DOCSLIB.ORG

Mawson-Spriggina 4.5 Geosite 5 Minerals Information About the Breccia Surrounding the Pinnacles: Similar to Sitting Bull

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Mawson-Spriggina 4.5 Geosite 5 Minerals Information About the Breccia Surrounding the Pinnacles: Similar to Sitting Bull 4.8 A good spot to observe The Pinnacles. On the 1.8 The vegetation of the low ridge you are on carries Flinders dolomitic siltstones surrounding them is Porcupine Grass Mulga woodland, with a variety of shrubs—Sennas with and Curly Mallee, some of which is infested with reddish- bright yellow flowers, Lobe-leaved Hopbushes with bright Ranges gold festoons of mistletoe. red 'hops' in winter and spring and the Rock Fuchsia-bush with mauve flowers in spring and early summer. Sometimes 4.6 In good seasons, Yellow-footed Rock-wallabies may Rock Sida disguises the trail. Walks be seen on the largest of The Pinnacles If you see them please don’t disturb. These agile animals with their striped 1.4 The silver dome of Arkaroola's Dodwell observatory tails are active in the early morning or evening. The top of is clearly visible and, to the south in a low range on the these rocky knobs carry Grass-trees and Cypress pine. horizon, is Mt Warren Hastings. Mawson-Spriggina 4.5 Geosite 5 minerals information about the breccia surrounding the Pinnacles: similar to sitting Bull. 4.4 A stand of Curly Mallee. Bell Fruit Tree-or Camel Poison (Codonocarpus 4.2 Checkpoint M1—The Pinnacles car park. pyramidalis) fruit are Cross the car park and follow yellow markers on the borne at the top of the opposite slope. tree. 4.0 Track crosses a stony slope to reach a small saddle and enters a patch of Curly Mallee on a white dusty slope, before descending into a creek bed. One hundred metres on, cross the road. 3.6 Track winds across bare slopes vegetated with Dead 1.0 An interesting plant is sometimes here; called Bell- Finish, crossing small creeks, some with Dryland Tree-tree. fruit Tree (or Camel Poison), this small green willowy tree is Geosite 6 Skillogalee Dolomite: the unfamiliar marble here short-lived and never occurs very prolifically; male flowers has a sheen. are borne at the top of the stem with the female flowers (which give rise to the ribbed yellow-green bell-shaped 2.8 Attractive stand of Curly Mallee, (mostly confined to fruit) below them. A few individuals have been seen near this region of Arkaroola and Balcanoona). here, so have a look around. Sitting Bull was pushed up ,when molten into overlying sediments 400-350 million years ago 2.4 Remains of an old aerial survey marker possibly 0.8 Continue downhill and cross the campground road to Included in this walk in Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary are established to determine the boundary between the reach . features of the research of two geologists who have long original sheep stations of Arkaroola and Balcanoona. 0.6 Checkpoint M2 – road junction association with the northern Flinders Ranges. It follows the Track climbs to an old track junction; continue uphill to Mawson Valley and returns along the Spriggina ridge, which Spriggina lookout. Follow the main road back to the village (about 0.6 km). gives you good views of the surrounding country. Douglas Mawson studied the sequence and relationship of rock Geosite 7 Spriggina floundersi: This ridge gives you Flinders layers in the Flinders Ranges, which arose from compression a view of a ‘landscape’ model of Spriggina one of the Ranges and folding of sediments deposited in the Adelaide Geosyncline fossilised segmented flatworms discovered by Dr Reg Walks between 800 and 500 million years ago. Reg Sprigg, a student Sprigg, in the Ediacara Range overlooking Lake Torrens of Mawson’s and founder of Arkaroola, discovered fossils of the to the west of the main Flinders Range. Most