Global Climate Change, Carbon Dioxide (CO2), and the Evolution of Life in the Palaeozoic and Early Mesozoic. A critically important problem directly affecting our society is the effects of climate change on our life support systems and environment. But the impacts of climate change and increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) on the Earth's biosphere are not well understood, so much can be learnt from examining past events that have shaped its evolution. Our research will provide important new insights i ....Global Climate Change, Carbon Dioxide (CO2), and the Evolution of Life in the Palaeozoic and Early Mesozoic. A critically important problem directly affecting our society is the effects of climate change on our life support systems and environment. But the impacts of climate change and increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) on the Earth's biosphere are not well understood, so much can be learnt from examining past events that have shaped its evolution. Our research will provide important new insights into how life evolved and survived periods of major environmental upheaval in Earth history, especially its responses to large shifts in global temperatures and atmospheric CO2. These outcomes will provide valuable input to help project how future global warming and rapidly increasing carbon dioxide levels will likely impact our modern biosphere.Read moreRead less
Light islands in a sea of dark rainforest: Human influence on fire, climate and biodiversity in the Australian tropics. A key outcome will be an informed framework for protecting and enhancing biodiversity in the face of global warming. This research will build on previous archaeological and palaeoecological studies into plant processing practices; provide mediation between different approaches to rainforest management and further an understanding of the antiquity of rainforest occupation in the ....Light islands in a sea of dark rainforest: Human influence on fire, climate and biodiversity in the Australian tropics. A key outcome will be an informed framework for protecting and enhancing biodiversity in the face of global warming. This research will build on previous archaeological and palaeoecological studies into plant processing practices; provide mediation between different approaches to rainforest management and further an understanding of the antiquity of rainforest occupation in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Zone. Aboriginal communities see the collection of archaeological data as pivotal in gaining control over their cultural sites, which leads to partnerships between universities and communities. Furthermore, close institutional and community relationships have increased the flow of knowledge about past Indigenous rainforest management.Read moreRead less
Stepping-Stones or Barrier: The Movement and Impact of People throughout the Far Eastern Pacific Islands. The vast ocean of the far eastern Pacific divides two great migratory peoples, the Amerindians and Polynesians. Whether or not members of either group overcame this barrier remains one of the greatest uncertainties in Pacific prehistory. We focus on the remote islands of the far eastern Pacific Ocean and combine fine-resolution archaeology, palaeoecology, and dating techniques to determine t ....Stepping-Stones or Barrier: The Movement and Impact of People throughout the Far Eastern Pacific Islands. The vast ocean of the far eastern Pacific divides two great migratory peoples, the Amerindians and Polynesians. Whether or not members of either group overcame this barrier remains one of the greatest uncertainties in Pacific prehistory. We focus on the remote islands of the far eastern Pacific Ocean and combine fine-resolution archaeology, palaeoecology, and dating techniques to determine the antiquity and nature of occupation on these islands. Their role as stepping-stones for human migration and material exchange will be determined and the notion of these islands as pristine and unspoilt at the time of European discovery will be challenged.Read moreRead less