Out of Africa: human prehistory in southwestern China. This project aims to establish the timing and processes of human settlement in East Asia during the Middle and Late Pleistocene. Through studying a series of key archaeological sites in southwest China using the most recent innovative scientific approaches in luminescence dating, sedimentary DNA and lithic analysis, we expect to provide new insights into the human prehistory of East Asia over the last 300,000 years. This should provide signi ....Out of Africa: human prehistory in southwestern China. This project aims to establish the timing and processes of human settlement in East Asia during the Middle and Late Pleistocene. Through studying a series of key archaeological sites in southwest China using the most recent innovative scientific approaches in luminescence dating, sedimentary DNA and lithic analysis, we expect to provide new insights into the human prehistory of East Asia over the last 300,000 years. This should provide significant contribution to addressing major debates about the timing, rate and route of dispersal of modern humans out of Africa, across south Asia and into Australia. Read moreRead less
Reading the past to predict future biodiversity: a deep-time perspective. The extent of human-moderated impact on ecosystems is rapidly increasing. To date, most current research in this field is based on short-term observations or experiments. By examining the characteristics of species and ecosystem response to climate change from a major geological Ice Age ~320-265 million years ago in eastern Australia, this study will investigate how marine species and ecological communities evolved in resp ....Reading the past to predict future biodiversity: a deep-time perspective. The extent of human-moderated impact on ecosystems is rapidly increasing. To date, most current research in this field is based on short-term observations or experiments. By examining the characteristics of species and ecosystem response to climate change from a major geological Ice Age ~320-265 million years ago in eastern Australia, this study will investigate how marine species and ecological communities evolved in response to repeated glacial/interglacial cycles and associated warming/cooling climate changes. Expected findings will help to better understand the long-term links between global warming/cooling climate regimes, sea levels, changing sea-water temperature and chemistry, and species and ecosystem responses to these drivers.Read moreRead less
Dating the aboriginal rock art sequence of the Kimberley in north west Australia. This project aims to develop a robust time scale for the known aboriginal rock art sequence in the Kimberley, Western Australia (WA). The project will use new knowledge of complex processes on sandstone surfaces across the north Kimberley, and an innovative combination of four scientific dating methods developed through our earlier work. The project expects to provide a well-dated sequence for Kimberley rock art ba ....Dating the aboriginal rock art sequence of the Kimberley in north west Australia. This project aims to develop a robust time scale for the known aboriginal rock art sequence in the Kimberley, Western Australia (WA). The project will use new knowledge of complex processes on sandstone surfaces across the north Kimberley, and an innovative combination of four scientific dating methods developed through our earlier work. The project expects to provide a well-dated sequence for Kimberley rock art based on replication of results, confirmation across different methods, and a large interdisciplinary data set. The project will allow rigorous analysis of the relationship between dating results and rock art styles that has not previously been possible, and give new insights into Australia’s deep indigenous heritage. This will have a significant impact for future efforts in rock art conservation, and lay a foundation for cultural tourism, with important benefits for the local economy and health of regional indigenous communities.Read moreRead less
Testing continental growth models with calcium and strontium isotopes. The Project aims to chart the evolution of the Earth’s primordial mantle and oceans between 3.75 and 2.8 billion years ago using calcium and strontium isotopes in ancient igneous and sedimentary rocks. A novel solution to the controversy over the timing and rate of growth of the Earth’s continents is expected. Anticipated outcomes include the establishment of innovative analytical tools for tracing geological and environmenta ....Testing continental growth models with calcium and strontium isotopes. The Project aims to chart the evolution of the Earth’s primordial mantle and oceans between 3.75 and 2.8 billion years ago using calcium and strontium isotopes in ancient igneous and sedimentary rocks. A novel solution to the controversy over the timing and rate of growth of the Earth’s continents is expected. Anticipated outcomes include the establishment of innovative analytical tools for tracing geological and environmental processes, and stronger collaborative links with premier research institutions abroad. The significant benefits of the Project include an enhanced understanding of the environment in which early life evolved, and fresh insight into the formation of the richly mineralized nucleus of the Australian continent. Read moreRead less