details of Flinders Ranges Walks have been established in protected areas Ediacara fauna in rocks of the Flinders about 555 million years to provide visitors with experiences of the Ranges. old. These are the earliest worms and sponge-like fossils to have the worms’ structure were lost in the fossilisation process, been found. but Spriggina appears to have had a front and rear end as Trail maintenance and servicing of these trailhead leaflets is Mawson Valley is eroded into the relatively soft sediments of the shown in this much enlarged model. provided by the voluntary Walking Trails Support Group. Opaminda Formation and is flanked to the north by a ridge of Mt Oliphant and Mt Elva are visible towards Arkaroola. In Blue Mine Conglomerate. These coarse feldspathic sands and For downloads and further information please visit: gravels were laid down 900-800 million years ago, after they the opposite direction is Sprigg Knob. www.walkingtrailssupportgroup.org.au were eroded from an island land mass to the north. Over them 2.0 The domes at start of Spriggina ridge are established Read Explore the Flinders Ranges, a definitive guidebook were deposited the calcareous Opaminda Formation shales and for remote viewing of the night sky. by the Royal Geographical Society of South Australia then the Wortupa Quartzite which forms the range to the south. Or download our FREE Flinders Ranges Walks App! When these sediments were buckled into mountain ranges, compaction and heating took place. Deep seated rocks became molten and forced their way to the surface, solidifying as whitish or pinkish granitic rock, exposed today as Sitting Bull, The Pinnacles, Tourmaline Hill and The Needles. © Royal Geographical Society of South Australia 7.2 Mt Elva is visible to the east behind the new observatory; Mawson-Spriggina Trail Map Acacia Ridge and Griselda Hill are clear. Distance and time: 8.0 km circuit from the Village: allow The walk is above the creek, most of the way. The creek 4 hrs. bed is eroded into the greyish green, dolomitic Opaminda Formation siltstone, which extends some way up the lower Altitude Range: 330 m (Arkaroola Village) to 496 m slopes. The vegetation is different from that on the quartzites (Spriggina Ridge). at the crests of the ranges – and includes Dead Finish, Elegant Access: Start at the Arkaroola Village Trailhead A1 at the Wattle, Corkbark, Rock Fuchsia-bush, Curly Mallee. Cypress- road junction. pine, Mulga and Grass-trees grow near the crests. Track: Generally grades are gradual, with a minor steep 6.8 Creek bank; two tea trees occur here – the Dryland Tea- road section up to 2 km mark. tree, with short dark-green leaves and White Tea-tree with silver-grey foliage growing in the creek bottom. For your safety: 6.6 The pink nose of Sitting Bull becomes evident on the • This is an AS2156 Class 3 walk in a natural area; beware horizon. The nearby Gum-barked Coolibah is a common tree of inherent hazards, including fire. of hill slopes in the northern Flinders Ranges. • Advise a reliable person of where you are going and 6.4 The Curly Mallee growing here is also characteristic of when you expect to return. the region, occurring particularly on calcareous and dolomitic soils. • Wear strong comfortable boots and take adequate food and clothing. • Take at least 2 litres of water per person, more if it is hot. • Protect yourself from the sun and carry a small First Aid kit. Seasons come and go, and plants and animals mentioned in the notes may not always be there. Notes read for an anticlockwise circuit, starting at Arkaroola Village Trailhead Checkpoint A1; distances marked every 200m decrease as you proceed. Above you, is a cliff of Wortupa Quartzite with a few Northern Cypress-pines and occasional Mt Lofty Grass-trees. On the Curly mallee (Eucalyptus gillii) an attractive 8.0 Arkaroola Village Trailhead, Checkpoint A1—at the scree and rubble slopes below it are Mulgas and Rock Fuchsia- spreading tree. road junction. bushes. Young Mulgas among the dead ones came up in 1974 Walk in a westerly direction past the motel units, following after good rains. Their small size reflects the slow growth rate in arid areas. 