CooperCountryNewsletter2012 - Outback Gondwana Foundation

Cooper country
Cooper Country
V O L U M E
Volume V
2012
Eulo Megafauna
OSL dating
Art and Science
V
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Chairman’s Message
By Stuart Mackenzie
The Outback Gondwana Foundation spread its
wings in 2012 and moved to an exciting new
area of discovery. Only preliminary work had
been done at the megafauna sites at Eulo in
2011 and it was only after a full two week dig in
2012 that the full extent of the fossil field
became apparent.
It is undoubtedly one of the most prolific and well
preserved megafauna sites in Australia and contains
the full spectrum of mega and microfauna fossil
remains. It has certainly added a whole new
dimension to the OGF program as well as greatly
extended our area of operations.
It is undoubtedly one of the most
prolific and well preserved megafauna sites in Australia.
The new megafauna collection has added to the
workload in the prep lab but I feel it has motivated
the lab to have their most productive year yet. Our
trainee lab technician, Tanya Hudson and Robyn
Mackenzie have put in a full prepping program in
2012. The part time work by Jo Pegler has also
contributed to a full program.
The bones from the skeletons of two dinosaurs are
nearly finished and ready for scientific analysis and
all the bones have been finished from one of the
diprotodon specimens from Eulo. The lower jaw of
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one diprotodon is one of the most spectacular
megafauna bones in Australia and a large crowd at
the visitor’s day at Eulo were lucky enough to
witness the unveiling of this remarkable exhibit.
We continue to seek funding for the Natural
History Museum and were unlucky to miss out in
the second Regional Development Australia round
after being identified as the number one project for
the whole Darling Downs and Southern QLD
region. We continue to apply through subsequent
rounds and see sourcing funding for this building as
our number one priority in 2013.
Notwithstanding the failure to source funding, 2012
has been another year of achievement, discovery
and productivity from the prep lab and we look
forward to 2013 with much enthusiasm and
confidence.
Once again I would like to thank all our supporters
and sponsors and especially the team from
Queensland Museum who have collaboratively
assisted OGF to continue to discover, prepare and
preserve one
of Australia’s
most prolific,
diverse and
amazing
fossil collections.
Stuart Mackenzie
Chairman
Cover photo: plant fossils in a rock wall at the Yowah opal mining town.
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Collection’s Manager’s Report
All the 2011 Eulo megafauna material was
processed before the beginning of the 2012
field season. Tanya and Robyn spent a week
making a very special cradle to enable the
remarkable lower jaw bone of ‘Kenny’ the
Diprotodon to be able to make the journey back to
Eulo for the visitors day at the property where the
megafauna fossils were found. Carefully packed in
specially purchased 400L icebox this lower jaw
travelled safely to and from Eulo. It was well
worth the effort as this specimen is always a crowd
stopper. The work put into the cradling this
specimen and all the other Diprotodon vertebra
were testimony to the good work happening in the
OGF prep lab.
The priority in the lab is to complete more
dinosaur material. Very good progress has been
made with these extremely large and time
consuming bones. Some are particularly
challenging as the bones from one specimen have
been crushed.
Queensland Museum Technician Jo Wilkinson,
once again filled our lab with cheer and spent a
very valuable week doing some of the final
preparations on some important dinosaur bones.
A Fossil Heritage survey was carried for Santos on
the pipeline easement and the 2D seismic lines for
the Mt. Howitt exploration area. One new
dinosaur site was located but was not in any
immediate threat from this activity. The other five
existing sites were resurveyed by RPS and the
Collection Manager. One of the 2D seismic lines
went within metres of one of the existing dinosaur
sites so this line was moved 200m away from this
existing dinosaur site. Information on how to
recognise dinosaur sites was passed onto the
surveyors and they were taken to see one of the
dinosaur sites which had not been worked on and
they also visited the lab.
To wind the year up on Christmas Eve, the family
members of Robyn Mackenzie all turned up at the
lab to help perform a very successful flip of a huge
dinosaur femur, pictured below.
Robyn Mackenzie
Collections Manager
LEFT: The flipping of the
femur took a lot of team work.
