 a11rl l,abital c!f pop11/atio11s �( Macropus robustus a11rl Macropus antilopinus (Marsupialia). J. Zoo!., Lond. 165: 13 /-142. ll'oi,/(/rski,). C. Z., Mil11e, DJ. & lln11gc111ee11, G., 2001. Changes in 111a111111al pop11/atio11s i11 relatively i11tan la11dsrapcs c!f Kakar/11 1\·a1icmal Park, Sor1hcm Territory, Australia. Austral Ecol. 26: 360--370. /,ftp: I Isava1111a. 11/11.ed11.a11 Ied11c atio11 I st11de11/s Ia11ti lopi 11e_111allaroo. I, /ml EUAN RITC:I IIE IS A ])11.D. STUDENT I THE SCHOOL OF TROPICAL J3IOLOGY, JAMES COOK U IVEllSITY, QUEE SLAND. HE IS I 'TEllESTED I IUSEAllCI IINC TI IE MAMMALS OF NOllTI IEllN AUSTRALIA A D CO TRll3UTI G TOWARDS THElll CO SEIWATION. ATURE Au�·1 RAJ JA SU \MER 2005-200(, 31 UCI 1! [ lliME/vlBEI� IT Wl:I L. I br control. Like spines, many pcdiccl ,vas eight years old the day lariac have associated poison sacs. The 0 I . .at on a boulder at the jaws of the pedicellariac arc constantly edge of the sea extracting moving, and their job is to clean the r a barbed spine fom my foot. As I held urchin's surface of unwanted debris and the broken spine up to the sun in won organisms. The pedicellariac bear an der, I began to mull over the creature I uncanny resemblance to the carnivo had unwittingly trodden on. At the rous plants in the n1ovic "The Day of time I had no idea that a lifetime of the Tr iffids". research into sea urchins had begun. Urchins have a series of tube feet or As far as looks and reputation go, sea podia that they use for locomotion. urchins are not top contenders. These Fluid-filled canals extend through the balls of pointy spines are 'echinoderms', hard skeleton (test). connecting an erhi1111s meaning hedgehog and dcr111a internal vascular sy,tem to each of the meaning 5kin, and could be mistaken many (up to 2.000) extcrn,11 thin for a curled up hedgehog or echidna at walled tubular feet. (The pores through first glance. The spines on urchins, which these canals pass can be seen however, arc completely different to when you hold an cn1pty, spineless those found on hedgehogs, echidnas or urchin test up to the light.) Pumping any other animal. water through a Comprised of calci- one-way valve um carbonate, into a cube foot urchin spines rotate cause, the foot to like ,1 ball ,111d sock- elongate by et in the same man- hydraulic ner as our shoulder motion. Once joints, giving them the end of the the flexibility co FIS foot touches a point in most direc have a habit surface, it adheres tions. pines are through a combi used in locomotion of nibhlillg 011 nanon of ,uction but can abo be used and chemical tO brace animals exposed tube feet. means. The tube when wedging imo foot retracts crevices, to transfer when lo11gitudi- that commonly 1-c,ide 111 the intertidal food co the mouth, 11,1l muscle, con zone, or biL1ter.1lly ,y111metric.il ("irreg and in protection tract and the fluid ular'). like ,,111d dolL1r, or hc,irt urchins. against predators. is forced back I believe that if MicheLu1gclo had Some species even through the same designed an .rnim,d it ,,ould h,ll'e been have spcciali�cd sacs one-way valve a rcguL1r ,c.1 urchin: n, ,y111111etry 1s at the base of their into the cc11tr,1l truly a work of ,ire. ThL· tL''>t of ,1 regu spines that eject toxins on demand. vascular system. In addition to locomo r lar �1rchin i, compri,ed of ,1 111m,1ic of Spines range fom the thick, blunt tion. the tube feet arc mcd to excrete flat m,iclc, ,1rr,1ngcd in ten r,1d1,1l sec structure, of pencil urchins to the long, waste products, through diffu,ion acro,s tions extending from the ge111t.1l pores thin needles (up co 30 centimetres) of the thin membranous wall,, and m,1y and anm at the top. ,1ml fi1mlrn1g ,lt the the tropical diademids. Their texture also be involved in chcmoreception and mouth on the under,ide. There ,ire tire can be �mooth, thorny or grooved. they the 1mnipulation of food. Such a simple scctiom that comain the tube feet •111d arc either hollow or solid, and their ,rnd elegant structure docs, however, these arc c1lled the ·,u11bul.icr,il colour range is extraordinarily diverse. have its drawbacks. Fish have a h;1bit of h grooves·. The,e ,ire inter,pcr,L'd mt _ I Indccd, spine characteristics arc so var nibbling on exposed tube feet, and in 01 five 'intcr,1111bulacr.1l gnHi,c· ,· dc\"Oid _ ied that many species arc classified on ,omc urchins loss or damage to 20 1 per tube feet. Spine, occur 011 both typc 01 this basis alone. cem or more of the tube feet will c.1use grooves. Among other di,tinguishing features irreparable damage to the v.1,cuL1r ,y\ The hard ,trucrurc of ,e,i-urclun of sea urchins arc the pediccllariac. tcm and result in de.uh. Urchins .ire abo ,pine, and te\t\ n1c,111, tli H they prc,crre Found between the spines. these broc rnsccµtiblc to di,ca,c through small well. Indced, fo.,-,il record, ,ho ,,· th,it ,e.i 1 coli look-alike� are dynamic stalked tears in the vascular ,y,tem. 1 urc I1111, - 1 1.1\'e eXl\· lL'LI -,,[1, ' nrd· structures terminating in three oppos Sea-urchin tests can be either radially nnlhon unchanged, for ,ll lc,1,t (iOO ing 'jaws' that open or close vi,1 muscu- syn1111etrical ('regubr') .1� in the urchins ye,1r,. At their pc,1k of - L1 1· \"l'r'>lt:. tkre 34 1\ I UIU AU\ 1 ll >\II•\ \L \ \II R 2'111' '111 Holopneustes inflatus, closely related to the Velcro Sea Urchin (Holopneustes purpurascens), uses the kelp Ecklonia radiata for both food and protection. were an estimated 20,000 species. Classification To day there arc about 6,500 species of Phylum Echinodermata, class Echinoidea; 42 species (8 families) of regular echinoids (regular sea urchins, heart (radially symmetrical) sea urchins; 43 species (12 families) of irregular urchins and sand dollars). They have (bilaterally symmetrical from anterior to posterior) sea urchins. made their home in every marine habi tat, from the intertidal to the deep sea, Identification and at temperatures ranging f rom the Families separated by shape of test, positioning of peristome (mouth) and warm tropics to the icy-cold polar periproct (anus), internal supporting structures, ambulacra (podia-bearing waters. Such a ubiquitous distribution is sections of test), along with patterning and morphology of spines. probably due, in part, to the simplicity of their internal design. These animals Habitat & Distribution have a simple nervous system with no All marine benthic habitats, from estuaries to deep sea, and tropics to obvious brain, and feature very few Antarctic polar waters. internal structures-just the jaws (called the ·Aristotle\ lantern'), the intestine, Diet and the reproductive organs. Most are herbivorous, but some opportunistic, omnivorous and even lndividu,1I se,1 urchins are either male carnivorous. Capable of biting through tough kelp, encrusting algae, and or female and mmt reproduce by shed most sessile invertebrates. ding their gametes (sperm and eggs) into the rnrrounding water, a process C NAI UIU:: AUS I llAI IA SUMMER 211fl5-2IIO(, 35 The Western Slate Pencil Urchin (Phyllacanthus irregularis) uses its thick spines to wedge into undercut limestone caves in areas of heavy wave action. kno\\'n as extern.il fertilisation. Se:i ro1(�crsii). Thi, i, the do111i11.111t ,e,i urchim of rhe ,,rn1e ,pecie, often form urchin 011 shallo\\· ,ubtidal reef, along aggregaciom just prior co releasing ,outh-e.i,tern Amtr.ili.1. It hide, in g.imen:, in ,ynchrony. chm 111.iximising c1-c,·ice, ,rnd under boulder, during the the ch.rnce of ,ucce,sful fertili,.1tio11. d,1y. and e111erge, to feed m.1i11ly 011 Synchronou, ,pa\\'ning i, frequently l.irge kelp .rnd folime (leaf)·) .ilg.1e found induced by ,peci11c exrern.d cue, ,uch 011 the ,urrounding ,ub,Lr,1tum once ,i, the beginning o( .1 full moon. or to ,1 lllgln falk Thi, pattern of for,1gi11g p,1rticul.1r ,ea cemper,1ture or photopcr c.iu,e, dr.1111atic 'h.ilm' of are.i, cleared iod. 1 1rogeny .ire then cli,per,ed to ,·,iry of large plant, bur domin.ited by cru, ing extents depending on the length tme (encrmcing) .ilg.ie around their .rnd form of their Li1 T,1I ,rage. Some d.iytime hide.i\\',iy,. The,e he,1,·ily urchin ,pecie, h.we larv.ie that ,ub,i,t gr.1zed h.1bit,m .ire k110\\'n ,i, ·white 011 imernal nutrient re,en·e,. whilc the rock .1re,1,· or ·h,irrem· .•rnd ,ire m,i111- l.1rvae of other, feed 011 plankton. tai11ed ir.. the demity of 131.ick Se,i The,e ·pl.rnktotrophic· Lm·,ie h,i,·e the Urchim ,ray, abm·e .1 crincal lc,·el. potent1.1I to di,per,e gre.irer disr,inces Once rl1L' urchim ,ire remm-cd or the th,i11 ·lccirhorrophic · l.i1T.1e. "·hich 1m1,L demity i, reduced. the barrem ,h1 fr t111d an ,ippropriate place to ,ettle before b.1ek to .ire,h domin,ued once more by their re,cc:n·e, ,1re exhau,ted. folio,e .1lg.ie. and perhap, e,·e11 kelp bed,. A mo,aic of b,1rre11 ,lrL·,1, inter \Ill.AIIA I IN, -Q ">l'H II\ OJ IU (,L.:l,\R ,per,ed \\·1th patche, of kelp occur, A (r.idially ,y111metric.il) ,ea urchim. throughout the ,hallow rnbud,11 zone 111 The biology ,rnd b.1,ic ecology i, \\·ell C\\' South Wale,. and i, 1n p,1rt known for ,e,·er,d o( tlie,e ,pecie, but defined by the location of the urchim' nor for the majority. The mmt ,rudied cryptic hiding pi.ice,. ,e.1 urchin in Amer.ilia i, undoubtedly The roe (egg,) from ,c.i urchim i, the L31.ick Se,i Urchin (Cc111n>s1c11hr11111s comidered ,1 delic.ic\' 111 111,rny coun- 211; 2 1111h 36 !"-.