6.2 The large mass of Mt Oliphant is evident on the marker posts. skyline to the north. 7.8 Geosite 1 rocks of the Opaminda Formation; have The ridge opposite to the north is Blue Mine Conglomerate (as is Acacia Ridge). 6.0 Geosite 4 Sitting Bull: Geologist and Antarctic dolomitic soils and is favoured by Curly Mallee. explorer, Douglas Mawson gave Sitting Bull its name in 7.6 Downslope from here is the attractive Curly Mallee and 7.5 Below you are the softer dolomitic siltstones of the 1945. Sitting Bull, The Pinnacles and The Needles (located there are number of local features to recognise. Starting by Opaminda Formation with a grove of Black Oak. This tree is in the neighbouring National Park) are the much eroded the village you can see (magnetic bearings) often found where there is likely to be slow movement of the remnant cores or plugs of granitic rock (pegmatite) which ground surface layers (such as on these stony slopes) which intruded through many thousands of metres of overlying encourages the development of new trees from suckers. sediments some 400 million years ago. The plugs are Griselda Hill 113° 1 km The rugged profile of Dinnertime Hill can be seen to the north, composed of pink or white crystals of feldspar and clear Sprigg Knob is straight ahead. or white crystal quartz. Broken blocks are caused by hot Acacia Ridge 94° 3 km water and gases as intrusion occurred. Geosite 2 Wortupa Quartzite: and Geosite 3 Blue Mine Mt Elva 3° 2 km Conglomerate: are located close together, distinguishing rocks 5.6 to 5.4 Near these two markers are Corkbarks, which Mt Oliphant 338° 2 km on the south and north sides of the valley. are well able to survive on this dry exposed slope.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Ediacaran) of Earth – Nature’S Experiments
    The Early Animals (Ediacaran) of Earth – Nature’s Experiments Donald Baumgartner Medical Entomologist, Biologist, and Fossil Enthusiast Presentation before Chicago Rocks and Mineral Society May 10, 2014 Illinois Famous for Pennsylvanian Fossils 3 In the Beginning: The Big Bang . Earth formed 4.6 billion years ago Fossil Record Order 95% of higher taxa: Random plant divisions domains & kingdoms Cambrian Atdabanian Fauna Vendian Tommotian Fauna Ediacaran Fauna protists Proterozoic algae McConnell (Baptist)College Pre C - Fossil Order Archaean bacteria Source: Truett Kurt Wise The First Cells . 3.8 billion years ago, oxygen levels in atmosphere and seas were low • Early prokaryotic cells probably were anaerobic • Stromatolites . Divergence separated bacteria from ancestors of archaeans and eukaryotes Stromatolites Dominated the Earth Stromatolites of cyanobacteria ruled the Earth from 3.8 b.y. to 600 m. [2.5 b.y.]. Believed that Earth glaciations are correlated with great demise of stromatolites world-wide. 8 The Oxygen Atmosphere . Cyanobacteria evolved an oxygen-releasing, noncyclic pathway of photosynthesis • Changed Earth’s atmosphere . Increased oxygen favored aerobic respiration Early Multi-Cellular Life Was Born Eosphaera & Kakabekia at 2 b.y in Canada Gunflint Chert 11 Earliest Multi-Cellular Metazoan Life (1) Alga Eukaryote Grypania of MI at 1.85 b.y. MI fossil outcrop 12 Earliest Multi-Cellular Metazoan Life (2) Beads Horodyskia of MT and Aust. at 1.5 b.y. thought to be algae 13 Source: Fedonkin et al. 2007 Rise of Animals Tappania Fungus at 1.5 b.y Described now from China, Russia, Canada, India, & Australia 14 Earliest Multi-Cellular Metazoan Animals (3) Worm-like Parmia of N.E.
