guide
Glaucus atlanticus Blue Sea Slug Lou Streeting Senior Technical Officer UNE Zoology
Cover photo: Pseudorca crassidens False Killer Whale skeleton Stranded at Seal Rocks, NSW July 11, 1992 CRICOS Provider Number: 00003G
inside life timeline
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welcome from the vc
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where in the world?
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featured scientists
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guide horns 8 invertebrates 10 aquatic 12 reptiles 14 fossils 16 skeletons & skulls
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birds 22 mammals
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geology 26 botany 27 introduced 28 new england
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research 30 floor displays
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dinosaur 32 up above
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out the back
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photography 36 collectables 38 get involved
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what does a few hundred million years of life look like? Anthropocene epoch mid-20th century-present day Holocene epoch 11.7 thousand years ago–mid-20th century Pleistocene epoch 2.6-11.7 thousand years ag0 Pliocene epoch 5.3-2.6 million years ago Miocene epoch 23.8-5.3 million years ago Oligocene epoch 33-23.8 million years ago Palaeocene epoch 65-54.8 million years ago Jurassic period 205-million years ago Permian period 290-248 million years ago Devonian period 417-354 million years ago Ordovician period 495-443 million years ago Ediacaran period 635-545 million years ago
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Archean era 3.8-2.5 billion years ago
Eocene epoch 54.8-33.7 million years ago Cretaceous period 142-65 million years ago Triassic period 248-205 million years ago Carboniferous period 354-290 million years ago Silurian period 443-417 million years ago Cambrian period 545-495 million years ago Cryogenian period 850-635 million years ago
The Museum’s oldest exhibit, a fossil of Cactocrinus sp., is approx. 350 million years old
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Researching the past contributes toward a better understanding of how evolution works – why we and other organisms are shaped the way we are. Associate Professor Steve Wroe
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welcome The Natural History Museum is an important project in the evolution of the University of New England. It puts on public display the work of many years of collecting and curating by several generations of researchers. Not all of the collection can be shown, and thousands of items remain in the archives, but this Museum gives UNE a place to display a significant portion of the collection in a way that gives the pieces context and meaning. Through the Natural History Museum, UNE is able to present the collection for anyone with an interest in how nature works (or the potentially much larger audience for creepy dead things). At another level, the Museum represents a physical introduction to the work of the University, and its neverending quest for understanding. Behind each specimen sits layers of story — why and how the specimen
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was collected, how it contributed to research, what the creature itself represents in a world where too much of life is vanishing too fast. It is also a reminder that there is no surrogate for real things. The most sophisticated computer graphics cannot replace the sense of wonder that comes with viewing the still remains of real animals, in all their extraordinary variety. This is a first step in a plan to bring UNE’s assets - antiquities, art, rocks and other things collected over the years - out of the vault to be made readily accessible to the public. I have been deeply impressed with the skill invested in the Museum by all who have contributed to its development. My sincere thanks to everyone involved for creating a place both beautiful and useful. Professor Annabelle Duncan
where in the world?
The UNE Natural History Museum collection comes from far and wide. While predominantly from Oceania and the Americas, some specimens originate from Madagascar, Antarctica and Greenland. Botanical, zoological and geological treasures have been meticulously curated over the past 30 years by academics and enthusiasts, gathering and trading specimens between universities and museums all over the world.
(Antarctica)
the art of taxidermy Taxidermy has had a revival of sorts in recent years. In the fine art world it has been popularised by artists such as Cai Guo-Qiang and his work from 2006 Head On, an installation of 99 stuffed wolves that appear to crash into a glass wall, and Damien Hirst’s iconic 1991 work The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, a 4 m tiger shark preserved in formaldehyde contained within three steel and glass vitrines. These and many other modern artworks have taken the traditional craft of preserving dead animals out of the biological sciences and natural history space and embedded it into popular culture. For natural history enthusiasts and trophy hunters, the interest in preserved specimens has never waned. Techniques improved through the 19th century due to a fascination in exotic species collected from all corners of the globe, and continued to do so in the 20th century when major museums attracted large audiences to diorama style exhibits. While the exhibits of the Natural History Museum in New York and London show world class examples of this trade, our own University has not been without its skilled preparators. Their work is celebrated and acknowledged here in our new space. Notamacropus parma Parma Wallaby UNE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
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featured scientists
PROFESSOR FRITZ GEISER
DR ROMINA RADER
ASSOC. PROFESSOR KARL VERNES
We recognise animals by their outward appearance, but within the fur and scales are incredibly complex systems that enable animals to flourish in certain environments. Award-winning zoologist Fritz Geiser has worked at universities on six continents in his pursuit of a better understanding of how living creatures make an environment their own. He is currently investigating how some Australian animals shut down their need for energy after a natural event, like a bushfire, wipes out their food sources.
Many of the fruits and vegetables we eat come from plants that depend on insects like bees, flies, moths, butterflies and beetles to transfer their fertilising pollen from flower to flower. Ecologist Dr Romina Rader is working to understand these pollinators better, what they do, and their importance to the crops we rely on for food. Populations of these wild pollinators are declining as the world changes, and Dr Rader wants to know what we might do about it.
Understanding the ecology and life history of animals is one of the keys to understanding how to conserve them. Mammalogist A/Prof. Karl Vernes has focused on Australia’s native mammals (and has written a book on kangaroos), but his current research also extends to mammals in Bhutan and Mexico. He’s particularly interested in the ecology and conservation of threatened mammals, and in the growing use of camera traps to remotely observe animals in their natural environment.
Learn more about our research at une.edu.au/research
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featured scientists
DR PHIL BELL
PROFESSOR JEREMY BRUHL
DR STEVE DEBUS
Dinosaurs are not just thrillingly scary things from a primeval nightmare: they are also a way to understanding ourselves and our world. Palaentologist Dr Phil Bell has used fossil deposits in Australia and Canada to fill in some of the blank bits in the history of life. He is currently working on opalised fossils at Lightning Ridge, NSW, which he hopes may shed new light on how dinosaurs spread across the globe.
Jeremy Bruhl is excited by discovering and understanding biodiversity. He focuses on the scientific questions of "what are the plant species in the world" and "what are their evolutionary relationships", which are fundamental to all natural history and biological sciences. Names, classifications and understanding how plants work are also important across society for gardeners, farmers, producers of natural plant products and pharmaceutical companies.
A changing world brings change to the places where birds live, and how many live there. Ornithologist Dr Steve Debus has spent a long, awarded career studying these shifts in bird range, and investigating how humans and birds can better co-exist. He has written several books on birds, focusing on birds of prey - the raptors that own the skies by day, and the owls that own them by night.
research The new Agricultural Education Building is a hub for many exciting cross-disciplinary collaborations combining research, teaching, and community outreach and engagement. The facilities include high quality, multipurpose teaching laboratories, as well as sound-proofed and temperature controlled work rooms for researchers and students. The building also offers the latest technologies to equip graduates in today’s competitive knowledge economy.
