Indigenous Australians

Africans discovered dinosaur fossils long before the term 'palaeontology' existed

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星期四, 一月 4, 2024

Natural history, Fossil, Jobaria, Science, Attention, Kem Kem Group, Ancestral Puebloans, Indigenous Australians, Khoisan, Knowledge, Painting, Tuareg people, Folklore, Time, Mastodon, Medicine, Rift valley, History, Jewellery

Over the next two centuries dinosaur palaeontology would be dominated by numerous British natural scientists.

Key Points:

Over the next two centuries dinosaur palaeontology would be dominated by numerous British natural scientists.
We present evidence that the first dinosaur bone may have been discovered in Africa as early as 500 years before Plot’s.
Peering through the published and unpublished archaeological, historical and palaeontological literature, we discovered that there has been interest in fossils in Africa for as long as there have been people on the continent.
More often than not, the first dinosaur fossils supposedly discovered by scientists were actually brought to their attention by local guides.

Bolahla rock shelter in Lesotho

One of the highlights of our paper is the archaeological site of Bolahla, a Later Stone Age rock shelter in Lesotho.
This part of Lesotho is particularly well known for delivering the species Massospondylus carinatus, a 4 to 6 metre, long-necked and small-headed dinosaur.
In 1990, archaeologists working at Bolahla discovered that a finger bone of Massospondylus, a fossil phalanx, had been transported to the cave.
Given the current knowledge, it could have been at any time of occupation of the shelter from the 12th to 18th centuries.

Early knowledge of extinct creatures

In Algeria, for example, people referred to some dinosaur footprints as belonging to the legendary “Roc bird”.
In North America, cave paintings depicting dinosaur footprints were painted by the Anasazi people between AD 1000 and 1200.

Claiming credit

For instance, unlike the people in Europe, the Americas and Asia, indigenous African palaeontologists seem to have seldom used fossils for traditional medicine.
Read more:
Rock stars: how a group of scientists in South Africa rescued a rare 500kg chunk of human history
By exploring indigenous palaeontology in Africa, our team is putting together pieces of a forgotten past that gives credit back to local communities.

Julien Benoit receives funding from the DSI-NRF African Origins Platform program and GENUS (DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences) Cameron Penn-Clarke receives funding from GENUS (DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences). Charles Helm does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

The Voice campaign showed Labor's strategy for countering right-wing populism is in disarray

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星期三, 十月 18, 2023

Albanese had partly won the election by pledging to bring Australians together to build a better, more equal Australia.

Key Points:

Albanese had partly won the election by pledging to bring Australians together to build a better, more equal Australia.
However, the Voice outcome has revealed Labor’s strategy for sidestepping right-wing populism to be in disarray.
You have the same rights and opportunities – the same democratic voice – as every other Australian.
You have the same rights and opportunities – the same democratic voice – as every other Australian.

A misguided sense of ‘equality’

It was also a conception of equality that has long been used by the Coalition when dealing with Indigenous affairs.
Peter Dutton may have been somewhat Trumpian in his suggestions that the Australian electoral commission couldn’t be trusted to be impartial.
Read more:
What are 'Advance' and 'Fair Australia', and why are they spearheading the 'no' campaign on the Voice?
Given these comparable strategies, it may not be surprising that the Voice referendum results show similarities with the 1999 republic referendum results.

Albanese’s ‘new politics’ is in fact very old

Albanese may have believed his election victory represented a “new politics”, but in fact his government, and the broader “yes” case, have been fighting a very old politics over the Voice.
The Voice referendum lost for diverse reasons, including the lack of bipartisan support and a successful fear campaign that sometimes mobilised quite horrible racism.
The fact that the official “no” campaign was headed by two Indigenous Australians, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Warren Mundine, was particularly important in this context.
Perhaps Labor was lulled into a false sense of security by the marriage equality plebiscite outcome.

Tuberculosis isn't just a historical disease. Here's how it spreads and who is at risk

Retrieved on:

星期二, 十月 17, 2023

Tuberculosis is often seen as a threat of the past. But it remains a significant concern worldwide, with international travel spreading the disease. While tuberculous is rare in Australia, and we no longer routinely vaccinate against it, clusters of cases in South Australia over the past 17 months have put health authorities on alert. So what exactly is tuberculosis, how is it treated and what is Australia doing to prevent its transmission? It starts as a respiratory infection Tuberculosis, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, starts as a respiratory infection when inhaled.

Key Points:

Tuberculosis is often seen as a threat of the past. But it remains a significant concern worldwide, with international travel spreading the disease. While tuberculous is rare in Australia, and we no longer routinely vaccinate against it, clusters of cases in South Australia over the past 17 months have put health authorities on alert. So what exactly is tuberculosis, how is it treated and what is Australia doing to prevent its transmission?

It starts as a respiratory infection

Tuberculosis, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, starts as a respiratory infection when inhaled.
Once in the lungs, the immune system responds by forming granulomas, clusters of immune cells (mainly macrophages and T cells), in an attempt to contain the infection.

Early treatment is key

Early diagnosis and treatment reduces the infectious period and helps prevent spreading the disease to others.
Delayed treatment can lead to complications such as lung damage and scarring; damage to the bones, kidneys, lymph nodes and central nervous system; and infection in the brain and spinal cord.
Antibiotic treatment, often involving multiple drugs, is highly effective at eliminating the bacteria.

Tackling drug-resistant bacteria

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria can quickly become resistant to antibiotics, so routine treatment includes multiple antibiotics which increases adverse effects.
The emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis strains is a major concern because it makes treatment significantly more challenging and costly.

Who is susceptible to tuberculosis?

Children are also at greater risk of tuberculosis, as their immune systems are still developing.
However, the World Health Organization estimates 11% of the 10.6 million tuberculosis cases worldwide are in children.
Some 14% of all tuberculosis-related deaths occur in children under 15 years old.

What can we do about TB?

The Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine provides partial protection, primarily against severe forms of tuberculosis.
It’s not routinely given in Australia because we’re not considered a high-risk country, but it’s given in local regions with tuberculosis outbreaks.
Visa applicants aged 11 years and over must have a chest X-ray for evidence of active tuberculosis.