    [Show full text]
  • Arkaroola Protection Area: a Field Guide to Selected Geological Features
    Arkaroola Protection Area: A field guide to selected geological features Graeme L. Worboys and Stephen B. Hore arkaroola.com.au environment.sa.gov.au Citation: Worboys, G. L. and Hore, S.B. (2013) Arkaroola Protection Area: A field guide to selected geological features. Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary and Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, Adelaide. Copyright: © This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process, nor may any other exclusive right be exercised without the express permission of the authors. Acknowledgements: Many individuals and organisations contributed to the development of this Field Guide. The text has been sourced predominantly from the Arkaroola National Heritage Listing nomination jointly submitted to the Australian Government by the South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources and Margaret and Douglas Sprigg of the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary. Appreciation is expressed for the use of this material. The Field Guide also sourced technical geological quotes from a 2004 field guide developed by John Drexel and Stephen Hore and appreciation is extended for the use of this material. Thanks are particularly extended to Margaret and Douglas Sprigg, Lorraine Edmunds and Dennis Walter of Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary; Jason Irving of the South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources; Tim Baker of the Geological Survey of South Australia; the Geological Society of Australia (South Australia Division); Jim Gehling and Joël Brugger of the South Australian Museum; the University of Adelaide; Malcolm William Wallace of the University of Melbourne; Malcolm Walter of the University of New South Wales; Narelle Neumann of Geoscience Australia; and Paul O’Brien of Helivista Helicopters (South Australia) for their assistance in the development of this material.
    [Show full text]
  • Gehling-Ediacaran Publications 2015 Palaeo Down Under2
    Gehling-Ediacaran Publications 2015 1. Droser, M.L. and Gehling, J.G. 2015. The advent of animals: the view from the Ediacaran: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112, 4865-4870. 2. Evans, S.D., Droser, M.L. and Gehling, J.G. 2015. Dickinsonia lift off: Evidence of current derived morphologies. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology ; DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2015.02.006. 3. Hall, C.M.S., Droser, M.L., Gehling, J.G., Dzaugis. M.E. 2015. Paleoecology of the enigmatic Tribrachidium: New data from the Ediacaran of South Australia. Precambrian Research 269:183-194. 4. Gold, D. A., Runnegar, B., Gehling, J.G., and Jacobs, D.K. 2015. Ancestral state reconstruction of ontogeny supports a bilaterian affinity for Dickinsonia. Evolution and Development 17 (6), 315–397. 5. Tarhan, L.G., Droser, M.L. and Gehling, J.G. 2015. Taphonomy and morphology of the Ediacara form genus Aspidella. Precambrian Research 257:124-136. 6. Tarhan, L.G., Droser, M.L. and Gehling, J.G. 2015. Depositional and preservational environments of the Ediacara Member, Rawnsley Quartzite (South Australia): Assessment of paleoenvironmental proxies and the timing of ‘ferruginization’. Palaeogeography, Palaeclimatology, Paleoecology in press. Palaeo Down Under2 — July 2016 Association of Australasian Palaeontologists (AAP) is organizing a Palaeo Down Under 2 conference at the University of Adelaide in South Australia from July 10-15. The conference is preceded by a Field Excursion to key Cambrian localities of Kangaroo Island, the Fleurieu Peninsula and the Cambrian and Ediacaran of the Flinders Ranges from July 3-9. Ediacara Research — South Australia 2015 Ediacara research in South Australia has continued with further excavations at the National Heritage Listed Ediacara Fossil Site at Nilpena, a new site in the northern Flinders Ranges of South Australia, and for the first time, at the historic discovery site in the Ediacara Conservation Park.
    [Show full text]
  • Precambrian Perambulations by Alan V
    Precambrian Perambulations By Alan V. Morgan In the last issue of WAT ON EARTH I started to describe a visit to South Australia to track down and photograph some of the young Precambrian fossils in the region about 500km north of Adelaide. The fauna is famous as the Ediacaran assemblage and is found in an area on the western edge of the northern Flinders Ranges. Since the type section itself is rather inaccessible we traveled to a more public access along the Brachina Gorge geological trail, a wonderful 20 km long gravel road that transects the gently westward-dipping sediments of the region. These were deposited an area known as the Adelaide Geosyncline. (A geosyncline is a linear basin that accumulated sediments over a very long period of time). The basal portion of the geosyncline subsided as new sediments were brought into the area, and most of the 9 kilometer thickness of rocks were laid down close to sea level. Geologists have resolved that partially because of a glaciation, and for other reasons, sea-level was fl uctuating throughout the 150 million years represented by the rocks in the region. The sediments were transported by streams, although glacial deposits are also present, and most were laid down under marine conditions. Apparently some 500 million years ago, during the Cambrian Period, the rocks of the area were uplifted in a folding event which left them contorted into a number of gentle folds. Modern erosion has provided a number of east-west trending valleys through the area and these allow a transect through the latest Precambrian and early Cambrian rocks.