The mighty ape’s last stand. This project aims to study the fate of primates in southern Asia, where evidence for megafaunal extinction is rare. Why Gigantopithecus blacki, the largest ever primate, disappeared is unknown, while humans in the region survived. This project will model dating techniques across sites to identify a precise extinction window and compare behaviour and past environmental conditions to determine why the ape failed and man persevered. Outcomes will generate a new understa ....The mighty ape’s last stand. This project aims to study the fate of primates in southern Asia, where evidence for megafaunal extinction is rare. Why Gigantopithecus blacki, the largest ever primate, disappeared is unknown, while humans in the region survived. This project will model dating techniques across sites to identify a precise extinction window and compare behaviour and past environmental conditions to determine why the ape failed and man persevered. Outcomes will generate a new understanding of past environmental change as a driver of megafaunal extinction in comparison with human adaption and survival.Read moreRead less
Glauconite: Archive Recording Timing and Triggers of Cambrian Radiation . This project aims to constrain the timing and speed of the Cambrian radiation of complex animals, and to test potential environmental triggers of this milestone bioevent. New laser mass spectrometry and mineral mapping technology will be integrated to precisely date glauconite – a silicate mineral commonly formed in Cambrian shallow marine animal habitats. This innovative and cost-effective approach will produce the first ....Glauconite: Archive Recording Timing and Triggers of Cambrian Radiation . This project aims to constrain the timing and speed of the Cambrian radiation of complex animals, and to test potential environmental triggers of this milestone bioevent. New laser mass spectrometry and mineral mapping technology will be integrated to precisely date glauconite – a silicate mineral commonly formed in Cambrian shallow marine animal habitats. This innovative and cost-effective approach will produce the first high-resolution timeline of early animal evolution, where the glauconite-based marine isotope record identifies the most likely environmental trigger for the Cambrian Radiation. Outcomes of this study include improved understanding of the drivers of animal evolution, and a new dating tool for basic and applied research.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100017
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$404,950.00
Summary
A pictorial and geochemical history of Great Barrier Reef changes. This project aims to determine the timing and associated drivers behind dramatic changes in coral communities on reef flat environments since European settlement. It will use Uranium-Thorium dating, palaeoecological and geochemical techniques, as well as spatial elevation surveys to determine the timing and cause of ecological transition for inshore coral communities. This project will contribute baseline knowledge on the timing ....A pictorial and geochemical history of Great Barrier Reef changes. This project aims to determine the timing and associated drivers behind dramatic changes in coral communities on reef flat environments since European settlement. It will use Uranium-Thorium dating, palaeoecological and geochemical techniques, as well as spatial elevation surveys to determine the timing and cause of ecological transition for inshore coral communities. This project will contribute baseline knowledge on the timing and mechanisms associated with dramatic declines in coral cover on inshore reefs of the world heritage listed Great Barrier Reef, and provide a robust scientific foundation for effective monitoring.Read moreRead less
Dating Murujuga's Rock Art: new scientific approaches. The Dampier Archipelago is on Australia's National Heritage List because of its significant rock art and stone features. Known as Murujuga to its traditional custodians, this land- and seascape has over 1 million art works. While the scientific and cultural significance of this area is acknowledged, we still know little about the age of this landscape, the regional palaeoclimatology, and the timing and intensity of rock art production since ....Dating Murujuga's Rock Art: new scientific approaches. The Dampier Archipelago is on Australia's National Heritage List because of its significant rock art and stone features. Known as Murujuga to its traditional custodians, this land- and seascape has over 1 million art works. While the scientific and cultural significance of this area is acknowledged, we still know little about the age of this landscape, the regional palaeoclimatology, and the timing and intensity of rock art production since Aboriginal people moved into this region 50,000 years ago. This project will develop new scientific approaches to direct-dating engravings and stone features, reconstruct climate from geological proxies, and model voyaging opportunities as this unique cultural estate transformed to an archipelago.Read moreRead less
Climate extremes and landscape responses across continental Australia. This project aims to determine the magnitude, frequency and duration of dry and wet extremes across the Australian continent over the last thousand years and examine landscape responses to such climate extremes. Using terrestrial records from key lake locations, the project expects to construct a record of mega-lakes and mega-droughts and determine whether such climatic phenomena are becoming more frequent or severe through t ....Climate extremes and landscape responses across continental Australia. This project aims to determine the magnitude, frequency and duration of dry and wet extremes across the Australian continent over the last thousand years and examine landscape responses to such climate extremes. Using terrestrial records from key lake locations, the project expects to construct a record of mega-lakes and mega-droughts and determine whether such climatic phenomena are becoming more frequent or severe through time. The project will develop palaeoclimatic data at sub-centennial resolution, examining the spatial coherence of the climate extremes. The project will integrate this with both the historical record and global climate modelling, allowing us to assess the dominant oceanographic and atmospheric conditions that lead to such extremes.Read moreRead less