Australasian Science: Australia's authority on science since 1938
Fossil File
Fossil File
Kangaroo Teeth Tell Their Story of Evolution
By John Long
An analysis of kangaroo teeth reveals a rapid burst of evolution in response to the expansion of grassland rather than drier climate conditions.
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The Oldest Lizards, Salty Amphibians and Dandruffy Dinosaurs
By John Long
While dinosaur dandruff and salt-tolerance in tetrapods have palaeontologists excited, the recent auction of fossil bones is a sore point.
Dinosaurs Should Rock Older Students Too
By John Long
Primary schools use dinosaurs to teach how scientific disciplines overlap. Universities should too.
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The Rise of Spiders and Roaches
The 100-million-year-old spider Chimerarachne preserved in Burmese amber. Credit: Dr Diying Huang, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaoentology
By John Long
Tiny fossils preserved in amber reveal when spiders evolved their ability to spin webs and cockroaches first spread across the globe.
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Fossil Treasures in Urban Australia
By John Long
Our biggest cities remain great places to search for fossils. Here are some tips about where to start looking.
In mid-November our team of palaeontologists were air-lifted in by helicopter to do fieldwork along the Genoa River in east Gippsland. It was a tough week, walking up and down the river to access outcrops of exposed rock, but it’s all part and parcel of the fossil research game.
When Palaeontology and Philosophy Meet
By John Long
The Cambrian explosion of animal diversity, evident at the Burgess Shale fossil site, is fertile ground for philosophers to ponder.
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Gliding Jurassic Mammals, Huge Dinosaurs and Ice Age Birds
A 160-million-year-old gliding mammal (Maiopatagium) discovered in China. Credit: Prof Zhe-Xi Luo, University of Chicago
By John Long
Gliding Jurassic Mammals, Huge Dinosaurs and Ice Age Birds
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The Amazing Dinosaur Tracks of Broome
By John Long
The discovery of a diverse range of dinosaur tracks fills in a huge gap that tells us what kinds of dinosaurs once inhabited Australia during the first quarter of the Cretaceous period.
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Getting a Palaeontology Job in Australia
By John Long
Australia’s funding system disadvantages students attempting to turn their palaeontology studies into a career.
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Explorer’s Tragic Burden Transformed Geology
By John Long
Scott’s tragic Antarctic expedition sowed the first seeds of Gondwana.
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