    [Show full text]
  • A Solution to Darwin's Dilemma: Differential Taphonomy of Ediacaran and Palaeozoic Non-Mineralised Discoidal Fossils
    Provided by the author(s) and NUI Galway in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite the published version when available. Title A Solution to Darwin's Dilemma: Differential Taphonomy of Ediacaran and Palaeozoic Non-Mineralised Discoidal Fossils Author(s) MacGabhann, Breandán Anraoi Publication Date 2012-08-29 Item record http://hdl.handle.net/10379/3406 Downloaded 2021-09-26T20:57:04Z Some rights reserved. For more information, please see the item record link above. A Solution to Darwin’s Dilemma: Differential taphonomy of Palaeozoic and Ediacaran non- mineralised discoidal fossils Volume 1 of 2 Breandán Anraoi MacGabhann Supervisor: Dr. John Murray Earth and Ocean Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, NUI Galway August 2012 Differential taphonomy of Palaeozoic and Ediacaran non-mineralised fossils Table of Contents List of Figures ........................................................................................................... ix List of Tables ........................................................................................................... xxi Taxonomic Statement ........................................................................................... xxiii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................ xxv Abstract ................................................................................................................. xxix 1. Darwin’s Dilemma ...............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Trace Fossils – the Silence of Ediacara, the Shadow of Uranium
    Close Academic rigour, journalistic flair Marcoo was a 1.4 kilotonne ground-level nuclear test carried out at Maralinga in 1956. The contaminated debris was buried at this site in the 1967 clean- up known as Operation Brumby. Author provided Friday essay: trace fossils – the silence of Ediacara, the shadow of uranium February 3, 2017 6.06am AEDT As an archaeologist working in the remote areas around Woomera and the Nullarbor Author Plain, my understanding of South Australia was first informed by rocks and soil. This was a landscape of fossils and trace fossils – the preserved impressions left by the passage of a living body through sediment – jostling for attention. On this land surface, SA presents an arc extending from the “death mask” fossils of early multicellular life to the human leap Alice Gorman into the solar system. Sure, you might say, this could be said of other locations on Earth. Alice Gorman is a Friend of But here it seems laid bare for any who can read the distinctive pattern of signs. The Conversation. Senior Lecturer in archaeology and space studies, Flinders University The silent shore This was once a shoreline in a silent world. Throughout some terrifying ice ages, when glaciers reached almost to the equator, microscopic single-celled creatures held on to life in the freezing oceans. As the ice sheets retreated, warmer shores opened up on the Gondwana supercontinent, including what would later become the Flinders Ranges. Microbes swarmed together in mats to colonise the sandy sea floor. Wind and water were the only sounds, but there was nothing yet with ears to hear them.
    [Show full text]
  • Ediacara Biota’
    Accepted Manuscript There is no such thing as the ‘Ediacara Biota’ Breandán Anraoi MacGabhann PII: S1674-9871(13)00109-6 DOI: 10.1016/j.gsf.2013.08.001 Reference: GSF 237 To appear in: Geoscience Frontiers Received Date: 26 June 2013 Revised Date: 8 August 2013 Accepted Date: 14 August 2013 Please cite this article as: MacGabhann, B.A., There is no such thing as the ‘Ediacara Biota’, Geoscience Frontiers (2013), doi: 10.1016/j.gsf.2013.08.001. This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT MANUSCRIPT Sandstone mould + casts ACCEPTED Burgess Shale-style ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Research Highlights • The term ‘Ediacara Biota’ is commonly used to refer to early megascopic fossils • This term is inconsistent, arbitrarily excludes certain fossils, and cannot be defined • Studies of early metazoan evolution must consider all fossils of Ediacaran age MANUSCRIPT ACCEPTED ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 1 There is no such thing as the ‘Ediacara Biota’ 2 Breandán Anraoi MacGabhann 3 School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, West Mains Road, 4 Edinburgh EH9 3JW, UK. Tel: +44 131 6 508543 5 Email address: [email protected] 6 7 Abstract: The term ‘Ediacara Biota’ (or many variants thereof) is commonly used to refer to 8 certain megascopic fossils of Precambrian and early Palaeozoic age – but what does the term 9 actually mean? What differentiates a non-Ediacaran ‘Ediacaran’ and an Ediacaran 10 ‘Ediacaran’ from an Ediacaran non-‘Ediacaran’? Historically, the term has been used in 11 either a geographic, stratigraphic, taphonomic, or biologic sense.