\I Ultl ·\lJ\ I It,\II\ �L \\\\1lt THE ROE FROM SEA URCHINS is considered a delicacy in many countries, a11rl a small fishery exists for the Black Sea Urchin in New South Wales. rries. and a s111,111 fishery exists for the imporrant fishes and invertebrates, er, the Purple Sea Urchin usually stays Black ea Urchin in ew South W::ilcs, including lobsters and abalone. For within its crevice and captures detached for local sale ,rnd export. S U BA di,-crs example. the abundance of 131ack Sea algae drifting past. It is thus less likely to collect urchins in autumn to early win Urchins is often inversely related to that cause the halo effect, of barren areas rer when the ::inim::ils arc getting ready of the l31acklip Abalone (l-lnlioris l'llbm) interspersed with kelp forests as seen in ro sp::iwn. They target medium-sized in south-eastern Australia, although the areas inhabited by the l31ack Sea urchins as these have the most roe per competitive interactions between both Urchin. In saying this, however, we volume (l::irgcr urchins are more vari species are complex. sometimes observe high-density aggre able and thus more unpredictable) and, Another com111crcially and ecologi gations (over I 00 individuals per square because the quality of the roe is directly cally important Australian species is the metre) of Purple ea Urchins that result relared to diet, they harvest urchins Purple Sea Urchin (I-lclioridnris cry1/1ro in intense grazing pressure. These either in or on the edge of kelp forests gm111111n). This urchin occurs in shallow aggregations can have important conse rarher than in barrens. Regular removal coastal waters fro111 Caloundra in south quences for community composition of urchins of a particular age-class and ern Queensland to Shark l3ay in West and algal growth. Unfortunately, the from p::irticular areas has the potential to ern Australia. including all coastlines of substa11tially alter community structure Tasmania. The Purple 'ea Urchin is Sea urchins spawn externally and successful and may h::ive cascading effects on the generally more sedentary than the l31ack fertilisation is, in part, left to the vagaries of the ecology of many other commercially Sea Urchin. Although also ::i night feed- currents. A I URI AU\ I RAI IA \UMMI R 211110 21111<> 37 The Black Sea Urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersi1l is the dominant urchin in shallow subtidal reefs in south-eastern Australia. public ofren 111istakenly a,,u111es tl1.1t plant, ,1re rich in diffcrellt type, of bio ,1lga 111,1y give to ,l tiny urchin (but I these large ,1ggregatiom constitute logically ,lctive chemic.11-,_ ,rnd the,e fi.)und rim ro be no more th,111 that plagues that should be elin1inated, appe,ir to drive the pattern of hmt-pLrnt ,1fforded lw other ,1lg,1e), ,1nd whether without thinking ,1bout the come use by the differenr ,ize, (and pre,urn the urchin� ,rn: re,po.nding to chemical quence, of remov,11. ably ,1ge,) of the urchim. e\\' recruit, cue, fro111 the ,1lga became 1t ".i reliable One of the more unu,u;d ,pecie, of ,etcle in re,pome to chem1c.1l, exuded indic.ition of hi"h-qualiC\ h,1bitacs near sea urchim in south-ea5tern Au,tralia i, from the red alg,1 and, bec,1use the red by (there i, a ��iod pm�1bility of this). (l-lolo1i11c11s1cs p11rp11mscc11s). which I refer alga i, unp,1latablc to urchim. they feed Wh,1t i, clear though i, th,H the Velcro to as the ·Velcro ea Urchin· 011 011 diatom, and other alg,1e on and Se,1 rchin. like ,11:)',t ur, hm ,pecies. is account of its prominent tube ft:et that around their lc,1fy home. I lowe,·er, a, ,1 creature di,pl.1y111g highly co11ipb ,tick ro your hand when you hold it. they get bigger. they are then fi.)1-ced to ecologic.1I p,1ttcrm-11ot h,1d for an am Unlike 1110,t urchim. l.1rge indi,·iduals move and ,econdarily colon1,e the kelp. mal \\'ith no rc,11 br.1111. live in the alg,1e tht:y con5u111e. There Thi, act of mov111g between ,1lg,1 c can Sea urchim pl.1y ,l p1,·or,1I role in regu fore, rheir habitat di,tribution depends greacly increase their risk of being e,1ten lating con1munity ,trucrnre 111 ,l diwrie 1 1 on the breadth of their diet. Ap,1rt fro11 and not 11,rny individual, m,1ke it to ran"e::--, of 111ari11e l1.1hit,1t,.. ulll ,ire .i!lo ,pending m,rny hour, mu,ing on the their fin.ii destin,1tio11. importallt ,ou1-ce, oC fi_lod for many intelligence of e,1ting your own home. Why Velcro Se.i Urchim initi,1lly pred,1tor,, i11cluding hlue �ropL·r,.octo e my co-workers ,llld I noticed that. in re,pollll to the red alga\ metabolite, pu,c,. JJort J1ck,011 Sb.irk, .111d l.irg area, around Sydney. ,111,dl Velcro Se,1 when they don't even edt the pL111t ,t,1rfi,he,. J>rcd,nor, do. IHl\\·c,·er. h,il"t' Urchin, occur predomin,rntly in the remaim ,1 comt,rnrly perplex111g puzzle to o,-crco111e cho,e ,p1k) ,p1m·, befor� fronds of the le,1fy red alg,1 Dt!istn J!//l for 111e. Some of' my ,wenue, for n ,ul- "t"tCttinu t"i LO the "Oodt"I scuff.. u1d ofte clmr. wherea, Lirger individu,11, live re,c,1rch h,wc incllllkd i1we,tig,1ting the fer in Lhe pnKL''>'>. ft.'\\ \ L\lr, ,1go th,·r� among,t the kelp l:rk/011ic1 ,wli,1111. 130th po,sibk .1dded protection th,H the red \\·,1, a l.1rge E.1,tern Blue ( ;ropL·r (.--lti1t'· 38 \IL,IU \l\lH.\11\ \l\\\ R2111' ' erod11s viridis) at one of my regular the near future and sea urchins, espe 3-13-425. research sites that clearly had a penchant cially shallow inshore species like the ,\liskelly, A., 1996. Sea urchins of for urchin roe and, having discovered ones we have here in Australia, will Australia and the lnclo-Pacific. chat I routinely uncovered urchins be p;ircicularly vulnerable to over Capricomirn Pnblications: Sydne y, during 111y dives, followed me closely harvesting. A11srralia. whenever I was in the water. This To alleviate some of the pressure on groper quickly earned the name 'Mcrv' wild sea urchin populations, there is l!Villia111son,J.E. 1 Carson, O.C., de J\Jys, because of rhc substantial moustache of considerable interest in echiniculture R... & Stei11berg, PD., 200-1. De111ographic spines protruding from its upper lip. (aquaculture of sea urchins). Currently, conseqnences of an ontog,eneric shift by a sea there is 110 commercial cchiniculrure in 11rchin in response ro hosr pi(//// che111istr y. O Sll)l:IU C 11 IE I 1PORTA T Australi:i but my colleagues and I arc Ecology 85: 1355-/371. C ecological role sea urchins have in researching ways of optimising life ccmper<1te marine ecosystems, it makes cycle stages and improving quality of I Vriglu,J . T, Olllo,janyn, SA., Rogers, sense not to gre;itly impact on their roe for local sea urchin species, which C.1\·., reinbe,;_rz, PO., IVillia111son,J.E. & abundance and distribution. 13ut as will hopefully be good candid;ices for Poore, A. C. B., 2005. Densit y-depende11/ more and more people discover the joys echiniculcure in the future. 13ased on sea nrchi11 J!,mzi11,�: se/eoi11e rm1011al of of consuming urchin roe, this fine bal overseas predictions, this could prove to species, cha11ges in connn11nit y co111position ance h;is the potential co topple. Global be an extremely profitable industry if and alternari11e co1nn11111it y .1·tmes. Mar. demand for urchin roe is ste:.idily we get it right. C Ecol. Prog. Ser. 298. 143-156. increasing. yer in most regions where urchim ,1re fished overseas, populaciom FURTHER READ! G Dlt JA I: WILLIA 1'>0N IS I IEAD OF TI IE 1 are either economically extinct or in A11dre11 , X. L. et al., 2002. , ra111s r1nd MAll..1 E Ec:OI oc;v ,11..0UI' AT a state of decline. The market for edible 1nr111<15!,e111e11/ ,!f1/ lorld sea nrrhi11 _fisheries. MACQUARIE UN1VER'>1rv 1 , Svn EY, sea urchins is unlikely to decline in Oceanogr. Mar. 13iol. Ann. n ev.... -10: WI IER.E SHE LEC'TUll..E', I MARI E Mathae's Sea Urchins (Echinometra mathae1l are commonly found in high densities on open intertidal areas in tropical regions. Here they are eating small epilithic algae covering dead coral rock. NA"I URI: AU',1 itAI IA ',UMMEll 211115-2111lh 39 Mexican beef OVI: 1111:M Oil.. IIATL IIIE 1, fruit and flowers, picy observation whilst there arc few Aussies (or burricos (my own co the eggs K1w1s for that 111atter) who moonlighting as a waitress!), cw don·t have an opinion on the and fledglings of cncL1ngered s s However, despite thi Corn111011L 13rushcail Possum (7i-irliosur11s Zealand bird . 1 nature, the Com J 1t!JJl'rnlrl). ccmingly ubiquicous in our apparently adaptable s in decline towns and cities and a frequent visitor mon 13rushtail Possum is al o Western to our gardens, it will come as no sur in a number of areas, including and prise th, 1t the Co111111on l3rushtail has Australia, the Northern Territory s due one of the widest distributions of any Cape York Peninsula, mo t likely native Australian mammal. The success to habitat modification and clearance. of the species lies in irs ability co adapt From '.WO I co 200-+, I studied the life to a wide variety of habitats and food and times of a population of Common sources. Common l3rushtails will den l3rushtails on Magnetic Island. Magnet in roofa, garages, nest boxes and rocks, ic Island is a small continental island, as well as in the more traditional tree with an area of 5.18-t hectares, about hollows. These supposedly folivorous eight kilometres off the coast of (leaf-eating) marsupials have also been Townsvillc, in tropical north Queens documented to cat everything from land. The island was so named by Jame, Cook bec.1me. a, he ,,·a, ,,1ih11g par in 1770, the ,hip\ comp,1s, xted strangely, leading him to the (erroncou,) conclu sion that the island h, 1 d nugncric prop erties. More than h,1lf of the i,land is zoned national p,irk ,rnd the ,·i,r.1 is dominated by large hill, ,111d ,pur,. 11·1th elcvatiom of up to 5-tO lllL'lrc,. and co1· ered with extcmi\'L' gr1111ll' ourcrop pings. The climate 011 the 1,l.rnd 1s rrop ic.d ,111d highly sc.1son,1 I. ,, llh ,1 dry 11i11- ter season from M. 1y to ( krober ,111d .1 wet su111mer ,eason from m·e111lwr ro April. The ,-cgeuuon " l'l"L'tlom111,111rl\ gr;w,y eucalypt woodLrnd My ,tudy ,ite w, 1, looted 011 rhc 11f'r side of the i,L1nd 111 , 111 ,in:,1 of open woodL1nd, complete ,, 1th the Lnge Measuring a small pouch young of a Common Brushtail grani L ofrhe Possum on Magnet1c Island. te boulder, typ1c.d ot the re, i,land. The main tree spenc, rhcrc 11·ci-e 42 2il'' Nt\lURJ AL,\JR:\11\ ,L\1' JR 21111, eucalypts, but also wattle (Acacia) and ical for female offspring). Possum 3038 Habitat typical of the author's study site and paperbark (.\Ielalc11ca) species, the native had her first young, a male, when she much of Magnetic Island. The possums den in the large rock crevices, which are abundant. Yellow Kapok Tree (Cochlospcm111111 was two years old. He st:iyed around gilli11mc1), and l3urdekin Plums (Plcioxy- with her until he was nearly 12 111onths 11i11111 1i111orc11sc), which the possums old, before etting off to find a territo were very partial to. ry of his own. Most males disperse by I began trapping in early May 200 I ,1bout nine months of age, so this one and I remember the first possum I seemed to have been a bit of :i caught very well. She became known :is ,nummy"s boy 1 Possum 723 and her female 723 (taken from the number on extended family were one of many such the microchip that I injected under the families at my site, which at the end of skin of each possum). From the wear 011 the scudy I knew to contain about 30 her first upper molar, 723 was about resident females and 25 males. four years old and, at the rime, had a tiny pink pouch young. Possum 723 0, WI IAT's �O SPECIAi AllOU I 1111: �E was still alive when I finished my scudy S Magnetic Island marsupials? First of -I caught her nearly every month for all, the habitat and conditions 011 the the whole three years-as was her island arc quite different to chose on the daughter, called 3038, whose territory mainland. There are many rocks on the overlapped with her mother's (as is cyp- island but relatively few large trees wich NATURE AU\TRAI IA SUM !ER 2005-200(, 43 hollows, forcing most of the possums to (Top) Magnetic Island possums are generally den in rock crevices, nor trees. Also, KOALAS ARE quit e lucky, as there are relatively few predators about. However, occasionally an like many islands. Magnetic Island is less much fussier eaters unlucky individual can get tak en by a snake, biodiverse in terms of animal species. such as this Carp et Python. (Rightl This young compared with the mainland. In partic than the possums possum is about eight to nine mont�s old. ular there arc few native mammal or Offspring are able to cling onto their mothers bird prcd:1tors present, such :.1s Dingos and therefore probably fur amazingly well as she jumps from tree to tree. ( Ca1111s /11p11s rlin,Qo). Carpet Pythons don't (.