Australian Mammal back from the Dead?

Australia is known for its range of unusual mammals and there may be another to add to the list. From kangaroos and wombats to koalas, there various species found across the country but there is one in particular that has been thought extinct for thousands of years.

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Things are looking up for marine protected areas

It has been reported in a UN meeting on biodiversity in Hyderabad that 2.3% of global ocean area is now classed as protected, totalling over 8.3 million square kilometres.  Although this may seem like a small percentage, this is a 10 fold increase in area over the last decade and means we are well on the way to reaching a global target of 10% by 2020.

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Sharks face attack following an increase in shark fatalities

On Monday 30^th July Thierry Robert MP,  Mayor of St Leu commune, Réunion Island made the decision to “act to safeguard the security of goods and people of his town” by authorising and encouraging the fishing and hunting of the bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas). He encouraged their hunting by any means necessary, including spear fishing day and night, with monetary rewards.

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WORLD'S LARGEST MARINE PARK ANNOUNCED

The Australian government has declared that they are to create the world’s largest network of marine parks to ensure the continued protection of ocean life. This announcement was timed to coincide with the imminent Rio+20 summit – a key gathering of global leaders who come together to discuss a variety of current environmental problems.

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NEW SPECIES OF SPINY VENOMOUS SEA SNAKE DISCOVERED OFF NORTHERN AUSTRALIA

A sea snake covered from head to tail in spiny scales has been discovered in treacherous seas off northern Australia. Now named Hydrophis donaldi, each of its scales has a spiny projection, making the texture rough and very unlike the common smooth scales. No other species have been discovered with the same morphology, though some other sea snakes have spiky scales on their bellies.

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Devils in peril

We all remember the excitable Looney Tunes character Taz, whose whirlwinds of energy seemed unstoppable. Taz’s real-life counterparts however are now in serious trouble on the conservation front, as a facial cancer is spreading through the already endangered population.

Tasmanian devils are a carnivorous marsupial, found only on the Australian island of Tasmania.  They play an important economic role for people on the island being a key tourist attraction and are featured on many local logos and signs.  The devils are normally calm, solitary animals but have gained an aggressive reputation due to their blood curdling screeches and unforgiving nature when they congregate in groups around food or for mating.  Unfortunately, it is during these social events that the fatal cancer is passed on.

Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) is a cancer that is spread by physical contact with those that are infected.  Such infectious cells are very rarely seen and the nature of this cancer means that it is spreading like wild fire though the population. The cancer starts as lesions on the face but then develops into cancerous lumps around the mouth, which can spread to the rest of the body.  These lumps prevent the devils from being able to eat, resulting in them eventually starving to death.

Data suggests that 80% of the population has already disappeared and that 83% of adults in the remaining population are infected.  It is thought that the speed with which the cancer has taken effect is due to low genetic diversity within the Tasmanian devil population.  There seems to be no significant natural resistance to the disease, which has resulted in drastic methods in an attempt to control it.

Culling has been one technique used in an attempt to remove infected individuals.  The method has been used effectively in preventing the spread of foot and mouth in cattle, but there is less evidence of it being successful in wild animals.  

During trials, individuals were caught and either removed from the population or released back into the wild if they were in a healthy condition.  Unfortunately, results showed that trial culls did not reduce the prevalence of DFTD and so other methods are now being investigated. This shows that in any conservation effort there needs to be a degree of adaptability in solving challenging problems.

The focus of scientists now is to try and develop a vaccine to immunise the population.  However, it is a race against time with other threats to the vulnerable devils being traffic accidents and the introduced red fox, which is proving a strong competitor for food and space.  Due to these problems, captive breeding programmes have also been set up to conserve the animals should the wild population be damaged.  Despite all of these obstacles, it can be hoped that the hard work of conservationists pays off and the devils will be in Tasmania long into the future.

By Lizy Tinsley

My first, my last, my...koala?

Have you ever wondered what noise a koala makes? A roar? A squeak? Or a g'day? Well researchers and many other people that live in, or have visited the wonderful land of Oz, know that they make a low grumbling noise. Intriguingly, the mechanism of how they create this sound has not been understood until now.

The low, grumbling, dulcet tones normally occur during mating season, perhaps recreating some Barry White magic for female koalas? Dr. Benjamin Charlton and his team from the University of Queensland, Australia have discovered how koalas produce an astonishingly ear deafening noise and a very low frequency for such a small marsupial. The loud noise has probably evolved during the process of sexual selection. This is because typically, the louder the noise generated by a male, the larger and fitter the male is.