    [Show full text]
  • Ediacara Biota'
    Edinburgh Research Explorer There is no such thing as the 'Ediacara Biota' Citation for published version: MacGabhann, BA 2014, 'There is no such thing as the 'Ediacara Biota'', Geoscience Frontiers, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 53-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2013.08.001 Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 10.1016/j.gsf.2013.08.001 Link: Link to publication record in Edinburgh Research Explorer Document Version: Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Published In: Geoscience Frontiers Publisher Rights Statement: Open Access General rights Copyright for the publications made accessible via the Edinburgh Research Explorer is retained by the author(s) and / or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing these publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Take down policy The University of Edinburgh has made every reasonable effort to ensure that Edinburgh Research Explorer content complies with UK legislation. If you believe that the public display of this file breaches copyright please contact [email protected] providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 08. Oct. 2021 Geoscience Frontiers 5 (2014) 53e62 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect China University of Geosciences (Beijing) Geoscience Frontiers journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/gsf Focus paper There is no such thing as the ‘Ediacara Biota’ Breandán Anraoi MacGabhann* School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, King’s Buildings,
    [Show full text]
  • CONTENTS Pages1-2 Letter from Fom President by Mark Pharaoh Pages 3-4 Plans & Events Later ‘08 (With 2010 Oz Conference)
    No.4/2008 News Update. Special Antarctic Cruise Offer! CONTENTS Pages1-2 Letter from FoM President by Mark Pharaoh Pages 3-4 Plans & Events later ‘08 (with 2010 Oz Conference) Page Talk by author Kristin Weidenbach, report by Jim Jago Page 4 Comment on Books Pages 5-6 Contemporary Comments, News & Views – Display airport displays From the desk of the President 2008~Sept.~4th Dear members and friends I had planned to get this newsletter out later this year (ie. December), reminding friends of events exactly one hundred years ago. It would have set us alongside the Northern Sledging Party as they struggled in their attempt at exploring the interior of Victoria Land. (As you may remember, despite their instructions, they soon concluded that only an attempt on the South Magnetic Pole should be made.) Instead however, it is the 29th of September as I start. Mawson’s Notes on Doings of Northern Party do reveal that: ‘The Professor wished to start near beginning of September. Finally arranged a preliminary depot trip to commence on 10th September to Granite Harbour including Professor, Priestly, and Mackay. I did not believe in this and got out of being included. Afterwards the idea was abandoned and only one relay party to go, on 1st October. Very bad weather lasted towards end of October and the Professor with difficulty laid one [depot, using] sledge with motor[car] 10m out (5m W of Tent Island). This laid about 29th September. Weather very thick after this and Day hurt his foot so that the motor could not be got again till 3rd October when Professor, Mackay and Priestly ran out about 200 lb of stuff 13 m[iles] towards the pinnacled ice… (p.