Pictured from left to right are:
Back Row: Elle Stephenson,
Tim Skinner, Tanya Hudson,
Stuart
Mackenzie,
Sandy
Mackenzie and Brad Skinner.
Front Row: Lachlan Skinner,
Geoff Turner and Robyn
Mackenzie.
Not pictured:
Sally Skinner
and Pat Turner.
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4
Scientists come knocking
Eulo
EuloMegafauna
Megafauna
A very new and exciting field
of science has now entered
the OGF Field Lab, ancient
DNA. Robyn Mackenzie was
fortunate to cross paths with
one of Australia’s most reA preliminary survey
excavation
nownedand
ancient DNA
scienundertaken near Eulo, southwest
tists, ProfessorQueensland,
David Lamfrom Griffith University.
has revealed one ofbert Australia’s
richest
Professor
megafauna-bearing fossil
sites,Lambert
both was
in exterms
tremely
keen
to
have
access
of faunal diversity and abundance of remains.
to the OGF Eulo Megafauna
This excavation is the
second systematic
collection to use for his reexcavation in southwestern
Queensland with
search and visited the lab
the first undertaken in 2011.
some months later. Some not
Surveys and preliminary
excavations
revealed
so important
pieces of
megaa vast number of sites, with
extensive
potential
fauna were
loaned to
Profossor
Lambert for prelimfor long-term, large-scale
excavations.
The
inary DNA testing. Results
of this turtle and give some
are very slow and still too
advise on acid prep verse
early to give us any real clue if
mechanical prep for this type
there is viable ancient DNA in of material. Ben was very
these fossils but none the less
impressed with the extent of
what results there are so far
the OGF Collection and was
Along
with theDNA
specimens
of Diprotodon
have
been encouraging.
keen to develop
collaborarecovered
were to the tions
remains
ofand other
has
proven to be difficult
between OGF
extract
from Australian
mega- including
Uppsalla University
in Swemegafaunal
species,
isolated
teeth
fauna
date so the priscus
potential, (Megalania
den.
fromtoVaranus
- the world’s
although
a very longProtemnodon
shot,
largestit islizard),
Associated Dean
(Giant
Bond Forest
Uniis very exciting.
versity, Professor Steve
ByPalaeontologist
Palaeontologist DrDr
Scott
Hocknull
By
Scott
Hocknull
Wallaby), Troposodon (extinct kangaroo),
Dr
Ben Kear, leadspp.
researcher
Webb spent aPhascolonus
few days at
Macropus
(kangaroos),
for the freshwater cretaceous
Plevna Downs so that he
(Giant wombat) and the giant freshwater
turtle spend a day and night at could familiarise himself with
crocodile Pallimnarchus.theSmall
faunal remains
Plevna Downs to see the
extent of the dinosaur
were also
recovered,
aquatic
taxa
progress
on the
preparation including
sites and the
collection.
Pro-of
fish and turtles along with small terrestrial
sites are most likely Late Pleistocene in age, a vertebrates such as bettongs, elapids
significant time of major past climatic change. (venomous snakes) and birds.
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Inside Story Headline
This story can fit 150-200 words.
One benefit of using your newsletter as a promotional tool is that
you can reuse content from other
marketing materials, such as press
releases, market studies, and reports.
events or a special offer that proCaption
motes
a new product.
describing
picture
or research articles or
You
can also
find “filler” articles by accessing
graphic.
the World Wide Web. You can
write about a variety of topics but
try to keep your articles short.
While your main goal of distribMuch of the content you put in
uting a newsletter might be to sell
your newsletter can also be used
ABOVE:
Visitors
site.
your
product or
service, crowd
the key around
for the
yourdig
Web
site. Microsoft PubABOVE
RIGHT:
Rochelle
Lawrence,
Research
Assistant
to a successful newsletter is maklisher offers a simple way
to conQM
and
dig
participant
shows
the
locals
the
microfauna
ing it useful to your readers.
vert your newsletter to a Web
through OGF USB and conventional
microscopes.
publication.