\/orclia spii Common Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecu/a Classification Family Phalangeridae. Identification Characteristic 'bushy' tail; 1.5-3.5 kg (smaller in tropical north, largerin tem perate south); fur colour varies from orange-grey, silver-grey to mostly 13rmht,iil popul.nion on Magnetic black. Island crn be incorpor,1ted in future fire-man,1gemc11t plan, m areas where Habitat and Distribution lllOrc endangered 111,1r,up1,il, occur. Once widely distributed across most of Aust., now absent from large parts More directly. the rc,ult, of my inves of arid, semi-arid and tropical woodlands and thought to be declining in tigatiom into the reproductl\"C ,trateg)' other parts of WA, Cape York Peninsula and NT. and ,ucce,, of Co111111011 Brmht.iil Pos ,um, on M,1gnctic 1,1.rnd L,lll be used in Diet lllanagemcnt pl.m, to help cr,1d1c,1tc the Mainly folivorous, yet will eat almost anything. Eucalyptus leaves can vary specie, fi-011 1 l'\\" Zc.d,l!ld. Conunon from composing up to 95% of diet to being almost absent. Also commonly 13rmhcail, were introdul cd to New eats flowers and fruits. Zcal.md in the 18()()', Lo e,t.ibli,h a fur trade ,rnd h,1,·c ,mce become .1 huge Reproduction pc,t by defoliating ,·.du.1blc 11,1t1,·e foresr In warmer areas where food available all year, can breed year round, with and impactmg 011 the fr,1gdc New birth peaks in autumn and spring. In colder, more seasonal southern areas, Zeal.me.I eco"·,tc111. \X/nh 1t, high pop most births occur April-May or May-June. Litter size one, twins rare. Some ulation dcn,1(,. ,ind ,r.1rcn, ofprl'd,nor, females produce 2 offspring in a year, in autumn and spring. and COllljK'llt�)r,, thL' J\ l.!,.!:llL'llC hl.ind popul.1tio11 ,cc111, to cxpL'l lL'ilCC condi ()I tiom more ,i111 il.1r to 1mrnduced p - '\JI\ I UIU \L', I R 20111 211111 46 \I I.•\ \l \!\II R An adult male Common Brushtail Possum in the sum populations in ew Zealand, than Isaac,J . L., Kmrke11be1;�c1; A. K. & Jo/111so11, typical rocky habitat of Magnetic Island. co other Australian mainland popula CS., 2005. Adapti1 1e sex allorario11 i11 tions. relario11 to lifc-hisrory i11 the ro111111011 lm1sllfail Finally, if the worrying decline of pMs11111 (frichosurus vulpecula). J. Anim. Common 13rmhtails in many parts of Ecol. 7-J: 552-558. Australia co11ti11ucs, the results of my study will be meful in securing a safe ,\ /o1//a,�11e, 7.L., 2000. The brushtail future for these populations as well. L possum: biology, impact and management of an introduced FURTHER READING marsupial. ,\ la11aaki I Vhrn11a Press: J\'c'fl l Isaac, J.L., 2005. L[fc l1isrory and Zealand. de111ograp/1irs NATUIU: AUS I ltAI IA SUMMl:lt 2005-20116 47 calls of constant frequency (cone) echolocation. , last NE OF THE JOYS OF THE co 80 milli econd than just percei,·e ing up , and are able �ush is experiencing the Bue bats do more Their to judge the clo ing distance co the peace and quiet at night. cheir surroundings ,,·icl1 sound. ir prey by calculating the degre 0 sYstem is ensicive enough e in fre broken only by che occa echolocation on che movement quency shift of the returning echoes. ional hriek of a nocturnal animal. co crack and hone in even in Constant-frequency (CF) calls are Thank hea\'ens I don't have ear like a of tiny insect . for ome bats espe bat cially useful for detecting prey in bat. I chink co myself. When I reach area tangled ,,·ich vegetation. To clutter because returning echoes from fl down and turn on my bat dececcor. the biologists. ,·egecacion or other obstacles utter� hunt i ing insects contain a peak in ampl h impair a bat's ability to itude ilence is suddenly filled ,,·ic a cacoph chat r chat is absent fom background clut ony of sound. The bat dececcor has con termed clutter. because it produces ter ech oes. The bat' en ory system is se ,·erced the ultra onic (high -frequency) um,·anted echoes. The le,·el of sophisti n- to detect these calls of bats inco a frequency chat cation required co cease out the mo,·e icive enough m.inute h i acou tic glints. humans can hear: chat is. belo,,· about menc of rniall prey fro111 t e clutter The individual pulse of ultrasound 20 kilohertz. Alt hough normally mind-boggling. inaudible co us. bat calls are ,·ery loud peccacular example i, when ,ome produced by most other insectivorous bats are not of constant frequency but with intensities m·er 100 decibels (the bat species use Doppler shift to assess equi,·alent of a jet f:1ying O\'er at 300 distance from an object. Doppler shift sweep from high to low, like a chirp. metre ). I'm graceful for my limited ,,·ill be fa111iliar to most people ;is the Th ese bats are often referred co as 'fre aural senses. effect noticeable ,,· hen an ambulance quency-modulated' (FM) bats. This sys mall insecci,·orou bats ( uborder siren rapidly approaches and passes. As tem is ,,·ell uiced for accurate localisa M icrochiropcera). ,,·bile not blind. usu che siren approaches. sound ,,·a,·es tion of targets , because th e rapid sweep ally ha,·e tiny eyes and so don·c see fine bunch up. ,,·hicl, 111eans the sound rise in frequency prm·ides a peccrum of detail. Inscead. they percei,·e the ,,·orld in pitch or frequency. When the siren sound ch at deli,·er time marker co fre in sound. lcrasonic calls are 1110,ch passes. the sound ,,·a,·es spread out and quency- en icive auditory neurons. Bats made in flight. ,,·ich some bats emiuing we percei,·e a drop in frequency. To be use the time delay between the em.itted sound through their nose and others able co make use of Doppler �hift. bats signal and rewrning echo co estimate through their mouth. Returning echoes need co produce a constant frequency of Harp traps set on forest tracks can be effective of this sound are recei,·ed by sensici,·e sound. This is exactly the technique at capturing large numbers of microbats. Such ears and u ed co form an image of the used by horseshoe bat (family Rhi tracks provide ideal habitat for many species of bac·s urroundings-hence the term nolophidae). for example. They enm clutter-sensitive bats. The Eastern Falsistrelle (Falsistrellus tasmaniensis) is clutter-sens itive an d so spends much 11 · . the forest. me cruising back and forth along tracks or natural gaps '° 50 5-]006 NATURE >\USTl�ALI >\ �U1\11\\ER ]00 I .000 ,pecies the speed ,rnd direction of their prey. cli\·erse <>roup, with ,1bout 0 species in Aus The b,its al,o dynamically ,1lter the world\\':lc ,rnd,1bout 9 ,pccie,, they number of pulses emitted per unit ti111c, mli,1. Of the Austr,dian Forest l3at from one pulse per \\·ing beat (usu;illy range in size from the Little _ ,lt J W>t about I O per second) while searching or ( I i·spndc/11s 1//llr11 m 11s). which i, Au, cru1s1ng, up to 200 three gr,11m Slll,1llc.,t calls per second to trali,1\ one of ensure prcc1s1on 111amm,1l, to when finally attack the world's largest ing ,rn insect. It is WE CAN LEARN 111icrobat,, the I S0- hmt 13,lt truly ,1lllazing that about t/1e ecology gr,1111 C they detect their mucl, (.\ l,10'odcn11,1 ,l!�(!rl5). sm,111 flying c.1rgets of individual species Although bats ;ire at distances of just very diver,e. we can one co five metres, by studying their learn much about le;iving thclllsclvcs the ecology of indi only a fraction of a call type vidual species by second to adjust and frequency. m1dying their call their flight and type and frequency. intercept. Unlike Thi, is becall',e lo\\'- CF bar,. most F \ frequency sounch b.m, ho\\'ever. h,l\"e a limited ability to travel long clisunces. but do not h,we detect prey in clutter. bec,1me prey very good resoh-ing power for di,crim echoes arc masked by background in;iting m1;ill flying object,. The rever,e echoes. i, the case for high-frequency ,ouncl, l3;irs ,1s ,1 whole are an incredibly \\'hich un ·t travel f,1r through ,1ir due to atlllo,pheric ,1tte11u,1tio11. The White-,mped Free-r,1il 13at (7;11/,1rid,1 ,111srr,dis) produce, lm,·-fre quency c.111, ( I 0-1.1 kilohertz). nuking it one of the ft:\\ b,ll', ,wd1bk to u,. ot ,urprisingly. it flie, ,rnd hum, in \\·ide open sp,1ce, \\'here l.1rge oh_1ccr, can be \'l' detected ,lt rel.iti h-' lo1w,.., di,t,111ce1. Thi, b,lt h,l', 1011g ll.llTO\\ \\ 111g, th,1t allo\\' it to fly fa,l. ,,1n1t1u11g 111,111oeu,· rability. but ,u1t111g 1l to !light in open are,1,. The Colde11-t1pped B.H f.:c111•,,11l,1 /Jt1Jmc1,sis) i, ,lt the other c11d of the ,pec trum. It i, Amrr,1h,1\ onh h.H to ,pe The constant-frequency call of the Eastern Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus e, ...... megaphyllu s) ·1s emitted ciali,e 011 .i diet of ,p1dcr,.- I Im requir t h roug h its intricate no e-leaf. It 1s able to 1udge distance � from its prey using the degree to which an abiliry to delect th.n tinL',t of ,rruc the frequency of returning echoes are Doppler shifted. of turc'>, ,pitier ,ilk. ryp1c.1111 111 ,JrL' NA7UIU 21111(, AU'>IR t\11/\ ',L,\,11\.