    [Show full text]
  • Adelaidean 20 July 1998
    ADELAIDEANVol 7 No 12 N EWS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE JULY 20, 1998 Visiting Scholar Cynthia Herrup Technology forum creates Scholarships take Adelaide dancer to INSIDE 2 interviewed on mercy and law 5 environment for IT 8 the world Drugs handbook offers better medicine AUSTRALIAN DOCTORS prescribe more used to treat the same condition. than $4 billion worth of drugs every year, The Australian Medicines Handbook but until now they haven’t had an changes all this, providing an indep- independent guide to Australian endent analysis of the efficacy of drugs. medicines. It also groups drugs according to their As a result, the community has use (cardio-vascular drugs, for provided increasing funds for instance, are grouped together) pharmaceutical benefits without any making it easy for doctors to make demonstrable improvements in informed prescribing decisions. outcomes, according to the executive editor of a new independent guide to Executive editor Dr Gary Misan says Australia’s prescription drugs. there has been a clear — and costly — deficiency in drug information The new manual — The Australian available to doctors. Medicines Handbook — has been produced with strong involvement “The deficiency is that the majority of from the University of Adelaide’s information available to doctors comes Medical School. It will be incorporated from the pharmaceutical industry,” he into the School’s teaching programs to says. ensure students have access to the “It is accurate information but it’s latest information about prescription biased to the particular product that drugs approved for use in Australia. the company is promoting. Until now, the most common drug “The result is that there’s a trend to reference book used by doctors was use more expensive drugs for MIMS.
    [Show full text]
  • The Niche of Scientific Names
    Reviving unique words: The niche of scientific names David Nash School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics, Australian National University Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) Abstract The concept of endangered word is defined. The possibility of a word being ‘the same word’ across more than one language allows for recognition of degrees of endangerment of a word. The rarer a word is cross-linguistically, the more it is at risk of fading away. A minor way to continue an endangered word, and thereby reduce its endangerment, is to incorporate it into scientific terminology, in particular into a standard biological (Linnæan) name. Some examples are given of how scientific borrowing has popularised words from severely disused languages, and of recent adoption of terms from currently endangered languages. Keywords: unique words, endangered languages, biological nomenclature, phonosemantics 1. Introduction Appeals for maintaining endangered languages usually refer to the value of special words. Examples are adduced of a word with a meaning rarely lexicalised in any language, or sometimes of a complex word combining numerous morphemes to denote an unusual meaning. (Recent examples are Abley (2005:19) on Murrinh-Patha, Harrison (2007:24,57,213) on Tofa, Evans (2010:57) on Dalabon etc.) However, each word of an endangered language L is necessarily also endangered (more or less): the words place in structural relations of phonology, syntax and semantics is compromised if those structures are waning. For each word though it would be possible to place it on a scale of endangerment; some words being more endangered than others. As L loses vigour, the next generation of speakers (or semi-speakers) will learn only some of its vocabulary and constructions.
    [Show full text]
  • IGCP587 Report from South Australia Jim Gehling (Senior Research
    IGCP 587 1 Nov 2013 IGCP587 Report from South Australia Jim Gehling (Senior Research Scientist, Palaeontology. S.A. Museum & Sprigg Geobiology Centre, University of Adelaide) is working on palaeoecology, taphonomy and environmental setting of the Ediacara biota in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia in cooperation with Mary Droser (University of California, Riverside, with six long-term volunteers and several students, for more than a decade. In that time we have excavated more than 400 sq m of Ediacara fossil beds from 6 sites in the National Heritage Listed Ediacara Fossil Site at Nilpena. Our aim is to conserve the Nilpena site as a long-term field laboratory, as this area includes fossiliferous facies from no less than five different depositional environments with distinctive assemblages of fossils. In 2013 we have obtained a permit to make a trial excavation in the Ediacara Conservation Park, near Reg Sprigg’s famous discovery site. As a result we have discovered the source beds of some of the classic type material dating back to the late 1950’s. The Ediacara Fossil Gallery will be completed before the end of 2013, exhibiting a composite sample of a fossil bed from the Ediacara CP, in addition to the wall display of a fossil bed from the Heysen Range, south of Parachilna Gorge. In recent years new Ediacara fossil sites have been discovered throughout the Flinders Ranges that, when expertise and funding allows, will be subject to closer investigation. Our prime aim is to discourage the itinerant and highly subjective collecting methods of the past, which largely destroyed the valuable contextual evidence preserved on whole fossil beds.
    [Show full text]