Blog archive:
April 2023

  • What was Eric's last supper?

    What did the most complete, opalised vertebrate fossil in Australia eat? In an Australian first, PhD candidate Joshua White & co-authors used a micro-CT scanner to examine the stomach contents of the Australian Museum’s ‘Eric the plesiosaur'. Learn how they reconstructed this unique reptile's diet.

    AMRI
    Joshua White
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    Opalised Pliosaur Umoonasaurus demoscyllus - Eric the Pliosaur

  • Researchers discover new plant species on recent Norfolk Island expedition

    A team from the Australian Institute of Botanical Science has collected about 400 plant specimens on the recent Australian Museum-led expedition to Norfolk Island, helping the community identify new weeds that potentially could cause havoc to local ecosystems.

    AMRI
    Patrick Whiteley, Australian Institute of Botanical Science
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    Wayne Cherry collecting botany specimens, during AM-led Norfolk Island expedition, Phase 1, 2022.

  • What do a cat, a dingo, and a goanna have in common? It’s in the iDNA

    A cat, dingo and goanna in Namadgi National Park were the latest animals recorded via DNA from an insect’s belly. Tim Cutajar at the Australian Museum and Dr Stephanie Pulsford tell us how!

    AMRI
    Tim Cutajar Dr Stephanie Pulsford
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    Rosenberg’s monitor (Varanus rosenbergi). This sometimes elusive reptile is threatened in some areas, and was among the species we detected via invertebrate-derived DNA in this study.