\IR 211110 53 storey of unlogged forest. But they were not averse to flying and feeding along tracks and trails that pass through both dense regrowth and unlogged forest. To a lesser extent bats also used the creeks as flight paths, although the ones we sampled were relatively small and clut tered with overhanging vegetation. Some of the bats that don't mind flying in dense regrowth, such as the Golden tipped 13at, call too softly to be record ed with our bat detectors, so we still have little information about how they respond to changes in vegetation struc ture. I 11:IU. AIU. 0 rJ 11:ll FACETS TO THIS T ,tory we have been exploring. If trails are prime bat habitat in forest, because they provide a long strip of Weighing as little as three grams, the Little Forest Bat ( Vespadelus vulturnus) is Australia's open space adjacent to an edge, could smallest mammal. It is abundant in many habitats throughout south-eastern Australia. the ,pace above and below the canopy rify the ulrramnic calls of flying bars in listen for sounds generated by the prey reprc\cnt another such edge? Maria forest that h,1d regrown for 20 years after themselves. Thi nor only arnicls mask Adams i� a Ph.D. <,tudcnt who is inter logging compared ,,·ith adjacent parch ing of prey echoes by background ested in the dizzying heights of the for es of unlogged forest. I wanted co know cchoc<;, bur is also probably an adapta est canopy. She ha, been using bat co what extem different species would tion to deal "·irh imccr, rh,1t are capable detector, suspended at different heights use parches of regrowth when there was of eavesdropping on bar ultrasound-an within the forest to record activity lev unlogged forest nearby. With the help example of an evolutionary ar111, race. els of both bats and their insect prey. of research assistant Mark Chide!. we Each night we abo \et harp traps on Tr,1dirionally. 1110\t bat workers have surveyed eight blocks each of mature trails (dirt access roads) throughout the angled their bat detectors up from the and regrowth forest and. back in the lab. forest. These traps. which are specially forest floor. While chi, doe, a reasonable identified over 2,200 call sequences co designed for catching bars, comist of a job of recording bat, that normally fly 1 I different ,pecie,. Although bars were frame with C\rn banks of vertical fishing abow trap'>. no-one really knows how using the regrmnh, activity levels were lines. each line ,eparatcd by ,1bour two 111any arc 111i,-,cd and which specie like only half of rhar in unlogged forest. The ccntimerrcs, and a collecting bag ar the to fly in rhc canopy. Maria is working for main difference between the rwo forest base. Interestingly. our harp traps caught toward, answcrina::, this ciuestion age-classes for a foraging bar was that large numbers of bars using rhc trails in forest, with a range of disturbance his- the regrowth was still in a very active both the regrowth and unlogged forest. toric,. phase of regeneration and so the vegeta Could it be char trail, represent good Al'>o, ho"· i1nport,1IH arc larger. more tion was ,-cry deme. Different echolo habitat for bat'i in forests and allow chem open creek<, a, fly\\·,1y, ,111d foraging cation abilirie, and wing shapes ,eemed to better exploit dense regeneration, habit,H for b,m' Anna Lloyd has recent to constrain \\·here certain bar, could We '>et our co explicitly look ar rhe ly co111pletcd her Honour, degree on forage. use of trails in northern c\\· South chi, topic by <,urveying,tre.1111'> of differ Some species mcd the regrowth as Wales where the vegetation is even CIH ,ize,. She found that bat activit y much as the unlogged forest and these denser than in the south due to rhe incrc.1,ed a, ,cream ,izc incrc.1scd, which species demonstrate another distinct presence of rainforest ,pccie, in the corrc,pond, co the "·idrh of rhc stream adaptation for feeding in clutter. Long undcr,torcy of wet sclerophyll fore,t,. and a'>,ociatcd dccrc1,e in clutter. But a eared bars (.\'yoo11hi/11s spp.), for exam Our study sire WJ'> located in Chichester rather rhan a gr.1du,1I ch.111gc. Ann ple. have 'ihort bro,1d wings that allow State Forest. near Uarrington Tops. and identified a thrL',hold whne a fly\\·ay manocu\Table flight and a sweeping call we used the bat detector, to survey area'> needed ro be of a minimun1 ,1zc to wp r about beginning at high f equencic, that pro of lllature forest and al,o area<, that had port high b,1t ,1cti,·ity. Tim w.1, s- ,·idc'i the scmes "·irh derailed infor111a been logged 16 years earlier. After col 130 ,qu,1rc metre,. ,1, 111c.1,urL'd in cros mll tion (high resolution) for foraging in lecting ,rnd amlysing lllorc than 3,700 sect1011,1. I c11-c,1: ,omcr I 11ng I'lt-.L , a, s1 . - l ·ti\'it l', clutter. In marked contra'it co the Cold calls, it bcca111e pretty clear char 1110,t .+WI) dirt tr.1ck. lkc.1u,e 1,lt ,l( ·ct'II en-tipped !Jar, long-cared b,m don ·c bat<, didn ·c like ro fly in the dcmc ,·ege over creeks did not differ bct\\ need to echolocatc when detecting tation that typifies : forc:it. a forc<,t regcncr,1ring rcccnth-� lo 21111 =i �( lh 54 '- t\ I U IU t\ U '> I It •\ I I \ , U \ I \\I It - around creeks in cw South Wales a ..J.WD trail through dense forest, Pc1111ay, M., 2001. Key to bat calls of State forests are effective in maintaining remember that walkers and fire fighters south-east Queensland and north-east hence bat activity edges and after log aren't the only ones to use such tracks. New South Wales. Forest Ecosyste111 ging. Bats need them too and, without them, Rcsearc/1 a11d Assess111e11t Tec/111ical Pape!' These studies provide snapshot pic there would probably be a lot fewer to 2001-07. Ocpar/111e11/ cif1 \'a,11ral tures of how bats u,e their forest cnvi grace our skies at night. Reso11rces a11d /\ li11cs: Q11ee11sla11d. ron111cnrs. Given th.1t forests are such Jong-lived ecosystems, we have initiated FURTHER READING Sc/111itzle1; H. U., J\ loss, C. F & Jon::,o-- ccr111 studies that delve into the K1111.:::, 7."1-1. & Fc11to11, .\/.B., 2003. l:3at Oe11zi11ge1; A., 2003. Fro111 spatial dynarnics of popuLirion changes over ecology. l. '11i11crsity l!( Chirn,(!o Press: orie111atio11 to food acq11isitio11 i11 rime. e,·ertheless. \\'C no\\' kno\\' that Chirnso. ccl10lornti11g bats. Trends Ecol. Evol. 18: trails and open creeks are incredibly 38fr394. important habitat for many bat species, L(/1/1, B.S. & Cl,idel, .\!., 2002. Tiwb especially "·here they pass through a11d riparia11 ;:011cs faci/ita,c the 11sc of DR 13R.ADLl::.Y LAW IS A SENIO!l demc vegetation. It appears that clutter A11stralia11 rc.1fro1/lt/1 forest by i11seoi11oro11s l"tESEAilCII SCIEN r1s-1 WIT! I CIE CE from deme ,·egetation place a real limit bats. J. Appl. Ecol. 39: 605-617. AND RESEAilCI 1, 1::.W OUl I I WALES on where a bat is c1pablc of foraging. DEPAllTMENT 01- PltIMAllY So the next time you find yourself on l<.ei11/,o/d, L., La11� B., Ford, C. & I NDUSTP.. I ES. . it still echolocates when navigating gou Id")1 1 t ens for sounds generated by its prey. However, Big ears hear it all · Gould's Long-eared Bat (Nyctophilus r � . at high frequencies. through cluttered vegetation using a sweeping ea11 b egin· ning 55 NATURE AUSTRALIA ',Ul\llv\FR 200'i 20IIC, So RUDIMENTARY IS OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE COMMON WOMBAT 'THAT EVEN ITS SEX LIFE WAS A COMPLETE MYSTERY UNTIL RECENTLY. IIIII' 10Rl:N ll·ll..OU� tlun the other two species of wornbat, th� title of ·co,11111011 WWo111b.1t is nonetheless undeserved. It suggests th.1r rhe biology ,111d behaviour of chis species is \\·ell known, yet this is for fro111 the c.ise. So rudi111e11tary is our knowledge of the Common Wornb,H ( I c>111h,1111s 11r.,i1111.,) rh,H e\'en its sex life w.1, .1 complete rnyscery until rel.1cively recently. l3ur in .111 obtuse if nor flippam sort of w.1y. Auscrali,111s have al\\·ays nursed .1 fascin.1tion for the sex life of wombats. If only rd been given a dollar every ri111c I was .1sked che question: ·'Is it true . ch,1c ,1 wo111b.1r cats. roors and lc.wcs? ' Yet until recently there were no record ed obsnv,1tions of courcshiµ or lll,1ring in wild wornb:m. Ob\'iously a co111pre hemiw .1mwer to this question \\',l'> irnµossiblc 1 A LOVE BITE with chisel-like incisor teeth is the type of foreplay that removes hair and punctures ski11. In Amrr.1lia. whilc some insc,111ce, of copulation and ·rnock' copul.1rion dur ing 'pl.1y' h,1d bcen obser\'ed in captive \\·omb,m, there were no documented cl.1i1m of ,uccl:',,ful breeding. Lick of knowledge about the structure of wom b.it burrows. and few attempts co con struct .1µpropriare artificial burrow environn1e11ts in captive ,ituarions, ,eerned to comribute co their poor cap Attempts co mate wombats in captiv cures skin. Sometimes the female would tive-breeding ,uccess. This, ,111d the foct ity were often conducted with some ardently resist \\·ith the sore of backward th,ir neither cournhip nor copulation trepidation. anyway. Frequently, newly kicks that would send a Sumo wre5rler had been seen in the wild. 11:'d biologi,t, introduced wombats were quickly sep suogesce d r har 111· nI e \\'ild flyino.::, I r was t,.._ • to rnspecr rh.1r rnaring may occur with ar,1ted a, sexual interaction became rhe amorou, mak would ha\·e to ·rrap in the burrow. Such a cryptic ,111d quire ,1ggressive. The male would the female within che confines of the \\ "a\' ,1pparcnrly dignified strategy may \\·ell arrack the female, vigorously biting and b urrow 111. oreI er co I1,1vc I11s . \ \'1.cked , haw ,1ppealcd to earlier naturalists who raking her hindquarters. A love bite with her! ore were imbued with .i sense of Victorian with chisel-like incisor teeth is the type Just as some peop Ie b e-co11 1e' m lling modesty. of foreplay that removes hair and punc- sexually liberated when trave l5-]ilfl6 58 ATUR.L AU� I RA! IA 'U', ""l1'\''- ·R ]Ol abroad. so coo it seems do \\'Ombat,. and. ,urprisingly. it seemed anything The Common Wombat is an iconic Australian For it was in the Cerman city of Han hut 111odcst. It appeared to he ,1 phy,i marsupial, yet even basic details of its sex life have remained a mystery until very recently. nover that the fir'>t successful captive c.1lly demanding pr N ATURE AU', I RAJ IA ',U\,\MFlt "1111,-11111r, 59 L 1' . r 1- zoo were not necessarily 111 a '-,c man . , fiI -,, bem · a, 'typical of ee- thought of as :: _' ranging wombats in Australia. Tl lAT I r WAS AS LATE AS 1990 0 b served d an filmed Common I · c·11 1 g at' Ton- Wombat courtship an d ma . ,.. imbuk Farm in Victoria. This 3:J- 111inuce sequence of infra-red footage r o-ave the firstinsight into chcir far-fom ��mmon sex life back homc. Macing, as seen in captive· wom bats, oc·curred abcwe lying on a-round:::, with both womb:HS their sides. The female, a1tcrc. a pro- in chc samc lo1wcd::, period of copulation position, brokc away and bcgan to trot and figures of in a pattern of circles . cight. The male chascd hcr. follow1ng thc11 bit hcr on che cl�scly behind, and _ rump. She im111ediatcly stopped JUSt Iona enouo-h co permit hi111 to roll her � � . . on her side and begin copulat1ng agam. If the male was slow to 111ou11t. she would kick back aggrcssivcly and not let hi111 roll her on hcr side again umil she CLEARLY, IN ORDER TO do the 'wild thing\ wombats seemed to need loads of space. had run round in more circles and fig ures of cighc. This happencd seven rimes. Clearly. 