So, when you’re finA great way to add useful content
RIGHT: Dr Scott Hocknull explains
how
the dig
works at
ished
writing
your
newsletter,
to your newsletter is to develop
the open day.
convert it to a Web site and post
and write your own articles, or
it.
include a calendar of upcoming
“To catch the reader's attention,
place an interesting sentence or
quote from the story here.”
Inside Story Headline
Eulo Visitor’s Day
Over 100 people from around Eulo, younger than the dinosaurs fossils, they
new procedures or improveCunnamulla and Yowah upon
were
fascinated with actually need a higher level of conservation and
ments
to the business. Sales figThethe
subject
matter
that
appears
in
displays, presentations
and the dig site are more fragile.
ures or earnings will show how
newsletters
is virtually endless.
interpretation
at the 2012
Eulo isMegafauna
The day before the visitors day, OGF and QM
your business
growing.
You can include stories that focus
Visitors day near Eulo. The
day started early took the afternoon off from the digging to set
on current technologies or innoSome newsletters include a colwith
first
visitors
arriving
about
8am on a very up the shearing shed with Eulo megafauna
vations in your field.
umn that is updated every issue,
typical cool winter’s morning
at
shearing
for instance, the
an advice
column, a displays, including the stereo microscope and
You may also want to note busished near the dig site.
book review, a letter from the USB microscope to view the tiny microfossils.
ness or economic trends, or make
president,
or an technician
editorial. You can
In
the
preceding
months,
OGF
On the day Dr Scott Hocknull gave two
predictions for your customers or
also
profile
new
employees
or
top
Tanya
Hudson
and
Collection
Manager
Robyn
presentations to a packed wool room in the
clients.
customers
or
vendors.
Mackenzie, together with Rochelle Lawrence, shearing shed. The groups were then guided
If the newsletter is distributed
Clare youO’Bryen
and other QM staff and down to the dig site and Dr Scott Hocknull,
internally,
might comment
volunteers, had worked hard to ensure that all with the support of the dig team and the
the 2011 megafauna fossil discoveries were fully landholders, gave an interpretation of the dig
prepared
in time to cradle and carefully take site and the processes involved removing the
Inside
Story Headline
back to the dig site for this visitors day.
bones.
Tanya and Robyn spent a couple of weeks Paroo Shire Mayor, Cr Lindsay Godfrey, Paroo
making the cradles for very impressive 70cm Shire Councillor Don Dunstan and Quilpie
long
lower
jawwords.
of a Diprotodon
Shire Mayor/OGF Chairman Cr Stuart
This
story can
fit 75-125
sands of clip art and
images other
from
which
you
can
choose
and
import
complete
bones
for
this
specimen.
Although
it
Mackenzie all attended the day and were able
Selecting pictures or graphics is an
into
your
newsletter.
There
are
was risky
moving
these specimens over this to see the local and regional benefits of the
important
part of adding
content
also several
tools youfor
can use
it was extremely
important
thetoEulo megafauna and the Eromanga dinosaurs
to distance,
your newsletter.
draw shapes and symbols.
communities
and
to see the quality plus the important collaborations developed
Think
about your article
andlandholders
ask
Once
you
have chosen an image,between landholders, the locally based not-forof the
fossil
material
from their backyard.
yourself
if the
picture
supports or
place
it
close
to the
article.
Be profit OGF and the Queensland Museum.
enhances
message you’re
tryEventhethough
the megafauna
fossils
are
a lot
This story can fit 100-150 words.
ing to convey. Avoid selecting
images that appear to be out of
context.
Microsoft Publisher includes thou-
sure to place the caption of the
image near the image.
Caption describing picture or
graphic.
5
Optical Stimulated Luminescence
Optical Stimulated Luminescence dating is used
to place the age of fossils younger than about
200,000 years. It dates the in-situ sediments next
to the fossils. Collecting the OSL cores in the
field during digs is very important to enable
dating of the bones necessary for researchers and
research funding. It is a lengthy and expensive
process to OSL date the cores and Griffith
University is one of the few places with the skills
and equipment to offer this service.
Griffith’s Dr Tim Pietsch attended the Eulo
megafauna dig and trained OGF technicians,
Tanya and Robyn on the field collection of these
cores. Robyn and Tanya then attended a 5 day
course at Griffith to learn the skills to enable
them to process the cores taken at OGF digs. It
is planned to include part of this processing at
the Eromanga Natural History Museum and
then send this processed material to Griffith to
be analysed in the OSL machine.
