Wildlife Australia Magazine Wildlife Australia Magazine Autumn 2019 Vorige editie

While more people care about fungi in Australia today than historically, fungi remain largely absent from an ecological awareness that includes other life forms. If a fungus species or a thousand fungus species succumb to extinction in the subterrains of the soil, would anybody notice? asks Alison Pouliot.

In biology, a vestige is a trait or characteristic that evolved for a particular function, has subsequently become obsolete, and has typically begun to degenerate. Evolutionary biologist Timothy Jackson guides us down the rabbit hole of vestigiality to explore the evolution of obsolescence and makes the case that exploring these remnants of our past, and these basic evolutionary concepts, can help us better understand ourselves.

A bold plan is underway to bring the mallee emu-wren back to South Australia after wildfires wiped out the last birds in 2014. Simon Verdon documents the decline of this mysterious bird and the efforts underway to save the species.

In Australia and globally, conservation programs and vegetation management policies have long prioritised the protection of large, intact (or pristine – if there is still such a thing) landscapes over barely clinging-on fragments. But when it comes to biodiversity, concentrating on bigger tracts of land might not always be better, writes Karin Cox.

Without anything to drink, reproductive female Children’s pythons are burdened with transferring massive amounts of water into their developing eggs, giving Environmental Physiologist Dr George Brusch an opportunity to examine how dehydration impacts physiology from multiple angles.