Australasian Science: Australia's authority on science since 1938
Feature
Feature article
Predator in a Penguin Suit
The aim of the study was to find out if group or solitary hunting strategies were influenced by prey type, and how this affected how much prey an individual caught and how many calories an individual gained.
By Grace Sutton
Miniature video cameras and GPS have given an underwater bird’s-eye view of the hunting behaviours of the world’s smallest penguin.
The full text of this article can be purchased from Informit.
All Creatures Great and Small
While it’s true that large animals feed on some large seeds from fleshy fruits, we shouldn’t overlook the fact that large animals, especially ungulates such as rhinoceros, zebras, peccaries, deer and buffalos, also unintentionally vacuum up huge amounts of small, inconspicuous seeds as they browse on short grassy vegetation. These interactions are the primary factor that drives the negative relationship between animal body mass and ingested seed size across all vertebrates. Photo: Si-Chong Chen
By Si-Chong Chen & Angela Moles
Many large animals are rare or under threat, so the discovery that they ingest and disperse both large and small seeds has widespread ecological consequences.
The full text of this article can be purchased from Informit.
Why Don’t Some Dwarves Get Cancer?
We now know why the dwarves of a village in Ecuador never succumb to cancer or diabetes.
By Michael Waters & Andrew Brooks
Understanding the molecular mechanism that prevents dwarves from getting cancer and diabetes could lead to treatments for a range of diseases, and even hormone-free aquaculture.
The full text of this article can be purchased from Informit.
The Elusive Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat
By the 1980s there were as few as 40 individual northern hairy-nosed wombats. Credit: Alan Horsup
By Lauren White & Jeremy Austin
Creative sampling and DNA techniques have allowed scientists to keep track of one of Australia’s most endangered and elusive marsupials.
The full text of this article can be purchased from Informit.
The Immediate Risks of Gas Production to Water Resources
Credit: Mantis Design/Adobe
By Margaret Shanafield & Craig Simmons
Public concerns about unconventional gas production focus on contamination of aquifers deep below the surface, yet the most immediate risk to water resources is right before our eyes.
The full text of this article can be purchased from Informit.
What’s Jumped Into Your DNA?
Credit: k_e_n/Adobe
By Atma Ivancevic
DNA elements that can transfer between species make up an astonishing 17% of the human genome, and have been associated with schizophrenia and cancer.
The full text of this article can be purchased from Informit.
Why Do Whale Sharks Get So Big?
Credit: Mark Meekan
By Mark Meekan
Whale sharks have evolved to become the world’s largest fish as a consequence of feeding on vast amounts of tiny prey in the cold ocean depths.
The full text of this article can be purchased from Informit.
Welcome to the Anthropocene
Credit: Mopic
By Will Steffen
Say goodbye to the Holocene. Later this year a new epoch might be formally recognised.
The full text of this article can be purchased from Informit.
Top Dog: How Dingoes Save Native Animals
During droughts, dingoes limit the abundance of the red fox and feral cat. Credit: Bobby Tamayo
By Aaron Greenville
Dingoes are considered a pest by land managers in Central Australia, but it turns out they are effective pest managers of feral cats and foxes – until the rains come.
The full text of this article can be purchased from Informit.
Giants of Astronomy
An artist’s impression of the Giant Magellan Telescope. Image: GMTO
By Helen Sim
“The Hubble” is winding down, but several large land-based and one space-based telescope are poised to be its successors.
The full text of this article can be purchased from Informit.