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1 Damaliscus lunatus 2 Damaliscus lunatus 3 Alcelaphus buselaphus lichtensteinii All specimens from North Western Rhodesia 4 Alcelaphus buselaphus (now Zambia) except taurinus from Australia. 5 Connochaetes Donated R.S. Lyons, 6 by Syncerus caffer1955 (female) 7 8 9 10 11
Synercus caffer (male) Kobus ellipsiprymnus (male) Tragelaphus oryx (male) Hippotragus equinus (male) Hippotragus niger
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Tsessebe 12 Hippotragus niger Tsessebe 13 Hippotragus equinus (female) Lichtenstein's Hartebeest 14 Oryx gazella 1 Damaliscus lunatus Tsessebe Hartebeest 15 Tragelaphus oryx (female) Brindled Gnu 2 African Buffalo 3 African Buffalo 4 Waterbuck 5 Common Eland 6 Roan Antelope 7 Sable Antelope 8
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Sable Antelope Roan Antelope Gemsbok Common Eland Damaliscus lunatus Tsessebe 16 Tragelaphus spekii (male) Sitatunga 17 Tragelaphus scriptus (male) Alcelaphus buselaphus lichtensteinii Lichtenstein'sBushbuck Hartebeest 18 Tragelaphus scriptus (male) Bushbuck Alcelaphus buselaphus Hartebeest Kobus leche (male) Southern Lechwe Connochaetes19taurinus Blue Wildebeest 20 Kobus vardonii (male) Puku Syncerus caffer (female) African Buffalo 21 Aepyceros melampus (male) Impala Synercus caffer (male) African Buffalo 22 Capra hircus Domestic Goat Kobus ellipsiprymnus (male) Waterbuck
Tragelaphus oryx (male)
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Eland
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Roan Antelope
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Sable Antelope
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Hippotragus niger
Sable Antelope
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Hippotragus equinus (female)
Roan Antelope
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Oryx gazella Gemsbok
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Tragelaphus oryx (female) Eland
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Tragelaphus spekii (male) Sitatunga
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Tragelaphus scriptus (male)
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Tragelaphus scriptus (male) Bushbuck
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Kobus leche (male)
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All specimens from North Western Rhodesia (now Zambia) except 22 from Australia Donated by R.S. Lyons, 1955
Handwritten notes by Dr Patrick Watters on the history of the horns. Excerpt at right
STORY OF THE HORNS These animals were shot by George P Lyons in North Western Rhodesia (now Zambia) between 1899 and 1903. George Lyons was born in 1872 and left Australia in 1891 to join the Bechuanaland (now Botswana) Mounted Police and served through the Mashona Rebellion in 1893 and the Matabele Rebellion in early 1896. Later in 1896 he transferred to the Administrative Service of Northern Rhodesia and later became the Chief Magistrate and Assistant Administrator. He was awarded a C.B.E. in World War 1. George Lyons was an accomplished horseman and a great hunter and died in Rhodesia. Stewart G Lyons was born in 1877 and left the family property 'Gilmore' on the Monaro and travelled via Kalgoolie to join his brother George in 1895 in Rhodesia. Stewart contracted fever and left Rhodesia in the early 1900's and went to Fiji, taking the horns and other African curios with him. He lived on the island of Rabi in Fiji eventually returning to Australia to settle in Armidale in 1939 bringing the collection of horns and curios with the family. Stewart Lyons died in Armidale in 1961 at the age of 84 and the horns and curios were displayed in the family home 'Narrangi' in Bona Vista Road until 1955. Ruthren S. Lyons was born in 1889 as the youngest brother of George and went with his father William Percy Lyons to live in Fiji at Devo, Vanua Levu. He had a strong interest in the African horns and curios and agreed to their donation to the Armidale Teachers College in 1955. He retired to Hervey Bay, Queensland, in the 1960's and died in the 70's. Directly transcribed from original document
Red Lechwe. Photo: Assoc. Prof. Paul McDonald
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invertebrates 1 4 2
DID YOU KNOW...?
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The Phyllacanthus parvispinus Eastern Slate Pencil Urchin 98 is a herbivore. It comes out to feed at night. The mouth is on the underside of the body and is equipped with five sharp teeth used to scrape algae from the rocks. They 9 are found along the east coast of Australia, including Queensland and New South Wales.
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Livonia mammilla Birgus latro Charonia tritonis Lambis truncata Syrinx aruanus Culcita novaeguineae Tutufa bufo Turbo sp. Portunus pelagius Dagnaudus petterdi Lobatus gigas Linckia laevigata Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda Metapenaeus sp. Scyllarides squammosus Ophiothrix martensi Pisaster ochraceus Hypothalassia acerba Harpiosquilla sp. Cassis cornuta Ophiocoma dentata Plectaster decanus Nectocarcinus tuberculosis Dardanus megistos Cypraecassis rufa Macrobrachium rosenbergii Cherax destructor Halitosis australis Ptilometra australis Gorgonocephalus sp. Ozius deplanatus Carcinus maenas Tiarinia sp. Tridacna maxima Pecten maximus Spondylus victoriae Scutus antipodes Ancillista cingulata Tibia insulaechorab Mitra mitra Terebra maculata Astropecten polyacanthus Euplectella sp. Ixa sp. Cymothoidae Alpheid sp. Gonodactylaceus fulcatus Myra sp. Amphibalanus Amphitrite Dimya sp. Dinocardium robustum Barnea australasiae Bassina jacksoni Nucula sp. Nucula sp. Patelloida sp. Xenophora peroniana Patelloida sp.