Caption describing
picture or graphic.
It dates the
in-situ
sediments
next to the
fossils
Caption
Tanya Hudson
describing
collecting
OSL
picture or
core samples
graphic.
with Dr. Tim
Pietsch at the
Eulo megafauna
sites.
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Interesting Insects
A Quilpie local spotted an unusual bee during the year and referred it to the Outback Gondwana
Foundation for identification. With the help of Dr Christine Lambkin, Curator of Terrestrial
Environments (Entomology) at the Queensland Museum, the species was identified as a sand wasp in
the genus Bembix.
This one is most likely Bembix Magarra but there are many other species of Bembix and it could be
something completely different.
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8
Science and Art
Adele Outterridge and Wim de Vos
were the 2012 Artists in Residence
for the Eulo Megafauna Dig.
Adele and Wim have a personal
connection with the Eulo area after
visiting and working in the area a
few years ago. These two well
known and respected artists live in
Brisbane and run The Studio West
End, established 1998. Adele and
Wim travel widely lecturing and
teaching workshops. Both Adele
and Wim were participating artists
in the The Extant Landscape,
Eromanga Basin Exhibition.
Wim’s inspirational artwork of the
megafauna sites was a standout
piece at the exhibition.
ABOVE: Feature painting done by 2012 Wim
de Vos at the Eulo dig. It is a vista of the all the
megafauna sites.
ABOVE LEFT: Adele Outterridge, Anita
Milroy and Wim de Vos.
LEFT: Wim de Vos with a diprotodon jaw.
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Caption
describing
picture or
graphic.
The Extant Landscape
Ten Queensland Artists have come
together to celebrate the diversity and
vastness of the Eromanga Basin
landscape. Proceeds from the exhibition
will go towards the Outback Gondwana
Foundation Building Fund.
The Extant Landscape is expressed
through multiple media as the artists work
in oil, acrylic, print, paper, perspex,
photography, digital, metal and precious
gems.
The Exhibition was held in the Richard
Randall Art Studio, at the Mt Cootha
Botanic Gardens. The Preview Event was
on Friday the 30th of November, 2012 69pm. The exhibition continued over the
weekend.
The winner of the painting "The Dig",
donated by Leah Cameron, was won by
Grace Pegler of Monler Station,
Eromanga. Congratulations Grace!
BELOW LEFT:
OGF staff and
supporters with
Quilpie artist Leah
Cameron who
donated a stunning
painting of a dig site
for a raffle.
BELOW RIGHT:
We were delighted
to see the lucky
prize winner was
Grace Pegler, the
eldest daughter of
OGF fossil
technician Jo Pegler.
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“To catch the reader's attention,
place an interesting sentence or
Where
have we
been?
quote from the story here.”
Inside Story Headline
Robyn Mackenzie visited Morven and
Mungallala schools during 2012. Tanya
Hudson paid a visit to Tibooburra
International Plant Propagators Society Annual
Conference Toowoomba May 2012
CEO Anita Milroy was invited by Conference
Convenor and Highsun Managing Director Brad
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Skinner to present at the IPPS annual conference in
Toowoomba. She presented a 20-minute botanical
discussion on the evolution of plants from prehistoric
to modern time with emphasis on their adaptation
strategies to climate change. .
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Did you know?
The word diprotodon means two
forward teeth, in honour of the
animals buck-toothed incisors.
The first diprotodon fossils were
discovered in the early 1800s and
sent to Britain for scientists to study.
Opinions vary about when the
diprotodon became extinct, with
earlier estimates at about 30,000
years ago and later estimates about
50,000 years ago.
The alkalinity in the clay around
Eulo helped to preserve the fossils in
the area.
Don’t forget
the giant
Kangaroos
The biggest kangaroo
ever to have lived in
Australia was the
procoptodon goliah.
It was three times the size
of the modern red
kangaroo.
Thank you to our
generous Sponsors
And supporters
NEWSHAM
FAMILY
EULO