Museum news

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New primate species discovered in Myanmar

International collaboration led in part by Australian Museum Chief Scientist, Professor Kristofer Helgen, sheds light on evolutionary history and the important role museums play in understanding and conserving biodiversity.

11 November 2020

The unique frogs of the Solomon Islands: free from a deadly fungus?

The amphibian chytrid fungus, responsible for causing frog declines around the world, may not yet have reached the Solomon Islands.

16 November 2020

Always Was, Always Will Be Aboriginal Land

“Always Was, Always Will Be Aboriginal Land” is an important statement within First Nations communities.

By Laura McBride

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Bridging the Gap: Using DNA from museum specimens to unlock the secrets of the Bass Strait Island Fauna

Did you know that there are over 50 islands in the Bass Strait, the 240 km stretch of ocean that separates mainland Australia and Tasmania? But what of its fauna? Scientists have recently extracted DNA from museum specimens to better understand the evolutionary history of Bass Strait island fauna.

25 November 2020

Ken Aplin in his element in 2016, digging a late Holocene faunal deposit in southeastern NSW. Photo courtesy of Brad Pillans

The lives of creatures obscure, misunderstood, and wonderful: A volume in honour of Ken Aplin 1958–2019

Kenneth Peter Aplin (1958–2019) was one of Australia’s leading vertebrate systematists, well known as an anatomist, mammalogist, herpetologist, palaeontologist, and archaeologist – he was an altogether unique and admired man.

25 November 2020

Stigmatopora harasti in situ, male-female pair in finger sponge, Minmi Trench, Botany Bay, NSW, Australia, 18 meters depth, 17 February 2019

Meet the spectacular Red Wide-bodied Pipefish: Australia's newest endemic fish species

Australian Museum scientists have identified a new pipefish species under the waves of our biggest city. Australia’s newest endemic fish species was found hiding in plain sight at a popular Sydney dive spot!

20 November 2020

Frogs surviving the flames: Citizen scientists reveal frogs calling across the fire zone

We have made a big leap in our understanding of how frogs respond to fire, thanks to citizen scientists across Australia!

28 September 2020

Central panel of rock art showing hand and axe stencils (photo credit: Amy Way)

This month in Archaeology: Blue Mountains rock art galleries threatened by fire

Less than 100 km to the west of Sydney, a phenomenal rock art record survives in thousands of Blue Mountains rock shelters. These rock art sites hold significant cultural and heritage values and high research potential.

1 July 2020

Western Foxfish (Bodianus frenchii) observed along the south coast of Western Australia

Moving south: how fishes are adapting to climate change

Moving south may be the best protection for marine fish in the face of rising ocean temperatures, but how far south can they go?

29 January 2020

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Australian Museum Research Institute

The unique frogs of the Solomon Islands: free from a deadly fungus?

The amphibian chytrid fungus, responsible for causing frog declines around the world, may not yet have reached the Solomon Islands.

16 November 2020

New primate species discovered in Myanmar

11 November 2020

The FrogID dataset: over 126,000 FrogID open-access records now online!

Just in time for FrogID Week 2020, the second annual release of FrogID data is now available to advance frog ecology and conservation in Australia.

11 November 2020

Always Was, Always Will Be Aboriginal Land

“Always Was, Always Will Be Aboriginal Land” is an important statement within First Nations communities.

By Laura McBride

Whose history: the role of statues and monuments in Australia

The removal of statues of racists, such as Cecil Rhodes or statues that celebrate racist history in the United States, England and Africa has created discussions in Australia around what should be done its statues and monuments of invaders and colonists.

8 May 2020

Newly established conservation areas, Malaita, Solomon Islands

Four conservation areas successfully mapped in Malaita, Solomon Islands and Bougainville

Three conservation areas in Malaita and one in Bougainville have been mapped by local community members, a move that is pivotal to protecting the biodiversity of the Solomon Islands.

7 February 2020