False Melon Coconut Crab Triton's Trumpet Giant Spider Conch Australian Trumpet Pin-cushion Starfish Red-mouth Frog Shell Turban Snail Blue Swimmer Crab Antlered Crab Pink Ear Azure Sea Star Horseshoe Crab Speckled Shrimp Slipper Lobster Martin’s Brittle Star Purple Sea Star Champagne Crab Mantis Shrimp Horned Helmet Toothed Brittle Star Mosaic Sea Star Rough Rock Crab Spotted Hermit Crab Red Helmet Shell Giant Freshwater Prawn Smooth Shelled Yabby New Zealand Paua Shell Feather Star Basket Star Reef Crab European Green Crab Spider Crab Burrowing Clam Great Scallop Long Spined Thorny Oyster Elephant Slug Girdled Ancilla Arabian Tibia Episcopal Miter Giant Marlin Spike Comb Star Venus Flower Basket Hammer Head Crab Fish Louse Alpheid Shrimp Mantis Shrimp Nut Crab Striped barnacle Oyster Giant Cockle Australian Angel's Wings Jackson's Bassina Marine Bivalve Marine Bivalve True Limpet Carrier Shells True Limpet
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Scutellastra chapmani Lottia persona Tectonatica sp. Tenagodus australis Nerita atramentosa Nodilittorina pyramidalis Cerithium echinatum Gibbula sp. Distorsio anus Monetaria caputserpentis Cribrarula cribraria Palmadusta asellus Ophionereis schayeri Ophiarachnella infernalis Tutufa bubo Pleuroploca trapezium Hexaplex (Muricanthus) radix Chicoreus denudatus Murex pecten Lambis truncata Babylonia Zeylanica Drupella rugosa Amoria zebra Thalessa aculeata Sepia mestus
Star Limpet True Limpet Moon Snail Worm Shell Black Nerite Tuberculated Noddiwink Spikey Creeper Top Snail Distorted Triton Snake Head Cowry Sieve Cowry Asellus Cowry Schayer's Brittle Star Sea Cucumber Giant Frog Shell Trapezium Horse Conch Radish Murex Fronded Murex Venus Comb Giant Spider Conch Indian Babylon Harmonious Drupe The Zebra Volute Aculeate Rock-shell Common Cuttlefish
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Argonauta nodosa Spirula spirula Octopus cyanea Loligo australis Taeniogyrus sp. Stichopus chloronotus Deima sp. Hapalochlaena maculosa Collossendeis sp. Breynia australasiae Breynia australasiae Demosponge Demosponge Antipathidae Phyllacanthus parvispinus Paracentrotus lividus Acropora sp. Heterocentrotus mammillatus Echinometra mathaei Goniastrea aspera Onithochiton sp. Ischnochiton australis Cryptoplax sp. Liolophura gaimardi Fungia fungites
Paper Nautilus Ram's Horn Big Blue Octopus Common Squid Sea Cucumber Spikey Sea Cucumber Sea Cucumber Blue-ringed Octopus Sea Spider Heart Urchin Test Heart Urchin Branching Sponge Chimney Sponge Black Coral Eastern Slate Pencil Urchin Purple Sea Urchin Staghorn Coral Slate Pencil Urchin Rock-boring Urchin Lesser Star Coral Chiton Chiton Chiton Chiton Mushroom Coral
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aquatic
AQUATIC ECOLOGY AT UNE Aquatic Ecology and Management at UNE looks at the delicate ecosystems of swamps, lakes, rivers and estuaries. It incorporates a wide gamut of disciplines including botany, geography, chemistry, geology, hydrology, zoology and physics. Important issues include drought, water resource management, aquatic habitat destruction, and threatened species protection. Field work is an important aspect of Aquatic Ecology. Being in the New England region we have access to a wide diversity of aquatic systems at our doorstep. Upland swamps, cobble streams and huge waterfalls in pristine National Parks lead to populated lowland rivers and estuaries in one of Australia's fastest developing regions. Heading west we find the expanse of the Murray-Darling Basin and its regulated lowland rivers and semi-arid climate. Students wishing to specialise in this area are offered units in Aquatic Ecology, Freshwater Ecology and Management, Hydrology, Ecosystem Rehabilitation and Pollution Management. Postgraduate students can take advantage of the breadth of research expertise, strategic location in northern NSW and extensive range of field and laboratory facilities available at UNE.
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Brachaelurus waddi Orectolobus maculatus Neotrygon australiae Echeneis naucrates Sufflamen fraenatum Eleutheronema tetradactylum Sphyraena jello Ostracion cubicus Synodus myops Chanos chanos Cypselurus opisthopus Coelorinchus innotablis Hyporhamphus quoyi Triacanthus biaculeatus Symbolophorus barnardi Xenolepidichthys dalgleishi Pegasus volitans Dicotylichthys punctulatus Lactoria cornuta Cleidopus gloriamaris Trachinotus blochii Hippocampus kuda Istiblennius edentulus Diodon holocanthus Platax teira Anacanthus barbatus Centroberyx affinis Solegnathus spinosissimus Chaetodon oligacanthus Microcanthus strigatus Fistularia commersonii Epinephelus merra Gambusia holbrooki Galaxias brevipinnis Macquaria ambigua Tandanus tandanus Scleropages jardinii Carassius carassius Neoceratodus forsteri Perca fluviatilis Anguilla reinhardtii Synanceia horrida Antennarius striatus Lophiomus setigerus Halieutaea brevicauda Batrachomoeus dubius Psettodes erumei Zebrias quagga Dactyloptena gilberti
Blind Shark Spotted Wobbegong Bluespotted Maskray Slender Suckerfish Bridled Triggerfish Blue Threadfin Pickhandle Barracuda Yellow Boxfish Painted Grinner Milkfish Black-finned Flyingfish Notable Whiptail Quoy's Garfish Short-nosed Tripodfish Barnard's Lanternfish Spotted Tinselfish Slender Seamoth Three-barred Porcupinefish Longhorn Cowfish Pineapplefish Snub-nosed Dart Spotted Seahorse Rippled Rockskipper Longspined Porcupinefish Longfin Batfish Bearded Leatherjacket Redfish Spiny Pipehorse Ocellate Butterflyfish Stripey Bluespotted Cornetfish Wire-netting Cod Mosquitofish Mountain Trout Golden Perch Tandan Catfish Australian Bonytongue Crucian Carp Australian Lungfish Redfin (European Perch) Speckled Longfin Eel Estuarine Stonefish Striated Frogfish Blackmouth Angler Spiny Sea Bat Eastern Frogfish Australian Halibut Fringefin Zebra Sole Flying Gurnard
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The Neoceratodus forsteri Australian Lungfish 39 is one of only six lungfish species in the world, and exists amongst stagnant or slow moving streams along the Burnett and Mary River systems in Queensland, Australia. It can grow to ~1.5 m in length and weigh ~40 kg, enjoying a diverse diet of plants, frogs, small fish and invertebrates. With the oldest known specimen reaching a ripe old age of 80, this ancient beast survives the rise and fall of stream levels using its fascinating ability to breathe in both water and air. They have gills like any other fish, and the Queensland Lungfish is the only lungfish with one instead of two lungs!