111 order co do thc ·\\'ild Wombats co be a \-cry physical and thing·. \\'ombats ,cemcd co nccd loads almost \·iolcnt ,1ffair. Thc m.ile biting of space. I wondcred if c1pcivity was the female appc,ir, to be normal and no cramping rheir style. doubt .1ccountcd for ,0111e of rhe ic.n The C\'CntS recorded at To11i111buk ring and hairlcs, ,1rc.1, often ,cen o n very closely matchcd the observarions wombat rumps. The ob,cn·,1tio11 .1!10\1"1 i11 I-Lu1nover and did ,ugge,t th.1t m.1t u, to ,pecul.1rc why c.ipt1\"C 111,iting 111·1Y i11g was not restrictcd to the burrow. result in .1b11orm.ilh- ,1ggre.,.,i\·c cncoun Furthcrmore. they co11firmcd courtship tcrs. If rhe fi.:111,ilc <; 111;.' permit, 111ounr .111d 111,iting bcha\·iour in Co111111011 ing after a ·ch.1,c'. ,111,ill pen, rn.1,· prc vcm rhis. If rhc 111.11c ll'>L'' ,1 ·birc on rb� Courtship behaviour in the Common Wombat. r cr!l!IC bum' ,l\ ,1 cue fc ) hn ro ',[Op ,l!ld p The male chases the female in circles and . . . · ,c,u,11 figures of eight, lllOUnn11g. !( I\ pO\S! t1 I C t Il,lt ,1 11\.. trying to bite her on the rear. If she's ready she will allow cncounrcr 1 1 c,c.1!.irin� him to flip her on her \\'ill rc,tilt 1 side and mate, after which 1 she gets back up aggrcS'>ion \\'ithour copu I ,H!Oll r•1k 1 l''� and the chase-and-mate sequence - continues p I .ice .1, the 1 I L' 1n lCL' ro several times. tc1 1.1lc I u, I 1tr r· In perform her ·h,ird-ro-gct . l 1c I 1.11··<)U1 r 60 NA I U I( I ,, U \ I I( '\ I I \ \ L \ l \ 11 I, this ,cen,irio. typical conditiom of cap inro the ground, of the park. With frce Because of its burrowing habits, wombats ti\'ity m,1y be i11comi,te11t \\'ith the do1n to lead the \\'Olllh,H 'd,111rc possess a backward-opening pouch-a great vantage position for a well-developed young requirement, of thi, ,pccie, ro breed. I 11 d ',11110111:. the female pern1med copul.i and a way to ensure that you are out of the way 1 1 1 ) ) 1 the I Lrnnm·cr Zoo. the \\'0 1 bat, \\'ere cion .11 d Andre ( sa\\" the ,.1 11e ,equcnce during serious earth moving! r permitted the f ee run of the L1rgc clc of heh,1\·iour, a, documemed in the ph,1nt ,llld rhinoccro, cnclmurc at night !1!111. I le ,1bo found a pouch young 50 open ,pace \\'a, not ,111 is,ue. SOlllC JllOllth, later! Shonk ,1fi:cr scci,w so111e film f NAJUJU ·\l. 11111,, ., SIRAIIA\U\1\\IR 21111, 61 s the Com111on Wombat is increas Being the largest burrowing herbivore, it ingly held in captivity throughout Am seemed probable that Common Wombats would mate within the confines of their tralia. there ,1re co111pclling reasons to extensive burrow system. But they turned find out more about chi� cryptic marsu out to be less modest! pial. Let not the label · co111mon' deter us from this task or, worse still, lull as into a complacent attitude when it ,\larks, CA., 1998. A11 obscnmtio11 111111011 11 i>111bat (Vornbatus ursinus). increasingly i111pacts upon its popula Pp. 125-/28 i11 Biology of wo111bats, tiom. I hope that it will never be the ed. by R. T I !'ells and P Prid111orc. S11rrcy ca,k of any future biologist to 111orc Beatty and 011s: Cliippi11,e 1\'or1011. fully elucidate the ,ex life of the ' ncommon' Wombat. 7h,!!,!!S, B., I 988. The wo111bat: ·o, I am finally able to answer that common wombats in Australia . .\'c111 great Australian wombat sex conun 0111/, I !'ales l I11i1JC/'sity Press: Krnsi11,{/to11. drum, but with an unexpected feminist t\\'ist. For it seems that, in the wombat 11 i>o1fcird, J, 200 I. The secret life of dance of love, it is the female wombat wombats. ?ext P11b/is/,i11,!!: J\Iclbo1tr11c. that calls the shots: and cats, roots and lca,,cs 1 Cuv1: A. MA1tKs ,s Dm.1:c1 Oil.. 01- oc:Tun..1 Al WILD! JFE R.ESEARCH FURTHER READ! G PTY Lm IN V!CTO!l..lA. HE I !AS A Biie,; ,\I.' I 998. Obsen1atio11s OIi I O G-STA 1)1 c; I TEREST I TI IE re11rod11aio11 ;,, the Co111111011 I 1/0111/Jat l:COLOCYA I) co SEll..VATI01 OF THE J (Vo111batus ursinus) ;,, rnp li1 i1 y. Pp. Co \MON WOMIJAT, AND 129-1-16 ;,, 13iology of wombats, ed. by PA!tl ICULARLY THI:ltESOLUTION OF R.I T Veils and p Prid111orc. 11rrey Beatt y LA I)! IOI DER co ,-, ICT WITI I THIS and 011s: C/1ippi11,Q i\'c>r1011. SPECIES. Common Wombat Vombatus ursinus Classification Family Vombatidae. Identification Large, generally nocturnal burrowing marsupial with squat, round body and course pelt that varies from black, chocolate brown to blonde. Can grow to over 1 m in length and over 35 kg (mean 25 kg) in weight. Distinctive cube shaped droppings. Habitat and Distribution Alpine forest, heath, coastal scrub and open forests with suitable burrowing habitat and forage. Once more widepsread across south-eastern Aust.; now largely restricted to Tas., and highlands in Vic. and NSW, extending to south-eastern Old border. Patchy populations in western Vic. and eastern SA. Biology Diet of grasses, herbs and sedges. Digs a number of large burrows, some up to 30 m in length. May move many kms in an evening. Births occur at all times of year, almost always with single young. 62 NA7 URE AUSTRAi IA ',UM'.\\IR 111115-111116 AIUJU AU\IR'\IIA \U IMIR ]llll'i 2!1!1/, 63 .... a: ,a: =.... = ea. 64 1 I 1'- \ I L' It I \ l , I 1, \ I I \ , l \ I \ I I , 1 111=-i (Left) Emperor Gum Moth caterpillar I Opodiphthera eucalypti). Longicorn beetle Piesarthrius sp. Insect Gallerv BY GUNTHER SCHMIDA 65 NA"! UR.E AU\1 RA! IA \U/\IMLR 200'i 2001, .... a: Cl: =.... =z: a.. Emperor Gum Moth (Opodiphthera eucalypti). Sparring male Golden Stag Beetles (Lamprima aurata). 66 ,\ I u JU \ l \ I R \ I I \ \ l \ I \ l R 2 II 11 °i c ii! March fly. NA TURI, AU', 1 llAI IA ',UMMER 2005-20116 67 GLODAL SPOTLIGHT Sairminu fleshv tentacles ot doom The Star-nosed ,\ lole sees its 111orld t/1ro11,',!_/1 pi11k-ro/011rcd te11- lt1clcs. Ill: 11 '/.\D /.\' TI-IE 11 JLU)I IS (WI:. S touch receptors chat send information wirh the l<..ar raking his friend via I 00,000 nerve fibres to the mole's and fellow rodent the Mole brain. For us this would be the equiva T lent of h;iving chc sensitivity of our 011 a picnic co the riverbank. Mole unpacks the far, wicker luncheon-bas entire hand magnified six times and ket 011 a rableclorh and spreads out a then concentrated into a single finger 11u111bcr of small mysterious packers, tip. which the R.ar has explained contain And what docs the Scar-nosed Mole food much loved by Moles. When it do with all this information rushing to \\',ls rc,1dy the !'tar said." ow, pitch in, its head' When the tentacle-; of doom old fcllo\\'1'' and the Mole unwrapped touch something that may be worth the food ,rnd began to ear in a manner eating. the mole brings its lowcrlllOSt befitting ,1 talking Mole bestowed with central pair of tentacles into contact English manners and picnic cciqucccc. with the prey. These super-sensitive However, if the Mole had the eating tentacles allow the mole to make even habits of a Scar-nosed Mole, most of the more precise decisions ;ibout what to food would have been eaten before the do next. and if the brain s,1ys "Eat''. the Rat drew ,111ocher breach. prey bccolllCS fast food; really fast food. The car-nosed Mole (Co11dy/11ra From the moment the mole finds prey, cris1,11r1) has a soggy. subterranean moves to prey, decides co c,lt prey. grabs lifestyle in marshes and werlands from prey. bites prey with its rwcczcr-like C,111ada down through the north-e,m teeth and S\\'allows prey, it takes just crn United Scates. Coated in \\'ater over one-fifth of a second. proof black fur and having heavily Kenneth Catania and Fiona Remple cla\\'cd forelimbs for digging, it blindly at Vanderbilt University in the United burrows through the clamp soft soil and Scates have found chat the Star-nosed feeds on the abundant worms. small Mole is the champion of 111anrn1alian moving quickly and processing infor mation corning front the star. So it is not insect larvae and other tiny animals it caring compcririons. Usinn a hi<>h- ti b comes across. As its name suggests it has speed video camera co film the mole\ surprising char the mole often 111ake1 mi-;rakcs ,md 111i,scs a b1t of food ,rnd a nose char looks like a star. bur this is a feeding behaviour. rhev found chat it then b,1ckrr.1cks right deci rather bL111d clcscriprion of what is the could car ten lllourhful-sizc pieces of w nuke the sion. most extraordinary-looking scn-;c earthworm in 2.3 seconcb or 0.23 sec uncr-d1i- organ. T\\'cnty-rwo-rencaclcd Octopm onds per piece. Although the structure What arc the ad\',llll,we::, , of , t cicnt tlw. 111 noscd Mole would be more ape. of the star, and the fact chat ,1 large pare feeding' It see1m intuniw Surrounding the nose is a fleshy array of the mole·s brain is dedicated to pro term� of tilllc and encrg, spenr [<.)r,l� ' .1 of I I pairs of finger-like tentacles that cessing information it receive, from rhc ing. it i, cheaper for L1rge predator ro ()() kilo arc -;played across the mole's face. While star, was already known from earlier utch one prey th,1r \\'e1ghs I grams th,n c,Kh some of u-; sec the world ehrough ro-;c srudic5. the actual speed at which it th;m to c.1tch I()() prey \\'cig if the colourccl spectacles. the Star-110-;cd could literally inhale food \\'as h, om· kilogr.m1. I !m,L·,·er. preda L'm·r�1 Mole �ccs its world through pink unkno\\'n. Their result, also suggest th.1t tor expends \'l'l'Y l1ttk coloured ccncacles. These squirming locati n could the mole has pushed it<, br,iin ,llld ncr ng e,1ch prey ne111. then flc,hy tcnc,1clcs arc packed with 23,000 01 vou, system to its opcr,lting limit, for sun·i,·c 1 .1 diet of' s1n.1II ,1n1111,1ls. C.n,i- 11i.1 and Re111pk Sll""est th.n the 1t·1r evoked .1, .in .1d,1pt.1��n ltlr h1gh-1pl'L'd feeding when the ,rncestors of '.-ior BY SIMON D. POLLARD 1 noscd Mole, fir'>l 111m,ed 1mo ,,·L·tl.1nd - 68 cllllh 'A I UIU ,,us I lti\l 1 1\ \L \1\l It cililo l3y e\'oh-ing an exquisitely semirive er basket, the list of goodies rolls off his The super-sensitive fleshy tentacles of the Star-nosed Mole. appendage with it, large surface area tongue ,o quickly. it is ea,y to imagine and flexible feelers. the Star-nosed that he \\'JS acru,1lly trying to "·hec Mole could make an efficient livin AIUIU AU\lll..l\llA \U1\\ 1V\\R �11o'i 2011h 69 advertised clean skin ("Lo BEING HUMA that ok! No fleas!"). The oldest hairdos depicted archaeo logically ·were once thought to be on 30,000-year-old Venus figurines from Naked apes letting their Western Europe, but it turns out that these carvings are probably woven hats hair down (see " cone Clothes", Nature Aust. Autumn 200 I), and thus the earliest evi l;fle are 1101 so naked that 111e 111011 't 111ax or s/w1Je to i1111Jro1 1e dence of covering up, if not removing, the look a11dfeel cif e1Je11 tl,e 111ost l1ard-to-reac/1 plares. hair' Genetic studies of lice take us fur ther back, and indicate that the Human !3ody Louse, which lives in clothing and only feeds on the body, evolved 011..