Old brains, new data - early evolution of structural complexity in the vertebrate head. Of the all the complex structures biology has provided, the evolution of the vertebrate brain and its sensory organs is perhaps the most enigmatic. The fossil record occasionally provides a chance to trace this evolution, but only with the use of novel X-ray scanning techniques can these secrets be detailed in three dimensions. Exploiting the exceptional fossil record from Australia and China, this team will ....Old brains, new data - early evolution of structural complexity in the vertebrate head. Of the all the complex structures biology has provided, the evolution of the vertebrate brain and its sensory organs is perhaps the most enigmatic. The fossil record occasionally provides a chance to trace this evolution, but only with the use of novel X-ray scanning techniques can these secrets be detailed in three dimensions. Exploiting the exceptional fossil record from Australia and China, this team will for the first time collect a vast comparative data base which will yield clues on the early evolution of the ear, eye and brain. Read moreRead less
Microscale evolution of deformed rocks and glaciers. Scientific outcomes from this research have significant implications for predictions on material properties and are applicable to rock behaviour in mineralised systems, a focus of Australia's minerals industry, and the development of new materials for the Australian manufacturing industries. It will help maintain Australia's excellent international research reputation in the fields of microstructural geology and glaciology.
LATE PALAEOZOIC PALAEOGEOGRAPHY OF CENTRAL ASIA: A PALAEOBIOGEOGRAPHICAL APPROACH USING IMPROVED BIOSTRATIGRAPHY. Fossil data from Central Asia (Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, NW China, Mongolia, Altaids) indicate significant degree of palaeo-latitudinal variation in biogeographical patterns across the Palaeo-Tethys and its flanking shelves during Late Palaeozoic, but details of these patterns and implications for enhancing contemporaneous palaeogeographical models are virtually unknown. Thi ....LATE PALAEOZOIC PALAEOGEOGRAPHY OF CENTRAL ASIA: A PALAEOBIOGEOGRAPHICAL APPROACH USING IMPROVED BIOSTRATIGRAPHY. Fossil data from Central Asia (Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, NW China, Mongolia, Altaids) indicate significant degree of palaeo-latitudinal variation in biogeographical patterns across the Palaeo-Tethys and its flanking shelves during Late Palaeozoic, but details of these patterns and implications for enhancing contemporaneous palaeogeographical models are virtually unknown. This project will analyse the biogeographical patterns of Late Palaeozoic brachiopod, coral, fusulinid faunas using advanced statistical methods, and integrate biogeographical signals with palaeomagnetic data to constrain models for the Late Palaeozoic geological evolution of Central Asia-a vast region that is known to bear enormous potential for natural resources but remains geologically little explored.Read moreRead less
Spreading ridge sedimentation processes: a novel approach using Macquarie Island as a natural laboratory. This research will examine the south eastern tectonic plate boundary of Australia, providing analogues for seafloor spreading related crustal processes that relate to present plate boundaries and ancient examples now joined to the Australian continent. The scientific innovation represented by this project will help Australian scientists to better understand an important part of the plate tec ....Spreading ridge sedimentation processes: a novel approach using Macquarie Island as a natural laboratory. This research will examine the south eastern tectonic plate boundary of Australia, providing analogues for seafloor spreading related crustal processes that relate to present plate boundaries and ancient examples now joined to the Australian continent. The scientific innovation represented by this project will help Australian scientists to better understand an important part of the plate tectonic cycle. This project will be of direct relevance to the Australian minerals exploration industry and will provide better constraints on rift-related metallogenesis.Read moreRead less
Low-grade metamorphic phosphate geochronology: High-precision dating of ancient crustal fluid flow, hydrothermal mineralisation and the "Great Oxidation Event". Reliable dating techniques are required to obtain precise ages for ancient crustal fluid flow. Current techniques suffer from inheritance and isotopic resetting, problems that are particularly pronounced in early Precambrian rocks. This project will employ new analytical techniques to date phosphate minerals recently identified as potent ....Low-grade metamorphic phosphate geochronology: High-precision dating of ancient crustal fluid flow, hydrothermal mineralisation and the "Great Oxidation Event". Reliable dating techniques are required to obtain precise ages for ancient crustal fluid flow. Current techniques suffer from inheritance and isotopic resetting, problems that are particularly pronounced in early Precambrian rocks. This project will employ new analytical techniques to date phosphate minerals recently identified as potentially important new chronometers of ancient fluid flow, providing the first precise tectonothermal history of the Archaean Pilbara Craton. The project will also establish the age of giant iron-ore deposits across the Hamersley Province, test the various models for iron-ore formation, and provide a minimum age for the oxidation of the Earth's surface. Read moreRead less