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Oxyuranus scutellatus Pseudechis guttatus Eretmochelys imbricata Natator depressus Chelonia mydas Pseudechis porphyriacus Notechis scutatus Morelia spilota variegata Chelodina longicollis Emydura macquarii Pogona barbata Intellagama lesueurii Austrelaps ramsayi Pseudonaja textilis Acanthophis antarcticus Vermicella annulata Myuchelys belli Notechis scutatus Pogona barbata Diporiphora nobbi Tropidonophis mairii Parasuta spectabilis Hemiaspis signata Demansia psammophis Antaresia childreni Acrochordus granulatus Diporiphora nobbi Amphibolurus muricatus Lophognathus gilberti Tiliqua rugosa Oedura tryoni Underwoodisaurus milii Ramphotyphlop sp. Boiga irregularis Bellatorias major Tiliqua scrincoides Eulamprus quoyii Egernia cunninghami Amalosia lesueurii Saltuarius moritzi Diplodactylus vittatus Ramphotyphlops nigrescens Pelamis platura Laticauda colubrina Dendrelaphis punctulatus Ctenotus robustus Ctenotus taeniolatus Lampropholis guichenoti Hemiergis decresiensis Lialis burtonis Saiphos equalis Anomalopus leuckartii Varanus indicus Varanus acanthurus Emydocephalus annulatus Crocodylus johnstoni Moloch horridus Chlamydosaurus kingii Varanus varius Varanus gouldii Limnodynastes dumerilii Litoria caerulea Lymnodynastes peronii Notaden bennettii Lymnodynastes tasmaniensis Furina diadema
Coastal Taipan Spotted Black Snake Hawksbill Turtle Flatback Turtle Green Turtle Red-bellied Black Snake Tiger Snake Carpet Python Eastern Snake-necked Turtle Macquarie Turtle Bearded Dragon (juvenile) Australian Water Dragon Highland Copperhead Eastern Brown Snake Common Death Adder Bandy Bandy Bell's Turtle Tiger Snake Bearded Dragon Nobbi Dragon Keelback Black-headed Snake Marsh Snake Yellow-faced Whip Snake Children's Python Little Filesnake Nobbi Dragon Jacky Lizard Gilbert's Dragon Shingleback Skink Southern Spotted Velvet Gecko Thick-tailed Gecko Blind Snake Brown Tree Snake Land Mullet Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard Eastern Water Skink Cunningham's Skink Lesueur's Velvet Gecko Moritz's Leaf-tailed Gecko Wood Gecko Blackish Blind Snake Yellow-bellied Sea Snake Yellow-lipped Sea Krait Green Tree Snake Striped Skink Copper-tailed Skink Penny Lizard Three-toed Earless Skink Burton's Snake-lizard Three-toed Skink Two-clawed Worm-skink Mangrove Monitor (juvenile) Ridge-tailed Monitor Turtle-headed Sea Snake Freshwater Crocodile Thorny Devil Frilled-neck Lizard Lace Monitor Sand Goanna Pobblebonk Frog Green Tree Frog Brown-striped Frog Crucifix Toad Spotted Grass Frog Red-naped Snake
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FRILLED-NECK LIZARD The Chlamydosaurus kingii Frilledneck Lizard is one of Australia’s most spectacular dragon lizards. This large dragon inhabits tropical woodlands in northern and eastern Australia and New Guinea. Frilled-neck Lizards eat insects, and they hunt by perching 1 - 2 m above the ground on standing tree trunks to ambush passing prey. Their rough texture and mottled colouration makes them extremely well camouflaged, and when approached they hide from view by sliding around to the opposite side of the tree trunk. If detected on the ground, Frilledneck Lizards can run bipedally on their hindlimbs and quickly escape up a nearby tree. When threatened, they turn and face their attacker and suddenly erect their frill. The startling combination of a wide frill, a gaping mouth and loud hissing presents a very formidable defensive display!
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fossils Anthropocene epoch mid-20th century-present day Holocene epoch 11.7 thousand years ago–mid-20th century Pleistocene epoch 2.6-11.7 thousand years ag0 Pliocene epoch 5.3-2.6 million years ago Miocene epoch 23.8-5.3 million years ago Oligocene epoch 33-23.8 million years ago Eocene epoch 54.8-33.7 million years ago Palaeocene epoch 65-54.8 million years ago Cretaceous period 142-65 million years ago Jurassic period 205-million years ago Triassic period 248-205 million years ago Permian period 290-248 million years ago Carboniferous period 354-290 million years ago Devonian period 417-354 million years ago Silurian period 443-417 million years ago Ordovician period 495-443 million years ago Cambrian period 545-495 million years ago Ediacaran period 635-545 million years ago Cryogenian period 850-635 million years ago Archean era 3.8-2.5 billion years ago
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Archaeopteryx lithographica* Pterodactylus kochi* Perisphinctes cautisnigrae* Crocodileimus robustus* Ichthyosaurus* Dicroidium sp. Urasterella asperula* Rana pueyoi* Homo sapiens cranium* Homo sapiens sapiens* Cephalaspis lyelli* Hemicyclaspis murchisoni* Bothriolepis antarctica* Homo heidelbergensis cranium* Sparnodus sp.* Leptolepis sp.* Eusthenopteron foordi* Palaeocoma egertoni* Homo erectus* Stone tool* Rhabdoderma* Pycnodont* Dicroidium sp. Hemicidaris intermedia* Homo erectus* Lystrosaurus murrayi* Diademodon tetragonus* Arctognathus curvimola* Euchambersia mirabilis* Procynosuchus delaharpeae* Glossopteris sp. Cactocrinus sp. Paranthropus boisei* Glossopteris sp. Forbesciocrinus* Regulaecystis pleurocystoides* Australopithecus africanus* Thrinaxodon liorhinus* Prorubidgea alticeps* Whaitsia platyceps* Pachypteris sp. Dicroidium sp. Doryaspis* Odontochile purduei* Dicroidium sp. Eldredgeops rana* Thylacoleo sp.* Dickinsonia rex* Grallator* Eusthenopteron sp.* Thylacoleo tooth* Diprotodon rib Diprotodon lower mandible
* indicates replica of original fossil
Upper Jurassic period Upper Jurassic period Jurassic period Upper Jurassic period Late Triassic period Triassic period Devonian period Miocene epoch Pleistocene epoch Anthropocene epoch Early Devonian period Upper Silurian period Devonian period Pleistocene epoch Eocene period Middle Triassic period Late Devoinian period Jurassic period Pleistocene epoch Pleistocene epoch Early Permian period Cretaceous period Triassic period Jurassic and Cretaceaus periods Pleistocene epoch Lower Triassic period Triassic period Late Permian period Late Permian period Upper Permian period Permian period Carboniferous period Pleistocene epoch Permian period Devonian period Lower Devonian period Pleistocene epoch Lower Triassic period Middle Triassic period Permian period Triassic period Triassic period Devonian period Early Devonian Triassic period Middle Devonian Pleistocene epoch Ediacaran period Triassic period Upper Devonian period Pleistocene epoch Pleistocene epoch Pleistocene epoch
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Dugong dugon Tursiops truncatus Sus scrofa Ovis aries Odobenus rosmarus Crocodylus porosus Homo sapiens sapiens*
Dugong Common Bottlenose Dolphin Domestic Pig Domestic Sheep Walrus Saltwater Crocodile Human skeleton
* indicates replica
WALRUS The Odobenus rosmarus Walrus 5 is a large species of seal that inhabits shallow arctic waters in the northern hemisphere. Large bull males can grow to 3.5 m long and weight up to 1,600 kg; females reach about two thirds the size of males. The defining feature of both males and females are the enormous tusks, which are actually enlarged upper canines. The tusks have a variety of uses, although for the most part they are used in self defence, and by males when posturing to establish dominance hierarchies. However, if display alone is not effective, males will use their tusk to strike and injure their opponent. Tusks are also used for breaking through ice and maintaining breathing holes, to hang from ice 6 floes while the animal rests in the water, and to help the walrus drag its heavy body out of the water onto the ice. The tusks continue to grow through life; in males, tusks can grow to 100 cm long, and in females, 60 cm. Do you think our museum specimen is a male or female?