(.;�r All...Ml'ITS, PIGTAIL'> AND l'UBI::..\ different on men and women, and why 50,000-1 00,000 years ago, presumably JUSt for a moment. The rest of all humans have a mat of hair at the when we started wearing layered clothes F our body is as hairy as the next junctions of the limbs and torso. He (see "Lousy Clothes", Nature Aust. great ape's, at least in the number of fol wondered too if reduced body hair was Winter '.200..J.). So we must have been r r licles per square centimetre. Hu,nans, nawr:dly selected to fee hun1ans fom 'naked' at least since modern hunters with dense, fine, short hairs, just look ticks and other parasites, but thought walked-not streaking but dressed to naked, so we can rightly be called this unlikely because he was unaware at kill-out of Africa. Maybe other early ·naked apes·, or 'third chimpanzees·, or the time of any specific adaptations for humans were a lot hairier. Could this even 'silverbacks' (Gorillas aren't the rcmo\·ing para,ites in other relatively explain the <,cant evidence of human only males to get long grey hairs on hairless. tropical landlubber, (elephams interbreeding with hairy, cold-adapted 1 their back as they get older ). and rhinos). Nor did the loss of human candcrthah? Pcrhap'> they were just Although anthropologists tell us we hair to regulate body temperature coo flea-ridden and ugly. ould it look naked, humans, it seems, can't get appeal much to Darwin because it does explain candcrth,11 extinction through n ·t really explain retention of our head naked enough I We are not so naked that infection' hair, most exposed to the suIJ. Darwin we won't wax or shave to improve the Human retemioIJ of hair in or on the look and feel of even the most hard-to favoured sexual selection ro explain dif nose, car'>, armpit'>, che,t, genitals and reach places. There arc 1-J. page, of ferent head and face hair on men and other remote locatiom u,ually has a beauty salom in the Sydney Yellow WOlllCl1. functioIJal expl.rnation. Hair, might be Pages, most offering waxing services for Mark Pagel (University of Reading) filters, cmhions. ,ign,11, of ,exual matu just about everything-eyebrows, upper and Walter Bodmcr (Oxford Universi rity, or pheromone di,pcmcrs. Pluck lips, legs, backs. armpits, crotch. ty) combed new threads into these the ,omc hair, from different pans of your On top of all this fuss over unsightly ories. They too rejected the hairle,,, body and have .1 ,niff Twirl them body tufts are beards and head hair. bipedal, body-cooler argument (naked around. Pubic h.1ir, .ire co,ir'>e and curly Fashion, health and even religion have a skin gains too much heat during the day with .111 irregul.ir di.11neter. which is big i1npact. The Taliban (Islamic rulers and loses too much at IJight). Alld they handy became ir 1ne.111, they c:rn·t get of Afghanist:111 1996-'.200 I) banned doubted the 'aquatic ,1pe theory', which matted into dre.1dlock, \\"hen you \\"alk shaving, and decreed that beard, be purports hairlessncs, to h.1ve evolved to work. But hu,n,111 he.id h,1ir stands up longer than a man's fist. Uarber'> have during an aquatic or ,c1J1i-.1qu.1tic pha,e in a \\"orld of ih O\\"IJ. I Im,· come head ,ince re-opened to high clem,rnd. Uut of human evolution-the fos,il evi hair i, ,o ,nuch longer rh.111 eH:ry\\·here you don ·t have to be an l,l.1111ic funda dence i-, just nor convinciIJg. They el,e) me11talist to realise that \\·e p.1y clme reckon that scxu,d '>election could well 1orbcrt Me'>ko ,rnd T11n.1, lkreczkei attemion to removing facial hair. 13.ir explain human rctc11tio1J of face. he.id (Univcr,ity or J)cc,. 1 lung,iry) ,ugge,t ber, and hairdre,ser<; co,nrnaIJd over 1.3 and pubic hair. but that rcl.nive hairlcs'> that long h,1ir i, linkl:d "Ilh reproduc page, in my phoIJe book, 1-c,ponding to IJess chcwhere Oil the bodv w;1, l.ir 2JIJ1h 70 NA I URI AU\ I !( \• II\ \Ll\1\11 R 2J\J\o A Hindu Sadhu (holy man) from Kathmandu, Nepal. long hair means different things to different people. dishevelled, bun, and unkempt) on a set hc,1lchy, while it makes more attractive what you sc<.: (or don't se<.:)is no longer offemale faces and to rank the cffccrs ot women more tcmininc and sexy. Obvi what you get. these hairstyles on attractiveness (tcmi ously chi, study might only be true for ninity, youth, health dlld sexines,). a limited ra11gc ot tcmalc hair,cylc, and FURTHER READ! G The results sho\\'cd chat unkempt or for ccrcai11 culwre'>. but the b,1sic mc, Pa,{!cl, ,\ I. & Bod111C'1; W, 2003. ,I naked dishevelled hair, which might i11dicatc ,cigc probably holds: long h,1ir \\'ill ape 111011/d h,111eJi'111cr p,1msi1cs. Proc. rt. parasites, has little impact on attractivc imprc,, your mate. because to afford the Soc. Lone!. l3 (Suppl.) 270: nes , but that hair length is a pretty co,cs ot produccio11 ,rnd m,1incc11,rnc<.:. SI 17- I 19. good indicator ot general health and, you 'vc got co have good genes. The presumably, genetic quality. Long hair n<.:xt plan is to sec how me11 m,1kc the .\lcsko, ,\·. & Bcrcc�kci, 7.', 200-1. certainly costs a lot in terms ot produc cut, and what wome11 want. l l,1irs1ylcs as 1111 adapli/ lc 111ca11s of tion (head hair comumes more energy, I r<.:ad som<.:wher<.: ch;H transplant<.:d diSJ!layi11,{! p/1e11otyJJic q11ali1y. Human grows faster and is shed more rapidly pubic hair (that is, adding co it, not ature 15(3): 27--16. than body hair) and daily maincc11ance rcmovi11g it) is bccomi11g trendy i11 (long hair takes more time to care for South l(orc,1, but I ca11 ·c <,<.:<.: it c1tching l)lt n..1c1 IARI) Fu1 LACAR i', AN than shore hair). Hairstyle. particularly 011 a, a surgical cure for b,1ldncss in the Ho ORARY n,J:.',1-ARCI I A<,',OCIATE medium and long hair. is very impor West. Still, \\·ich all chi, artifici,11 adding AltCI IAl:.OLO(;y A I 11 lr tant in enhancing atcraccivcnes,, ,rnd r<.:moving, it's hard not to rhi11k chat UNIVElt',11 Y 01 SYl)NI Y. 1-IL I', whether you have ,omcthi11g to hide or it\ the c11d ot cvolucio11 for human h,1ir. I' lt"I ICULAIU Y IN I l·RI ', 1lsl) IN not. Longer hair makes less acm1ctive The n1<.:dium (hair) and the mcss,1g<.: AltCI IAEOI OCICAI INl)ICATOR', women look more temininc and (mate with me) might b<.: eh<.: sa,n<.:, but 01- 1 IUMAN BEi IAVIOUR. NATUl'\.E AUS I RAI IA ',U \MrR 200S 200(, 71 THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS plant lurking in the Tasmanian World Heritage Arca. ome years ago, I took part in an A11s tmlir111 Ceogmpliic-sponsored expedition to l3athurst Harbour in south-western Immortal plants Tasmania. While I was wading th rough tea-coloured streams searching for new A tree rn11 lie 11ie11 1erl ns n close-lmii co/011y �f 111n11y i11rli11irl11nls, species of red algae, Jayne l3almer (Tas J J n11rl 1/1is colony fins tl,e pote11tinl to !i1 e_{<,re1 er. manian Department of Primary Indus tries, Water and Environment) was col lecting samples from one of Australia's r oddest, pcrhap, its oldest, and certainly and pu poses, immortal. Clc,irly most WA':, llOTI I SI IOCKl:.D A1 I) AWED IIY one of its rarc\t, plants. A member of the idc,1s offered by French tropical trees arc mortal: Australian \\'attics tend the family Protcace,1c and closely relat botanist Francis Halle in his won to flourish and die within a decade or I ed to warracah, ('fr/open), King's Holly derfully titled book !11 praise c!( pla111s. I two. and even our most majestic street (Lo1 11r11ir1 1r 1s 1111111irn) was first discovered was certainly amused and captivated trees have a maximum life spm of one in 193-1- by local identity Denny King. it's a fascinating book. Halle is parcicu or two centuries. Structural problc111s That plant is now a,sumcd dead, but brly keen to show that most animals and develop. Food and w:1tcr supplies can't King found a ,econd population, con plants are fundamentally different, and be guaranteed. Fungal pathogens some 1 r firmed by T.1�mania 1 botanist Winifred that we can't simply generalise fom what short-sightedly kill their host. r Cu ci, in 196:i. It look, healthy enough, what we know about anim,11 biology to Winds blo\\· them down. And so on. extending along creek gullies for over a plants. To my delight Halle also COil In fact, the longest-lived pl.rntsarc not . kilometre. but none of the plants pro eiudes that plants ,ire far 111orc imcrcst the gr,111d trees. Granted a l3ristlcconc duce, fruit or ,ccd. Ccncric testing by ing! Pinc (Pi1111., /011_{!rl<'flll) chopped down in Jasmyn Lynch (who work, \\·ith 13almer) One of Halle ·s key concepts is that a California in 196-1-. is often cited as the and colleagues fro111 the University of tree can be viewed as oldest tree. It was just Tasmania ,howcd 110 dl'tcctablc varia a close-knit colony of under :i.000 years old tion across the cmirc population. This is many individuals, when felled. although rather than a single there arc cl,1ims that usually good evidence of ,1 vcgctatively organism, and that So a tree is like other individuals of reproducing specie, (,1lthough some this colony has the this species ,He 8.000 plants that gro"· from ,cccl may be r potential to live for an allt !lest or sea ycar5 or more old. genetically i11di,ti11gui,hablc f om one c,·cr. Wh,1t he means And ,1 m,1ssivc Huon another, such ,1, the Wollc111i Pine. and. anemone: i11dividuals like the branchc\ 011 an old tree. ,·egeta 1s that there 1s a Pinc. spre,1d 0\'t'r 2.5 repeated pattern. and tivc off-shoots an: nor ncce.,.,arily gener die) b11 t the colony hectares (the ,ize of a c,1ch unit c.111 contin city block) 111 the ically idcntic.d). ue to grow (whether persists. Mount ltcad area of Micro,copic ex,1111i11,1uo11 ,11,o part of the tree or as a T,1,111.111i,1, i, estimat- demonstrated th,1t I< 111g\ Holly ha, cutting or gr,1ft) ,IS ed co be ,1bom I 0.000 three set, of chro111m0111c,. \Xlhen 1r long :I', it cornains a year, old. bur there i, co111c, to chro1110,0111L' 11u111bcr,. pl.111ts bud. The bud. some dcb,1tc over do mix it up ,1 lot. ,111d 111ulriplc cop1c, ,1ccordi11g ro chi, i11terpret,1tio11. c.111 be \\'hethcr to call this ,lll ·i11dividu,11" tree are not u11co111111on. 13ut rnplo1d,. ,1, con,idcrcd the true individual-it c.111- or .1 ·colony of clone,'. they arc c.dlcd. arc r,1rc. 111 L<>111,11i,1. ,111d not be divided any further. (Even if \\'C If we accept Halle\ ,·icw th,H 1110',C in fact in all ir, clo,L' rel.1t1,·L·,. ,1 doubk u,e genetic uniformity to define ,111 plants ,1re coloni,11 ,1ny\\',IY, \\'C ,houldn ·r ( 12 'J•\I URI t\U\l ll•\11 \ sl \l\1 1 1< 'IIU'i �lllh King's Holly: part of a 43,000-year-old clone? every plane in the one-kilo111etre stretch to confirm the exact age and lifr histo but disjointed individuals. All this casts was once connected. and that fire has ry of this imriguing plant. Like King's a dark shadow over the paltry efforts of probably fragmented the 'clone'. l3ased Holly, the Peach Myrtle has found a most animals, which at best live for a on a combination of its current extent, way to survive \\'ithout reproducing few hundred years or, if you are a sea carbon-dated fossils, the lack of genetic from seed. Each individual consists or a anemone, a couple of thousand years. diversity. absence of ,ced, and the large group of seems up to 12 metres Being a plant, or a microbe, has its ben unlikelihood or triploids occurring high. the biggest of ,,·hich seem to bl'. efi CS. t\\'icc, they hypothesise that this clone about I ,SOO years old. The plant may ha,·c ,tarted life over -D,000 years ·regenerates" itself by replacing old FURTHER READ! G ago. Hard to confirm, but a tantalising sterns with new, and is likely to be at r/111/c, F, 2002. In praise of plants. proposition. least I 0,000 years old. Ti111bcr Press: Por1l1111d, U 'A and A fe\\' thousand kilometres north, The real stayers. however. arc giam C11111brid,i,ze, L 'K. plant ecologist l�ob Kooyman has dis fungal networks said to be the largest covered ,lllother long-lived clone. He li,·ing organisms in the \\'Orld (see Ly11d1, rl JJ., Ba mes, R... IV, Ca111becedes, ,uggem, provocatively, chat the J Jeach "Largest Living Organis111 ··, S11111rc ). & I i1il/1111ro11rr, R...E., I 998. Cenerir Jidcncc 1!,111 Lomatia tasmanica Myrtle (l ·ro111 yr111s a11s1mlis) in ew ;Jusr. Su111111er 1993-9-1-) and possibly c/ South Wales\ ightcap Range 1s, at functionally in1111orcal as well. Plenty of (Pmtcaccac) is ,111 1111cic111 c/011c. Aust. J. lease functionally, an immortal plant. algae, fungi, bacteria and other f3ot. ./6: 25-33. That i'>, in the right circumst,rnces it microbes reproduce ,1lmost exclusively could live for ever. Kooyman and his by splitting in t\\'O (\\'ithout ,111y sexual DR Til\1 E N·1 \Vl�LL I'> EXECUTIVE research supervisor Peter Clarke (Uni fusion), and you could describe their l)m.LCTOR OJ rl 11.:. 130TANIC: GAltl)ENS versiry of Ne,,· England) arc still try ing extended families as exceedingly old TRU�I. SY() LY. NAiURJ AU'>IRAI IA ',UMl\11 R 2fHl'i-2(1(1(, 73 - reviews The Nature of Plants: Habitats, Challenges, and Adaptations loo PP. 9 5 111 1 s 11g, Colli11gl/ rl, Vic., 2005, 3 14 64. rrp. By Jol,11 Oa s011 a11r/ R.oh Lucas. CS! R.0 P1 hli lii OOKS LIKE TI JIS ARE USUAi J y WIUTTEN UY AMERICA S OR EUltOl'EA S, A I ) TI II:. TEXT ANI) r illustrations invariably emphasise 11orchern-he111isphere examples. What is refeshing about this B book is that its authors hail from New Zealand, and their text has a strong Australasian flavour. Many of the plants they describe and illustrate come from New Zealand, Australia and New Caledonia. As a detailed introduction to the world of plants this book is very good, and well pitched towards the category of reader who enjoys Nar11rc A11s1ralia. In clear readable English the authors explain such phenomena as pollination and seed dispersal, and adaptations to fire, drought, cold, hcrbivory, and a life in water. The text can be read chapter by chapter, or be consulted when questions co111e up, such as 'How docs sap rise;, ' The photos, 111ainly by Rob Lucas, arc so outstanding that the book is almost worth buying just for these. The text appears to be pitched to an international audience, but its cw Zealand bias ultimately bccon1cs a minor weakness, with too many ew Zealand examples mcd to illustrate the concepts. -TJM Low Seven Deadly Colours: The Genius of Nature's Palette and How it Eluded Darwin 9 By A11r/rc111 Parker. Si 111011 & Sc/111src1; P y111hlc, 1\·sw,2005, 286 pp. 3-1. 5 rrp. I IE SUPPORTERS OF I TELLIC:I:. T DESIG ARCUI:. I I IAl Lll·I:. I\ JUS I 1"00 C:OMl'l IC:A I ED 10 Ul: the result of the directionless lottery of evolution, and to chem the eye is too perfect to have T evolved by chance. Charles Darwin also felt the eye was perhaps too perfect for evolution, but as Andrew Parker explains in Seven r/ear/ly ro/011rs, the eye is not quite as perfect as we tend to think. This book deals with the physical aspects of colour, how it is 'made', and how much our ·perfect' eyes fail to see. While colour pigments are known to us all, what about structural colours, iridescence, and yellow fluorescence;, There is much fascinating information in this book, but sometimes the flow is interrupted by complicated explanations that might have been better in an appendix. I also would have liked answers to unanswered questions. For example, can parrots sec yellow fluorescence;, One of the aims of this book is to show that the eye is not perfect. Why then docs Parker specifically exclude image-forming orgam from his definition of an eye; Surely the 'proto-eye,' of snails and slug, and the light-,eming org,rn, of other more pri111iti,·c ani111,il, are part of the story of the eye·, evolution? -1311 I i(UDMA AU\ l ltAI JAN MU\I Uf\l Fabulous Flatworms: A Guide to Marine Polvclads CD-RO.\/ Leslie 11111 1 1 1 1 b y .\"e1 a 1 a 1r/ Lcsll'I' C1 1 1011. CSIR.O P11blislii11,�/A 11srrali<111 f3iolo.�ir,,I l ·'Fabulous Flatworms" is not an exhaustive guide to all species , and •so 111c c ,111 1 i . . . , . . be d·111«,c L,lt t<) it· I cnt1·c.1y firo11 1 t I 1c p I 1orogr.1 1-il ,• alone, thus rcc1um 11g a careful reading of the · ' ' description. However ' with 111c)i·e tli 1 J 1 . . . . a• 1 ..,.'{){) wo,·I lI ,pcc1c, c1 cp1ctcl.· 1 1110,r r 1. r arc likely to be encountered can be readily rccog111scd. Surpr1s1ncrlv. , or pcrln . · • ::-, , • pc' Jl< )t , ab, c)Llt cl1 1 cc-quartcrs o 1-· ,pcc1c, 1ncI ULI et· I ,ire yet to be formally described. Highly rcco111111cndcd. SI IA I Al IY()rs;(, AU\ I ltAI IAN :v\U\IU�l 74 NAIUIU AU\IRAIIA \U/\1 JIR 'lltli ]IIIH> Natur I ° 23 S: Archaeologv and Environmental Historv of the southern Deserts 1 1 1 . 1 Pl'l'sS, Can berm, 2005, 436 PP. Edi1cd by .\ like S1 1i1'1 11 1d P1111I f-lcs.w X11tio 1al \ !11sc111 1 CIT, at the ational Museum of Australia. while ()au! Hesse i, ,1 geo111orphologist. well known for his research into climate change. It's a good combination, 1 "·hich Ii.is kcpr the chapters brief. despite complex arguments. scientific uncertainties ,111d tcchnic, I jargon (hence a meful Closs:iry). Highly recommended for .rnyonc intcrc,tcd in the detail, of cnviron111cntal hi,tory and dc'>crt people,. -l(ICIIAIW FULLACAR U IVLR<,11 Y OI- SY!) I Y Rhvthms of the Tarkine: A Natural Historv Adventure !3y Samii Lloyd 1111d non Xa,(!o rrk,1. P11blislicd by Sam/, Lloyd, Birralcc, 'Ji1S., 200-+, 98 JJJJ- 1111d 99-rmtk CO, 35 rrp. I JI: TAllKINI: Alt LA COVEil� Al'PllOXIM ATEI Y .+.+7,00() I ILC rARI::.� 01 1111 NOIU I 1-Wl:S I 01 ,. T Tas111a11ia. The region hmts Australia ·s largest tc111pcratc rainforc,t. the l,irgcst .1rc,1 of unprotected "·ildernc,s remaining in Tam 1ania. and an astoni'>hing_ variety of other cultural. biological. geological ,111d landscape value,. The authors spent '>c,·cral \\·ecb exploring. recording the sound,, .rnd docu111cnting the natural history of the Tarkinc. The 98-page booklet is .i descripci,·c diary account of I I different places they visited in the Tarkinc. The author, e1Jbor.1rcly dc'>cribe the different vegetation. birds ,111d ,111i111als that inhabit the are,1'>. The bird, at e,1ch ,ice ,1re \\"ell documented and each ,pecics is accompanied by a number that relates to a tr,1ck on the C:I). The CD compri,e, 99 tr,1ch th.1t were recorded on their expedition. These arc mainly bird calls but also other animal, such a\ the Ta'>rn,111ian Devil and some im-crtcbrates. The booklet and Cl) together create a very strong image of the pristine beauty of the T.irkinc. It almmt made 111e feel like I \\·as ,itting on the forest floor. Useful appendices listing the fauna sightings at c,1ch area, and the scientific nrn1cs of the flora and fauna. arc included. The ,1uthor sadly points out that. when travelling in T.1smania. bre,1thtaki11g bc,1uty is juxtaposed with 111,w,i,·e de'>truction of the unprotected fore'>t'> of the T,1rki11c. -CI·Olt(;J "A 13RO\\":--J AU<,I IU\I IAN MU'>! LJ,\I Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest By 11 c11dy Cooper, il/11s1ra1cd hy I I 'illio111 T Cooper. .\"oko111i.,· Edi1io11s Pr y Lrd, Clifio11 /-fill, I "ic., 2005, 632 J!JJ- 235 np. l:\111 \X'il c; llOOK'-, Ct\ Ill- A Ml LI) Ill [','-,J (; AN!) 1\IY COU 111 R \\ 1111 1111\ O'-sl \\A\ ,':O e ccpt1o . lt\ ,l big. cu1lcd spc 1,1hs bota111c.1I \\Ork and ,lS such ',0111C\\'h,lt d.1u11t1ng. Yer �_ n ' � : _ � � _ 1t s .1l so ,1 JO) Jll'it to d1ool ove1 the luscious 1llu,rrat1om-th 1, book c.111 hold 1r, O\\ 11 011 .1m· coffee cable. R 1 Still. it ,rnuld be a \\"astc if it ,pellt its life 01 the coffee t.1blc. fr)I· it cont,iim ,111 inordin,lll' ,unounr of information on rainforest fruits and the pLrnts that be,1r thc111 . Th,rnkfi.ilh- e,·cr,-chinu i, L',tre,neh well-orga1ii<,ed in 1., specie'> ,1ccount'>. glo<,sary. key and bibliogr,1phy. ,0 you d,on·c ]�,t. 1/ ,1 boc,1111,r:, 11 delight-the amount of infor1 :itio11 i, trulv., mind-bomr]inut")t") t") . And en there illustr.1tiom. 11 _ch arc the What c.m I say; You could easily frame ,1 y of them ,111d not be di'>,i ppoi11ted. Bur i 11 they aren t JUSt beaut l they do \\'hat the bc'>t ,1tural-hi,tory 11 i t fu : illustr,1tio mmt do-they c. pture the L',,enCL' 0 1· ri e ,ubjcrr matter. You really do get ,111 accur,ltc impression of \\'h,1t the fruit, look like. 1 So I am corn between \\'anting to dr,1g chi, book with 11 1 )IT i i 11 e on ,m,• next r.1i1 fr 't' ,,·.· lk ,lllll t·l L' 11· puI ,c to put ll on ,1 pcdc,tal in my lounge room. Should all my dilc111111,1s be this good' -C1�1 <, ( ;o\\ 1'-<, A '-,IIU\11·\'-.J \\L'\JL\I 76 '-•\I LIit! •\U\ I R \II\ \U\\\llll i, '' iii> Aero,, Au,tr.ili., thc·re "·1 network of .icnve societies. large and small. local and national. that exist to further the cause of the subject that you hold Get wrnh-ed! _ _ our l mtere,t" cmisen·Jn on. b1rd1. ,c1cn society for you. tk.ir. Whether y ,pc·n.i ce. national park,. bmhw,1lking or a parnrnl.1r group of animal,. there's a ANIMAl WELFARE Friends of Lane Cove Society forInsect Studies Field Naturalists Club North Queensland Wildlife National Park Inc. 12 Park Avenue of Victoria Care Inc. c/- Lane Cm·e ational Park llOSEVILLE SW 2069 PO Uox 1-1-16 Lady C.1mc Drive Locked Bag 3 A!TKI:: VALE QL!) -181 -1 Cl !AT. WOOD SW 2067 Ph: 02 9-117 6171 BLACKl3UR. VIC. 31 30 Web: /11111: I /11scrs./Jigpo11d.11e1.a11 I Ph: 0-11-1 7 I 77-1 3 ontact: Hon. Treasurer Ph: 03 9877 9860 Conr,,ct: L,rn.1 Allcroft _fc,/rnp Contact: oela Jones •••• Web: 111111111.11iwe1.11e1.a11!