Life and times of Beringian biota from luminescence and radiocarbon dating of sedimentary DNA: chronologies for palaeoenvironmental and archaeological archives. This study will yield important new data on the time of entry of humans into a previously uninhabited continent (North America) and the record of subsequent human-environment interactions. The same broad issues apply to Australia, so understanding the sequence and causes of events in Beringia will provide insights into human disruption o ....Life and times of Beringian biota from luminescence and radiocarbon dating of sedimentary DNA: chronologies for palaeoenvironmental and archaeological archives. This study will yield important new data on the time of entry of humans into a previously uninhabited continent (North America) and the record of subsequent human-environment interactions. The same broad issues apply to Australia, so understanding the sequence and causes of events in Beringia will provide insights into human disruption of the Australian ecosystem. The development of improved techniques in palaeogenetics and geochronology will benefit researchers worldwide, increase the capacity for commercial services, and enhance Australia's international standing in cutting edge science. We will train high-quality graduate students and create new collaborative initiatives and opportunities for research, exchange, training and education.Read moreRead less
Revisiting The Alpine Paradigm: The Role Of Inversion Cycles In The Evolution Of The European Alps. This project aims to evaluate a new theory that suggests mountain belts are repeatedly built and then destroyed, taking advantage of the youthful and classic natural laboratory offered by the European Alps. We will use geochronology, structural geology and metamorphic petrology to track individual rocks through time and space, and compare the results with predictions made by computer simulations. ....Revisiting The Alpine Paradigm: The Role Of Inversion Cycles In The Evolution Of The European Alps. This project aims to evaluate a new theory that suggests mountain belts are repeatedly built and then destroyed, taking advantage of the youthful and classic natural laboratory offered by the European Alps. We will use geochronology, structural geology and metamorphic petrology to track individual rocks through time and space, and compare the results with predictions made by computer simulations. The initiation of these episodes of immense destruction in mountain belts occurs at the same time as the creation of deep Earth resources. This project will, as its main outcome, provide the foundation for future theoretical understanding of these remarkable coincidences.Read moreRead less
Mantle Melting Dynamics and the Influence of Recycled Components. This proposal is directly concerned with the continuing aim of building a sustainable Australia through knowledge of deep earth resources. The more we know about the processes of melting and melt and fluid migration the better we will be able to inform models for resource exploration and volcanic hazard mitigation. Uranium series isotopes are relevant to the very recent history of the planet (< 350 000 years) - time scales which a ....Mantle Melting Dynamics and the Influence of Recycled Components. This proposal is directly concerned with the continuing aim of building a sustainable Australia through knowledge of deep earth resources. The more we know about the processes of melting and melt and fluid migration the better we will be able to inform models for resource exploration and volcanic hazard mitigation. Uranium series isotopes are relevant to the very recent history of the planet (< 350 000 years) - time scales which are often overlooked. Application to mantle melting as described in this proposal may also have direct application to gold exploration in the Manus basin and elsewhere. It is to these techniques we must look if we are to understand the immediate past as a clue to the immediate future of our planet.Read moreRead less
Landscape evolution and palaeoclimates in Indonesia: environmental, faunal and archaeological implications. The influence of environmental and climatic changes on faunal (including human) populations is a pressing issue for Australian communities in environmentally sensitive areas. This project will address this issue by documenting how certain flora and fauna in Indonesia, our nearest northern neighbour, responded to environmental challenges. Revealing when humans first dispersed through the re ....Landscape evolution and palaeoclimates in Indonesia: environmental, faunal and archaeological implications. The influence of environmental and climatic changes on faunal (including human) populations is a pressing issue for Australian communities in environmentally sensitive areas. This project will address this issue by documenting how certain flora and fauna in Indonesia, our nearest northern neighbour, responded to environmental challenges. Revealing when humans first dispersed through the region and how they adapted to changing environmental conditions will also contribute to our understanding of the cultural heritage of Australia's indigenous settlers. This project will build on established collaborations with Indonesian researchers and pioneer new dating methodologies to further enhance Australia's place at the forefront of geochronology.Read moreRead less
How responsive are continental interiors to the geodynamic evolution of plate margins? An Australian case study. The outcomes of this project will advance our understanding of the evolution and dynamics of the Australian plate by improving knowledge of the way plate driving forces shaped the continental interior. This will lead to a refinement of existing geological models describing the history of the Australian continent, and will provide a valuable backdrop for the current focus on the cont ....How responsive are continental interiors to the geodynamic evolution of plate margins? An Australian case study. The outcomes of this project will advance our understanding of the evolution and dynamics of the Australian plate by improving knowledge of the way plate driving forces shaped the continental interior. This will lead to a refinement of existing geological models describing the history of the Australian continent, and will provide a valuable backdrop for the current focus on the contemporary state of the Australian plate. The study will also provide a framework for petroleum exploration models in the central Australian basins, since they rely crucially on the thermal and structural datasets that will be produced in this project.Read moreRead less