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The Crocodylus porosus Saltwater Crocodile 6 is the largest species of crocodile and the largest living reptile in the world. Adult males are on average 5 m long and weigh more than 450 kg, whereas females are much smaller, generally around 3 m long and up to 150 kg. Although very rare, there are records of male Saltwater Crocodiles reaching more than 7 m in length and 1000 kg in weight!
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Tursiops truncatus Panthera leo Ursus americanus Ursus americanus Pogona barbata Castor canadensis Panthera tigris tigris Amia calva Iguana iguana Chelonia mydas Diomedea sp. Phalacrocorax sp. Pteropus poliocephalus Pteropus poliocephalus Pteropus poliocephalus Threskiornis sp. Threskiornis sp. Rattus sp. Rattus sp. Rattus sp. Rattus sp. Notamacropus rufogriseus Macropus giganteus Macropus giganteus Canis familiaris Canis familiaris Crocodylus porosus Crocodylus johnstoni Corvus sp. Corvus sp. Dasyurus maculatus Dasyurus maculatus Urocyon cinereoargenteus Vombatus ursinus Dasyurus maculatus Sarcophilus harrisii Phocoena phocoena Carcharhinus obscurus Vulpes lagopus Osphranter robutus Phascolarctos cinereus Macaca fascicularis Dromaius novaehollandiae Gymnorhina tibicen Strepera sp. Dacelo novaeguineae Dromaius novaehollandiae Saimiri sp. Loris tardigradus Papio papio Cercopithecus mona Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris Aquila audax Tamandua tetradactyla Pelecanus conspicillatus Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus
All skulls unless specified otherwise
Common Bottlenose Dolphin Lion (juvenile) American Black Bear American Black Bear Eastern Bearded Dragon American Beaver Bengal Tiger Bowfin Iguana Marine Turtle Albatross Cormorant Grey-headed Flying-fox Grey-headed Flying-fox Grey-headed Flying-fox Ibis Ibis Rat Rat Rat Rat Red-necked Wallaby Eastern Grey Kangaroo Eastern Grey Kangaroo (juvenile) Dog Dingo Saltwater Crocodile Freshwater Crocodile Crow Crow Spotted-tailed Quoll Spotted-tailed Quoll Grey Fox Bare-nosed Wombat skeleton Spotted-tailed Quoll skeleton Tasmanian devil skeleton Common Porpoise skeleton Dusky Shark jaw Arctic Fox Common Wallaroo Koala skeleton Crab-eating Macaque Skeleton Emu leg Australian Magpie Currawong Laughing Kookaburra Emu Squirrel Monkey Red Slender Loris Guinea Baboon Mona Monkey Capybara Wedge-tailed Eagle skeleton Southern Tamandua Australian Pelican Australian Fur Seal Skeleton
FUNCTION, EVOLUTION AND ANATOMY RESEARCH The UNE FEAR Lab's aim is to improve our understanding of relationships between shape and function in living and fossil animals. They use computer based 3D modelling (Finite Element Analysis) and geometric morphometrics to predict and analyse mechanical behaviour in skulls and other biological structures. In addition to providing detailed information on how animals are adapted to particular behaviours and predictions for behaviour in fossil species, the FEAR Lab team apply these techniques to answer a wide range of biomedical questions. Other areas on which they have published and maintain an active interest in, include vertebrate palaeontology, extinction of the Australian megafauna and marsupial carnivore phylogeny and biogeography. thefearlab.com
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Pachyptila turtur Hirundapus caudacutus Hirundapus caudacutus Trichoglossus moluccanus Trichoglossus moluccanus Cincloramphus mathewsi Ninox boobook Tyto alba Elanus axillaris Rhipidura fuliginosa Rhipidura rufifrons Falco cenchroides Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris Malurus cyaneus Malurus cyaneus Glossopsitta pusilla Eolophus roseicapilla Glossopsitta concinna Hirundo neoxena Philemon corniculatus Alisterus scapularis Cyclopsitta diophthalma Lathamus discolor Cormobates leucophaea Climacteris picumnus Neophema pulchella Neophema pulchella Todiramphus macleayii Todiramphus sanctus Struthidea cinerea Dacelo novaeguineae Todiramphus sanctus Podargus strigoides Daphoenositta chrysoptera chrysoptera Cacatua galerita Cracticus nigrogularis Grallina cyanoleuca Gymnorhina tibicen Acanthiza lineata Lichenostomus melanops Entomyzon cyanotis Nesoptilotis leucotis Caligavis chrysops Artamus cyanopterus Artamus superciliosus Falcunculus frontatus Pachycephala rufiventris
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Pied Butcherbird Magpie-lark (male) Australian Magpie Striated Thornbill Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Blue-faced Honeyeater White-eared Honeyeater Yellow-faced Honeyeater Dusky Woodswallow White-browed Woodswallow Crested Shrike-tit Rufous Whistler (male)
Superb Fairy-wren (male) Superb Fairy-wren (female) Little Lorikeet Galah Musk Lorikeet Welcome Swallow Noisy Friarbird Australian King-parrot Double-eyed Fig-parrot Swift Parrot White-throated Treecreeper Brown Treecreeper Turquoise Parrot (male) Turquoise Parrot (female) Forest Kingfisher Sacred Kingfisher Apostlebird Laughing Kookaburra Sacred Kingfisher Tawny Frogmouth Varied Sittella
Fairy Prion White-throated Needletail White-throated Needletail Rainbow Lorikeet Rainbow Lorikeet Rufous Songlark Southern Boobook Barn Owl Black-shouldered Kite Grey Fantail Rufous Fantail Nankeen Kestrel Eastern Spinebill