The instrument from which koalas make this noise has been deciphered by using MRI scans and post mortem studies on the larynx (which houses the vocal chords). It was found that the larynx, which is normally located near the throat, has descended all the way to the 3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae. In addition to this, the muscle anchoring the larynx to the sternum was found to reach much deeper in the chest cavity than previously thought. This allows the larynx to be pulled down even further in the chest when making mating calls.

This anatomy has never been seen in marsupials before and causes loud, rumbling sounds to enter the voice box, which act like a large empty room, amplifying the call further. In fact, the noise they make is so deafening it is even louder then a bison! This makes any male koalas sound larger than they actually are, intimidating other males nearby and impressing female koalas and hence increasing their chances to mate.

The female koalas really can’t get enough of their love, babe.

Haley Dolton

Set out your best china and bake your signature cake, earth is host to several new species!

We are constantly bombarded with information of animal populations decreasing, and ultimately ceasing to exist. Although this alarming reality is sadly reported in the media at a higher frequency, every so often we do hear good news about the biodiversity of our planet.

Professor S. D. Biju of Delhi University has led 20 years worth of research in the rainforests of India's Western Ghats. During Professor Biji’s research on the frog genus Nyctibatrachus, 12 new species were discovered and 3 species were rediscovered after they were believed to be extinct. The rediscovered Coorg Night Frog (N. sanctipalustris) was last seen 91 years ago, the Kempholey Night Frog (N. kempholeyensis) was last seen 75 years ago and the Forest Night Frog (N. sylvaticus) was last seen 52 years ago.

Some really exciting news for cetacean fans; a new species of bottle nose dolphin has been discovered in Victoria, Australia. PhD researcher Kate Charlton-Robb has confirmed the new species (Tursiops australis) by using DNA anaylsis, examining skulls and noting differences in appearance from extant dolphins and museum specimens. T. australis has a different cranial structure and a smaller skull and beak than the common bottlenose dolphin. Currently, only two resident populations are believed to exist with approximately 100 found in Port Phillip Bay and 50 in the Gippsland Lakes.

Twitchers will be glad to know they can confirm any sightings of the Italian sparrow as a new species to tick off their list. The Italian sparrow has always thought to have been a hybrid between the Spanish sparrow and the house sparrow. Until now, their existence as a separate species has not been confirmed by science. Dr. Glenn-Peter Saetre from the University of Oslo has proved the Italian sparrow has its own distinct genetic make-up and is no longer breeding with the Spanish sparrow, presenting a rare speciation event to the scientific community.

These discoveries have only been made over the past month, proving that it’s not all doom and gloom out there and that the planet is still home to an array of intriguing species.

By Haley Dolton

Early start to bushfire season as dry spell hits Australia

A dry start to spring has seen a number of bushfires burning across eastern Australia over the past few days. Much of New South Wales and northern Victoria have had dry spells, with little more than one millimetre of rain falling since the beginning of September.

Temperatures of up to 30 degrees Celsius and dry north-westerly winds have seen the humidity drop to 10 per cent in some regions, resulting in an increase in combustible fuel. According to the Rural Fire Service, fuel loads are their highest in 30 to 40 years meaning authorities will be on high alert as the bushfire season officially begins on October 1.

Inland regions such as the Riverina in northern Victoria have seen higher than average rainfalls over the past winter, yet this has only increased the risk of fires with rapid growth of vegetation.

Several bushfires are currently burning south of Sydney and in the Blue Mountains. Despite a cool change moving up the coast, there is little reprieve along the western coast of New South Wales with temperatures forecast to remain at 30 degrees, with wind gusts of up to 70km/h fanning the fires.

Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokeswoman Caroline Rembridge said that the cause of the fires was unknown as they focus on containing the blazes however arson has not been ruled out.

“You have to be suspicious on these occasions” said RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, “there’s an absence of a natural cause and we’re working closely with the police force.” Mr Fitzsimmons went on to say, “the bottom line is if anyone wants to participate in that sort of criminal activity, then they deserve to be caught, arrested and put before the courts” a sentiment shared by rural communities after the devastating Black Saturday bushfires in 2009.

Holly Alsop