--f11cv •• Contact: Mimi Pohl 0 00 • �kniber,hip: S1 . Child •• MICROSCOPY S�:i.Oll Adult S35. 00 F.1mily •••••• EDUCATION Postal Microscopical Club or Org.11m.1tion CSIRO's Double Helix of Australia (PMCA) Royal Society of SA Science Club 36 Western Avenue WIRES SA Museum V PO lfox 225 BLAXLAND W 277-1 NS\ Wildlife !nforniation DICKSO ACT 2602 North Terrace & Rescue Sen·ic<: Ph: 02 -1739 1528 Ph: 0:2 6276 66-13 ADELAIDE SA .5000 PO !3ox 260 Web: 11'1/'ll'.c. Thirstv Koala 11 '(, li1 1 c i11 l3c/11ir 011 1/,c ri? side Q .• Katv Did It One-legged Ducks a11tl 1hc11 1hc y ,!!Cl £!1c 11•,11cr £ill')' 11ccd ji-c>/11 1 Co11/rl yo11 1cll 111c ,1'111/f !t1id 1hcsc I /1111 c ,1 [)llir of Pt1c!fic l3/11r/.: the /e,11,cs they c,11. ) <'I ll'C' s,111• ,11ul p/10- • mrio11sly ,11.,.,11,,1:cd (:\!!!-' 011 Ill)' Q •. 011cks (Am, rnpercilim.1) 1/,cl/ togra11l1cd c1 l,oc1/,1 co111c do11•11 10 011r g,mll'II g . 1 c ( " lc,?f? rc:i:11!11rl)' 1 isi1 111 y l)(/rkyt1rd ,111d I 111>1ircd pond 1111d s11c11d ,1/,0111 ..J() 111i11111cs dcli!ll'r 1 -LANCI, I )OVl:lt 1/,111 /101!, 11 crc rcsti11,i: 011 their lc:fi h:i:s 1/lit/1 0 This egg 111ass is produced by a ·1 '/icy stayed like this ji1r 111 lcns1 /1,1[{ n11 131 LAIR, SA A 0 btydid (a tettigoniid cricket), l1011r. I 1//,y do d11cks s11111d 011 OIi(' h:i:' Also, probably the ,pectacular Mottled l<:aty is 1/,crc a 'h1111dcd11css' 10 ducks, or do 1l1c y did (L'[)hiJl[)ityth11 1r(i:i111id110,i:1111111c1). 111£cm,11r 1/,c sfc111di11g leg' which occupies ,1 large range over much -Al A MO'>KWA of Amtr,di.1 in ,l diversity of habitats. Ki.N',INCJ() l)AIU<,SA Fenulcs h,wc a short, broad, flattened ovipmitor (egg-laying org.m) th.u they 0 Standing 011 one leg i, e,1,y for me rn split the edges of leaves. They A 0 ducks (and other birds) became then L1y and glue their eggs securely ,pecial tendom in the leg lock it into into place in the split. l3lack and yellow place and it thus require, almost 110 nymphs h,1tch in the spring months .111d extra energy to retain tlli<, pmition. then t.1ke six co eight month, to re,1ch Several explanatiom h,we been pro ,1dulthood. Very little is known ,1bout pmed for why bird, do chi,. Mo,c fre the life hi,tory of the,e btydid,. bur quently ,ugge,ted i, eh.it it help, birch they .ire app.1 remly quite c.1,y to r,1i,e in regulate their temper,1tu1-e, b\' letti1w c.1pti,·ity on a diet of lea,·e, frrnnd in the rhem hide one leg, \\'ith it,' expmed loc.1 1 area. ,urf1ce,, in the \\'ell-imubted bell\' -l)AVI· l3itll lO fr.-.icher,. l3ird, can ,leep with one h,1lf Au-,mAI IAN MU\! Uivl of their brain while the 0Li1er ,ide ,tay, Why do ducks stand on one leg? 78 '\JAIUIU \• U\llt,\11\ \L\1\1 It c BIRDWATCHING & WILDLIFE TOURS Kimberley - WESTERN AUSTRALIA Informative tours with naturalist & professional ornithologist George wann who knows this region. its nora and wildlife - one of the Kimberley·s most experi enced wildlife guides 4WD Safaris - Camping or fully Accommodated Trips Tailored Itineraries - Kimberley Cruises Fly/drive tours ACCOMMODATED BLACK CRASSWREN TO R - MITCHELL PLATEAU July & Aug 06 BEST OF THE KIMBERLEY July & Aug 06 ISLAND & INLET KIMBERLEY CR ISE Oct 06 PLUS MA Y MORE EXCITING TOURS !·or info contact: George \\'ann PO Btn 220. Broome \\"c,tcrn Australia 6725 Tel Fax (08)9192 12�6 I mail 1nfo�1 k1mbcrlcyb1rdwatch1ng.com.au ww" .kimbcrlcybirdwatching.com.au NA I UIU AU\ I RAI I.A \U\JI\Jll ll 2flflo 211111, 19 111, THE LAST WORD northern Australia, and that of col leagues ;1round the world, is currently detecting the rapid expansion of 1 ,Hive woody veget:1tio11 i11 marginal land,t,lpes over the last 50 years. We arc unsure if chi, expansion is a 'natural' ecological Fertilising the process due to cha11ged rainfoll patterns, the effccr, of overgrazi11g, the break greenhouse down of I ndigenou, fire-rnanagcrncnr practices or some combination of all of thc,e factor\. or \yn1ptorn,1tic of the ' fer I Vl,y arc so 11w11y ,!f11., laid back about the possible i111pacts rili,cr effect' :JW)ci,1ted with incrca,cd ,!ft/1is c/1m1/,!.c? carbon dioxide concentratiom. Such u11certai11ty has tangible i111pl1C OKUSAl'S T111:· GRI,,·IT IV-ll'li the winter. (The comparatively sn1all a J rions for cnvironment,1I policy. For ,rnd ben measurements began, to the current lev complexity of global change rnean there efit,. els of 379 ppm. is no such thing as 'mual' anyrnorc. Why I have 110 doubt hu111a11s \\"ill adapt to The Keeling Curve tracks the steady are so many of us laid back ,1bout the future en\'ironmenr.il ch.mge. gi,·c11 that rise in post World War 2 economic pros possible impacts of this change) I sugge,t our ,pecie\ \Ur\'iwd the global climate perity. driven by the consumption offos one reason is that we ha,·e becornc di, change c1mcd by rhe l.1,t ice age. 111an sil fuels. It also proves beyond doubt that tractcd by the scientific 5quabbling agi11g to coloni\e ,111 terremial habitats industrialisation has changed the Earth's regarding possible effects of increa\ecl and even creating cnori11ou, Mtificial biogeochcmical cycles. The increase of greenhouse gases. Clobal and regioml one, (ciric,). Yet the c.1,·.1licr ,1pplicnion 64 ppm of carbon dioxide over the last forecasts range from benign to cac:1- of ,ciencc and technology ha, triggered 46 years may not seem like much, bur ice clysmic changes in sea levels, air tcrnper global environ111e11t,il ch,rnge that potcn r cores fom Antarctica shmv that this in atures and rainfall patterns. Such uncc:.T ti,1lly thre.nem our indmrr ial ci,·ili,,nion. fact represents a sky-rocketing deviation tainty can give the impression that there It i, ironic that the cle,·elopment of an from previous levels for at least the last is nothing much to worry about. How ecologically susr.1in.1blc glob,11 ci,·ilisation 400,000 years and most probably mil ever, such thinking i, delaying adaptive must also be underpin11ed by science and lions of years, when carbon dioxide fluc responses to global environmental technology. Managing the global grecn tuated from 280 ppm to 180 pprn. Such changes, considered by Sir David King, hou,e will teach u\ a lot about this 11c\\· an increase is significant because of car the 13ritish Covernmcnt's chief scienti,t, kind of science that is glob,1I in outlook bon dioxide '5 known capacity to trap to be a greater threat to civili\ation than yet hurnbly acknowledgL''> uncerr.1i11ty. heat and hence the apt name 'green terrorism. complexity and the critical imporr.ince house gas' . It is impossible, however, to n1.1kc of human ,·aluc,. Another remarkable feature of the rock-solid preclictiom about our ne,1r Keeling Curve is the seasonal drop of term environmental outlook. This point J JROl'E�'>OR DAVI!) 130W1'\I\ 1 I'> carbon dioxide by a few parts per million is dernonstrarecl by ecological ,cicntim' l)IIU:C:lOll.. ()I· 71 11 A ',I R \I !AN during the northern hernisphcrc spring inability to accurately account for what n... 1:-, 1:A1tc11 couNc11 K, ) C1:N·11<1 ,-oR and summer, when vegetation grows, has happened in the recent past. For Til..Oi'ICr'\I Wii 1)111 1 MA"- \(;Li\\lcNI. and a slight rise when growth stops for example, my O\\·n group's n:,carch in Ci IAIU I', DARWIN 11\'I R 'ii I Y. ])AR\\'li'. TIii· I A\T \VORD 1, Ar,,; < '!"'IONl'IECI'. ANDDO!)NOI N£:.L1",\ARIIYk1 ll 80 1t\l Ulll •\U\1 ll•\11•\ \l \\\ll ll 21111i-211116 .ca Save time NEW SUBSCRIBER and monev 3 years for $97.90 (<>"''"'''' . I/ I(, .,111/;1«·, .1,..,r,-,111111,1il) 2 years for $69.30 (1>1''1'1'," .18.1-.,111/,111·, • I 12.l-,1i1111c11/) bv having U I year for $36.30 (1wc1_,,.,1, :I ./5-.,111F111', /I 6S-t1i1111t1i/) Nature !',ire., ell{' ( :s'J' i11r/11_,/I'{' 11411·11· ,,,,,,/in1hl1'. YES! i""\ll' Australia PLEASE SEND A SUBSCRIPTION FOR u S1.1n lhis ,ubscrip1i,rn wilh delivered Name Address to vour SuburbtTown Postcode door! l'.1ylllrnt by O Clll'quc CJ Monc·y 01dt'r U ll.111kc1rd CJ V",1 U M.l\lt'rc,rd U/\111t'l'll',111 Exprc" In the My c.ird m1111bm, ll l [ ] I J I I I [ j l I ] I ] I I l Exp11 y I ),Ill' / next issue ... SIC:NEI) C:/\ltl)I IOI IH:R'S N/\MI, (1'11111) .. ' ( IWIJlll 111 1 ,1nl ,1111hm II)' h,I\ tn ,H t 0111 1111y 111dt•1 M,1k1• 1111'(!\ll'\ p,1y,1hh- U '/,ck if yo11 r,•q11irt ,1 CS'/ 1,1., i1111oirt. ' 1 ! • Red-tailed 10 'Am,,,,1,,,,, M""'"'"' N,,,,,., l,,.to,,/,,," ., 'i"·""'oly "'·'K·"""'• wuh : l\\llt'\ 11·11·,1\t'd 111 M.111 h, Jum•, 'wp11•111lll'1 ,111d I >t·t t•111h1•1 l'h•,m• ,1llow up � I r lo 12 \H'l'"'' 1111 dd1w1y ol 111\1 l\\lll' (1111h•\\ h,H l,.d,lll'tl), P, It('\ v.,hd tn m Phasco,(/ales M,1hh lOOfi l'IIONE TIIIH)UGII CllHDIT C/\ltD OltDIJltS ON a Nawr Australia '2l"HIIO I 02H 55H. SUBSCltl 1111 11Y 11/\X 112 9J20 f,07J. ., - • Urban I'-rOJ!S z • Mouse Spiders • Bite Club GIR SUBSCRIPTION • Jealousy 3 years for $97. 90 /o,,m1•111 f/1 I/ 6-.111r{llrt', t11 I 76-11ir111r1il) • White Ibis 2 years for $69.30 (mwr11·,11 S/IH I 111rf11r,•, tll f2j.11/1'//l(II/) = • /11te!lige11t Des1j:11 I year for $36.30 /01,1·1·11·111 f/14 'i .111rfr1rt', f/1 (j 'i-<1i1·111r1il) · · . , YES!I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE MY FASCINATION l'rirt's ,11·1· < :s1. i11rl11111,, ,,,,,,,, "l'l'lirr1hh•. --- WITH NATURE WITH SOMEONE ELSE U �LIil Lim ,ub,u1puo11 w,11, "'u" I I I Autumn issue available To March2006 Address m Toll-free Suburb/Town Postcode Subscription from Hotline: Address (1800) 028 558 Suburb/Town Postcode See reverse Payment by _J Cheque _J Money ( )rder _J IS.111kc,1rd _J V,s.1 M,,ste1<,ll'(I U/\111er1c.1n 1,xprcss for details of back issues My c.ud number " I l JLllIJLJlll l�xp,ry I ).1tc I '>IC El) CAIU )I IOI l)LJ� '', NAMI, {1111nt) ( .. U 'fir/.: ,{ yo11 rtq111rl' a ( ,S'/ rax 11111oirl'. ( )11·11111· r,1 ,ml ,uuhoruy h,1\ ,,, ,H c 0111p.my 1mln M,1h· , lu·qut·\ p,1yJble I tn 'Au\lr.ilun Mu\1·11111· 'V11tmt A1111mfw I\ .1 qu.utrrly 111.1g.i111w, wnh 1ft.,. I' 1/1' trlt-,1wd Jn M.mh, J1111r \qH1·111l,1·r .md l)1•1r111lwr 1'11•,1\I' .1llow ur -= 111 J / v.,·d,, f11t dd1vny of fll\f I' II(' (11,i)/'\\ b,11 bl.111·d) l'rlf ('\ V,dul lO f! M.11, Ii 2fl(if, l'flONJ J Jtlt.O GIi CltHDf'f CAltD Olt.Dl-'Jl� ON = a ur ustralia 'Il'lklJIJ f/2k 55k. \UII\CJUIH0 HY MX IJ2 932/J r,r,73, 1:1 SEND THIS CARD AND PAYMENT POSTAGE FREE TO: BACK ISSUES Australian Museum Reply Paid 66752 Darlinghurst NSW 2010 Australia .... 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