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Corvus coronoides Anthochaera carunculata Dicaeum hirundinaceum Acanthiza chrysorrhoa Neochmia temporalis Neochmia temporalis Pachycephala rufiventris Pardalotus striatus Eurystomus orientalis Zosterops lateralis Zosterops lateralis Eurystomus orientalis Oriolus sagittatus Chloebia gouldiae Chloebia gouldiae Poephila acuticauda Poephila acuticauda Stagonopleura guttata Taeniopygia guttata Melopsittacus undulatus Manorina melanocephala Manorina melanocephala Cacomantis flabelliformis Myiagra inquieta Petroica multicolor Phalacrocorax sulcirostris Tachybaptus novaehollandiae Tachybaptus novaehollandiae Malacorhynchus membranaceus Pitta versicolor Sericulus chrysocephalus Ptilonorhynchus violaceus Ptilonorhynchus violaceus Ocyphaps lophotes Gallinago hardwickii Charadrius australis Ardenna tenuirostris Platalea flavipes Threskiornis spinicollis Centropus phasianinus Nycticorax caledonicus Callipepla californica Callipepla californica Hypotaenidia philippensis Porphyrio porphyrio Coturnix chinensis Coturnix ypsilophora ypsilophora Noisy Pitta Regent Bowerbird Satin Bowerbird (male) Satin Bowerbird (female) Crested Pigeon Latham's Snipe Inland Dotterel Short-tailed Shearwater Yellow-billed Spoonbill Straw-necked Ibis Pheasant Coucal Nankeen Night-heron Californian Quail (male) Californian Quail (female) Buff-banded Rail Purple Swamphen King Quail (male) Tasmanian Brown Quail (male)
Australian Raven Red Wattlebird Mistletoebird Yellow-rumped Thornbill Red-browed Finch Red-browed Finch Rufous Whistler (female) Striated Pardalote Dollarbird Silvereye Silvereye Dollarbird Olive-backed Oriole Gouldian Finch Gouldian Finch Long-tailed Finch Long-tailed Finch Diamond Firetail Zebra Finch Budgerigar Noisy Miner Noisy Miner Fan-tailed Cuckoo Restless Flycatcher Scarlet Robin Little Black Cormorant Australasian Grebe Australasian Grebe Pink-eared Duck 113 Daphoenositta sp. 114 Corvus coronoides 115 Acrocephalus australis
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95 Aegotheles cristatus 96 Falco longipennis 97 Merops ornatus 98 Phaps histrionica 99 Platycercus elegans 100 Platycercus eximius 101 Rhipidura leucophrys 102 Geopelia humeralis 103 Geopelia placida 104 Ptilinopus regina 105 Coracina novaehollandiae 106 Gallus gallus 107 Colluricincla harmonica 108 Neochmia temporalis
birds
Australian Owlet-nightjar Australian Hobby Rainbow Bee-eater Flock Bronzewing Crimson Rosella Eastern Rosella Willie Wagtail Bar-shouldered Dove Peaceful Dove Rose-crowned Fruit-dove Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Red Junglefowl Grey Shrike-thrush Red-browed Finch nest and egg Silvereye nest and egg Restless Flycatcher nest and egg Grey Shrike-thrush nest and eggs Eastern Yellow Robin nest and egg Sittella nest and egg Raven nest and egg Australian Reed-warbler
mammals
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DID YOU KNOW...? The Dasyurus viverrinus Eastern Quoll 46 is a solitary predator, hunting at night for its prey of insects, small mammals, birds, and reptiles. They are widespread in Tasmania but have been considered extinct on the mainland since the 1960s. Efforts are being made to reintroduce them.
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Callithrix jacchus Didelphis virginiana Trichosurus vulpecula Pteropus poliocephalus Petaurus breviceps Phascolarctos cinereus Phascolarctos cinereus Sciurus vulgaris Macaca fascicularis Pseudocheirus peregrinus Petauroides volans Phascogale tapoatafa Cercartetus nanus Manis javanica Sciurus vulgaris Galago senegalensis Tarsipes rostratus Melomys cervinipes Petaurus breviceps Burramys parvus Hydromys chrysogaster Antechinus mimetes Antechinus flavipes Pseudocheirus peregrinus Nyctophilus geoffroyi Nyctophilus geoffroyi Vespadelus regulus Vespadelus regulus Ornithorhynchus anatinus Tachyglossus aculeatus Mustela erminea Mustela erminea Sylvilagus palustris Sorex araneus Talpa europaea Tamias striatus Erinaceus europaeus Sminthopsis macroura Mephitis mephitis Atilax paludinosus Lutra lutra Canis familiaris Perameles nasuta Perameles nasuta Sarcophilus harrisii Dasyurus viverrinus Dasyuroides byrnei Acrobates pygmaeus
Common Marmoset Virginia Opossum Common Brushtail Possum Grey-headed Flying-fox Sugar Glider Koala Koala (juvenile) Eurasian Red Squirrel Crab-eating Macaque Eastern Ring-tailed Possum Southern Greater Glider Brush-tailed Phascogale Eastern Pygmy Possum Sunda Pangolin Eurasian Red Squirrel Senegal Bushbaby Honey Possum Fawn-footed Melomys Sugar Glider Mountain Pygmy-possum Water Rat Mainland Dusky Antechinus Yellow-footed Antechinus Eastern Ring-tailed Possum Lesser Long-eared Bat Lesser Long-eared Bat Southern Forest Bat Southern Forest Bat Platypus Short-beaked Echidna Ermine Ermine Marsh Rabbit Common Shrew European Mole Eastern Chipmunk West European Hedgehog Stripe-faced Dunnart Striped Skunk Marsh Mongoose European Otter Dingo (juvenile) Southern Long-nosed Bandicoot Southern Long-nosed Bandicoot Tasmanian Devil Eastern Quoll Kowari Feather-tailed Gliders
GLIDERS Petauroides volans Southern Greater Gliders are one of five gliding possum species found in the New England region; the other four are Petaurus australis Yellow-bellied Glider, Acrobates pygmaeus Feather-tailed Glider, Petaurus breviceps Sugar Glider 5 (above) and Petaurus norfolcensis Squirrel Glider. All but the Yellow-bellied Glider can be seen here in the Museum – can you find them? Gliding in mammals has evolved six times, and three of these evolutionary events can be seen among New England Gliders. Sugar and Squirrel Gliders are ‘wrist-winged’ Gliders, because the gliding membrane called ‘patagium’, is attached to the forearm at the wrist. Greater Gliders have an elbow attachment, while the tiny Feather-tailed Glider has ‘elbow and knee’ attachment points. The smaller gliders are sap and nectar feeders, while the Greater Glider is a leaf-eater. Gliding helps all of these possums move efficiently through the forest in search of food.
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geology
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This perspective is viewed from above display
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Variscite Lepidolite Beryl Amazonite Sodalite Smithsonite Beryl Pyromorphite Chrysocolla Sphalerite Gypsum (Desert Rose) Epidote Fluorite Muscovite Mica Chrysocolla Beryl
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Calcite Epidote Magnetite Smithsonite Stibnite Kyanite Botryoidal Kidney Hematite Almandine Garnet Galena Malachite Mimetite (Campylite) Sulphur Chalcopyrite Graphite Molybdenite Azurite and Malachite
IMMENSE HEAT GENERATED WITHIN THE EARTH’S UNDERBELLY DRIVES THE FORMATION (AND DESTRUCTION) OF THE PLANET AS WE KNOW IT... Like a giant lava lamp, this heat rises and falls within the Earth’s interior, splitting the Earth’s outer crust, creating faults, fissures and other hot spots where many minerals form. Some of the minerals you see here have been exhumed from vast underground mines where miners dig for metals, ores and other compounds that we use in our everyday lives. These minerals tell of the cataclysmic (often violent) interactions between the earth’s deep interior, colliding continents, and super-heated water that flows through these underground reservoirs.
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Xerochrysum sp. Mt Merino Xerochrysum sp. Glencoe Xerochrysum bracteaum Chrysocephalum sp. New England
N.C.W. BEADLE HERBARIUM NE: UNE'S WORLD CLASS BOTANY FACILITY Herbaria are cool and provide a snapshot of biodiversity. Yes, we keep the N.C.W. Beadle Herbarium cool and dry to protect the 100,000 pressed and dried herbarium specimens safe from harsh environmental conditions and from chewing insects. The oldest specimen belonging to our collection was collected in 1894 in Europe. The most recent collections incorporated into the collection were made in the last few months (this statement continues to be correct). Herbarium NE is a diverse assemblage of gatherings from around the world. As you would expect, Herbarium NE has particular depth in representing the plant diversity of our region of northern New South Wales. Herbarium NE serves many purposes: a reference point for identification of plants; an important resource of plant material for taxonomic, evolutionary, ecological, agronomic, phytochemical, molecular and biogeographic study; and, perhaps most surprising a storehouse (as are most herbaria) of yet undescribed species of plants. With keen eyes to spot morphological differences, a mind to think of ecological (such as vegetation community and parent rock material types) and biogeographical patterns, and very long benches to spread specimens across, it has been possible to ‘discover’ many new species from our region. The ability to borrow specimens from other herbaria around the country and the world has added greater depth to many research projects undertaken in NE and the discovery of further hidden biodiversity.
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Capra hircus Turdus merula Carduelis carduelis Passer domesticus Sturnus vulgaris Felis catus Rhinella marina Oryctolagus cuniculus Vulpes vulpes Mus musculus Rattus rattus
Domestic Goat Common Blackbird European Goldfinch House Sparrow Common Starling Feral Cat Cane Toad European Wild Rabbit Red Fox House Mouse Black Rat
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DID YOU KNOW...?
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Australia is host to numerous introduced species, including those you see here. Other examples are wild pigs, horses, camels, some insects, fish, plants and many more. Introductions can be accidental or deliberate; some species even came with the First Fleet in 1788. Species such as rabbit and fox have spread rapidly themselves, while many have been domesticated as stock animals like sheep and cattle. Introduced species also include pathogens, disease, fungi and parasites which may threaten agriculture as well as native ecosystems.
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new england PARMA WALLABY 1
The story of the loss and rediscovery of Notamacropus parma Parma Wallaby 14 is an interesting one. After the arrival of foxes and cats in New England, many mammals became threatened, and some were sent to extinction. Scientists thought that the Parma Wallaby had been lost forever until wildlife managers in New Zealand found a small population that had been introduced to an offshore island in the 1800's by the then Governor of New Zealand, Sir George Grey. Armed with the knowledge of what a living Parma looked like, Macquarie University PhD student Dr Gerry Maynes mounted several expeditions to search for the wallaby in the forests of New South Wales – where he rediscovered them living in scattered populations from the Queensland border to just north of Sydney. The wet eucalyptus forests and rainforests on the eastern edge of the New England region is considered the stronghold of this endangered marsupial.
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Chalinolobus morio Chocolate Wattled Bat Petaurus norfolcensis Squirrel Glider Psephotus haematonotus Red Rumped Parrot Papillo aegeus (male) Swallowtail Butterfly Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris Eastern Spinebill Zosterops lateralis Silver Eye (pair) Dasyurus maculatus Spotted-tailed Quoll Tachyglossus aculeatus Short-beaked Echidna Ornithorhynchus anatinus Platypus Antechinus stuartii Brown Antechinus Myrmecia brevinoda Bull Ant Myrmecia tarsata Bull Ant Myrmecia simillima Bull Ant Notamacropus parma Parma Wallaby Tiliqua scrincoides Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard Vombatus ursinus Bare-nosed Wombat
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DID YOU KNOW...?
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The Vombatus ursinus Bare-nosed Wombat is the largest burrowing mammal in the world. Wombat burrows can extend to 30 m long and 3.5 m below the ground. Because of their tunnelling lifestyle, wombats have evolved a backward opening pouch to prevent pouch young getting a face full of soil.
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research
Three-element Yagi antenna: Directional 150-152 MHz antenna for radio-tracking
Radio transmitter: to radio-track the animal and to measure its skin temperature Petaurus breviceps Sugar Glider
Handheld radio-receiver
Calico bag: For holding, and transporting small mammals, birds or reptiles
Box aluminium traps
Spring balance: Persola; used to weigh trapped animals
Charcoal sample: Professor Fritz Geiser is currently investigating the energetics of small mammals after fire
Measuring tape
In the past, detailed behavioural and functional studies on animals were restricted to the laboratory because of technological limitations. The major drawback of such studies is that often captive animals do not behave naturally. With the development of small radio-transmitters such limitations have been removed and meaningful data can now be obtained from free-ranging animals.
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floor displays
Skeleton of Testudo (Geochelone) gigantea
Cast of Testudo (Geochelone) gigantea
DISCOVER THE DETAIL With the aid of our magnified viewers you have the opportunity to expand your senses and experience our collection beyond what can be perceived with your naked eye.
Whale vertebrae (lumbar vertebrae posterior) Whale skull
Whale vertebrae (lumbar vertebrae - anterior)
Whale vertebrae are possibly from Balaena glacialis Right Whale or Megaptera novaeangliae Humpback Whale
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dinosaur
DID YOU KNOW...? At about 110 million years old, 'Lightning Claw' appears to be the oldest megaraptorid known, about 12 million years older than the next found in Australia.
Illustration by: Julius Csotonyi UNE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM 32
dinosaur
In 2015, a major discovery took place, this time not of a human relative, but a new species of dinosaur. Dr Phil Bell, from UNE’s Palaeoscience Research Centre, led the inquiry with the help of the Australian Opal Centre. The yet-to-be-officially-named beast belongs to a group of large carnivorous theropods called megaraptorids. The nicknamed 'Lightning Claw' – after its place of discovery, Lightning Ridge, and its giant talons – grew close to 7m in length, making it the largest discovered in Australia. “It was obviously a predator but the key thing about this guy is the giant claws on its hands, which compensate for its dainty skull and slender jaw,” Dr Bell says.“This dinosaur probably ran down its prey and used its arms like grappling hooks.” The find in 2015 is both the first major dinosaur discovery since three species were identified in Queensland in 1999 and the first substantial dinosaur remains ever from NSW. une.edu.au/paleoscience
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up above 1
Aquila audax
Wedge-tailed Eagle
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Isoodon macrourus
Northern Brown Bandicoot
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Hydrurga leptonyx
Leopard Seal
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Makaira indica*
Black Marlin head
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Makaira indica*
Black Marlin head
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Chelonia mydas
Bone carapace of Green Turtle
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DID YOU KNOW...? As the breeding season approaches, Aquila audax Wedge-tailed Eagle pairs perch close to each other and preen one another. They also perform dramatic aerobatic display flights together over their territory. Sometimes, the male dives down at breakneck speed towards his partner. As he pulls out of his dive and rises just above her; she either ignores him or turns over to fly upside down, stretching out her talons. The pair may then perform a loop-the-loop. The Wedge-tailed Eagle usually nests in the fork of a tree between one and 30 m above the ground, but if no suitable sites are available, it will nest on a cliff edge.
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out the back
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MORE INTRIGUED BY THE 95% OF THINGS HIDDEN IN THE BACK ROOMS OF A MUSEUM OR ART GALLERY THAN THE HIGHLIGHTS ON DISPLAY...
Narelle Jarry Museum Curator
(I rather like those things too) but to have access to collection material not readily available to the public is something I covet. As a conservator, I’ve spent my professional life caring for artwork and in a museum you will find me literally centimeters away from a display trying to determine how something was made, what it looks like in microscopic detail or how it has been installed. To me, museums are the ultimate reflection of our cultural traditions and value system. Why was that particular object acquired? Why is it significant? What story does it tell? Museums and art galleries are repositories of what we value or historically valued as a society, and they act as safe houses for those cultural traditions. The collections held are like time capsules that represent intellectual movements, philosophies and ways of thinking in the era they were made.
A natural history museum has the same ability to capture the world at a specific point in time, only it is the biological world we are interested in. Like a library of life, natural history collections are made up of samples of the world around us, kept in a stable, protected environment, a snap shot of what was happening at a specific location on a specific date. Specimens become markers in time – a resource for comparative studies into the natural world. To see the vast array of specimens in storage at the UNE Natural History Museum is a wonder. Our collections are a crucial resource for teaching. To be student at UNE means you have access to specimens across the biological world: vertebrate and invertebrate, specimens stored wet for sampling and testing, skulls and skeletons for measuring and comparison based research, skins and hides taxidermied for study of physiology and function. Never has there been a better time to visit the UNE Natural History Museum or study with us.
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photography
Dr Gerhard Koertner Gerhard Koertner is a wildlife biologist and ecophysiologist who has worked in Australia for UNE, National Parks and Wildlife Service, and the Invasive Animal Coopertive Research Centre since 1993. His main interests are in how mammals and birds deal with extreme climates and other challenges such as predation pressure. Gerhard has worked with a wide range of species including echidnas, mountain pygmy-possums, nightjars and spotted-tailed quolls in a variety of habitats ranging from the gorge country of the New England Tablelands to deserts and the Australian Alps. Complementing his scientific interest has been a life-long interest in photography, painting, and sculpting.
PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITIONS COMING SOON A series of photographic exhibitions are planned in the museum from mid-2017. Check the website at unenaturalhistorymuseum.org.au for further information.
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Gile's Planigale
Stony Creek Falls, Oxley Wild Rivers National Park
Short-beaked Echidna
Rainstorm over waddy-wood Mac Clark Acacia Peuce Reserve, NT
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collectables
guide
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Take home your own copy of the UNE Natural History Museum guide: $5 donation
ke tic
rs :
free for kids!
what does a few hundred million years of life look like?
unenaturalhistorymuseum.org.au
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Visit unenaturalhistorymuseum.org.au for your free desktop wallpapers
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POSTERS AND T-SHIRTS COMING SOON!
‘Lightening Claw’. Illustration by: Julius Csotonyi
Apsley Falls. Photo: Gerhard Koertner
CAFE 77 Grab an awesome coffee and snack at Cafe 77 while you're at the museum!
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get involved
Photo: Anthony Broese Van Groenou
Get involved Our UNE Natural History Museum is just one way to interact with our University-wide Discovery Program. Take a guided tour of the museum, but also keep your eyes out for exciting initiatives that just might include a night at the museum, public talks, Open Days, masterclasses and more. You can also book a visit from our Mobile Discovery team! The multi-talented team come to your school or community group and facilitate innovative immersive experiences in science, technology and tinkering, natural history and art. A great way to inject some creativity and motivation into the classroom! museum@une.edu.au unenaturalhistorymuseum.org.au une-discovery@une.edu.au unediscovery.org.au UNE Natural History Museum Agricultural Education Building (W077) Trevenna Road University of New England Armidale NSW 2351
UNE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
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University of New England: Armidale campus
An adult leopard (Panthera pardus) emerges from cover and scans for prey and potential predators in the Khwai River area of Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana. Leopards hunt a range of primarily mammals in the area, tackling anything from small rodents up to larger antelopes. Prey is often carried up into trees to be cached and eaten, avoiding competition from other predators such as lions, which are known to kill leopards if given the chance. This individual was observed as part of UNE's Botswana Overseas Study Tour that gives students a chance to collect research data in some of the most spectacular wildlife reserves in southern Africa. Students spend two weeks in the field, collecting data on a range of research projects that teach valuable field skills, whilst giving student a broad, international experience of zoology in action.
Panthera pardus Leopard
UNE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Photo: Associate Professor Paul McDonald 42