The decline and likely loss of a population of the Northern Long-nosed Potoroo Potorous tridactylus tridactylus in Tyagarah Nature Reserve on the New South Wales Far North Coast

ABSTRACT A population of the Northern Long-nosed Potoroo Potorous tridactylus tridactylus in Tyagarah Nature Reserve on the far north coast of New South Wales was first recorded in 1985. In 1992, a cage-trapping study captured 15 individuals in the central section of the reserve and the population was estimated at 80–90 individuals at that time. A subsequent cage-trapping study in 2004 captured four individuals in the southern section of the reserve, but further cage- and camera-trapping surveys in 2009 and 2012 failed to detect any individuals. Additional camera-trapping surveys between 2012 and 2015 and more intensive surveys between 2015 and 2016 also failed to detect any individuals. The lack of detections from targeted surveys over seven years between 2009 and 2016 suggests that the Tyagarah population of the subspecies has been lost. Reasons for this loss are unclear but may be due to a combination of factors including isolation of the reserve by urban development and highway upgrades, a lack of fire for 40 years, competition for food with the local population of the Australian Brush-turkey Alectura lathami, prolonged drought and possibly, predation by the Red Fox Vulpes vulpes and non-target effects of predator control programs.

Attitudes towards wildlife conservation

People's attitudes towards the conservation of Australian wildlife is of particular importance as the types of attitudes people hold can have a significant impact on conservation solutions. We investigated attitudes held towards Australian wildlife and conservation solutions. A sample of 312 residents participated in an online questionnaire. An ‘ecoscientistic’ attitude was the most commonly held attitude, highlighting that wildlife are appreciated for the role they play within our ecosystem. There was a significant association between age and attitude towards Koala Phascolarctos cinereus and Crownof-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci conservation and a significant association between socio-economic status and attitude towards Brush-turkey Alectura lathami conservation. Most participants agreed that action should be taken towards wildlife conservation in the future. Conservation managers and other key stakeholders need to capitalise on this information to increase public support for Australian wildlife, and encourage conservation action. Significant associations between attitude and some sociodemographic characteristics were observed, however more research between attitude and sociodemographic associations is recommended, including in other regions of Australia and internationally.

Taxonomic review of the late Cenozoic megapodes (Galliformes: Megapodiidae) of Australia

Megapodes are unusual galliform birds that use passive heat sources to incubate their eggs. Evolutionary relationships of extant megapode taxa have become clearer with the advent of molecular analyses, but the systematics of large, extinct forms ( Progura gallinacea , Progura naracoortensis ) from the late Cenozoic of Australia has been a source of confusion. It was recently suggested that the two species of Progura were synonymous, and that this taxon dwarfed into the extant malleefowl Leipoa ocellata in the Late Pleistocene. Here, we review previously described fossils along with newly discovered material from several localities, and present a substantial taxonomic revision. We show that P. gallinacea and P. naracoortensis are generically distinct, describe two new species of megapode from the Thylacoleo Caves of south-central Australia, and a new genus from Curramulka Quarry in southern Australia. We also show that L. ocellata was contemporaneous with larger species. Our phylogenetic analysis places four extinct taxa in a derived clade with the extant Australo-Papuan brush-turkeys Talegalla fuscirostris , L. ocellata , Alectura lathami and Aepypodius bruijnii . Therefore, diversity of brush-turkeys halved during the Quaternary, matching extinction rates of scrubfowl in the Pacific. Unlike extant brush-turkeys, all the extinct taxa appear to have been burrow-nesters.

The biomechanical, chemical, and physiological adaptations of the eggs of two Australian megapodes to their nesting strategies and their implications for extinct titanosaur dinosaurs

Megapodes are galliform birds endemic to Australasia and unusual amongst modern birds in that they bury their eggs for incubation in diverse substrates and using various strategies. Alectura lathami and Leipoa ocellata are Australian megapodes that build and nest in mounds of soil and organic matter. Such unusual nesting behaviors have resulted in particular evolutionary adaptations of their eggs and eggshells. We used a combination of scanning electron microscopy, including electron backscatter diffraction and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, to determine the fine structure of the eggshells and micro-CT scanning to map the structure of pores. We discovered that the surface of the eggshell of A. lathami displays nodes similar to those of extinct titanosaur dinosaurs from Transylvania and Auca Mahuevo egg layer #4 (AM L#4). We propose that this pronounced nodular ornamentation is an adaptation to an environment rich in organic acids from their nest mound, protecting the egg surface from chemical etching and leaving the eggshell thickness intact. By contrast, L. ocellata nests in mounds of sand with less organic matter in semiarid environments and has eggshells with weakly defined nodes, like those of extinct titanosaurs from AM L#3 that also lived in a semiarid environment. We suggest the internode spaces in both megapode and titanosaur species act as funnels, which concentrate the condensed water vapor between the nodes. This water funneling in megapodes through the layer of calcium phosphate reduces the likelihood of bacterial infection by creating a barrier to microbial invasion. In addition, the accessory layer of both species possesses sulfur, which reinforces the calcium phosphate barrier to bacterial and fungal contamination. Like titanosaurs, pores through the eggshell are Y-shaped in both species, but A. lathami displays unique mid-shell connections tangential to the eggshell surface and that connect some adjacent pores, like the eggshells of titanosaur of AM L#4 and Transylvania. The function of these inter-connections is not known, but likely helps the diffusion of gases in eggs buried in environments where occlusion of pores is possible.

The biomechanical, chemical, and physiological adaptations of the eggs of two Australian megapodes to their nesting strategies and their implications for extinct titanosaur dinosaurs

Megapodes are galliform birds endemic to Australasia and unusual amongst modern birds in that they bury their eggs for incubation in diverse substrates and using various strategies. Alectura lathami and Leipoa ocellata are Australian megapodes that build and nest in mounds of soil and organic matter. Such unusual nesting behaviors have resulted in particular evolutionary adaptations of their eggs and eggshells. We used a combination of scanning electron microscopy, including electron backscatter diffraction and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, to determine the fine structure of the eggshells and micro-CT scanning to map the structure of pores. We discovered that the surface of the eggshell of A. lathami displays nodes similar to those of extinct titanosaur dinosaurs from Transylvania and Auca Mahuevo egg layer #4 (AM L#4). We propose that this pronounced nodular ornamentation is an adaptation to an environment rich in organic acids from their nest mound, protecting the egg surface from chemical etching and leaving the eggshell thickness intact. By contrast, L. ocellata nests in mounds of sand with less organic matter in semiarid environments and has eggshells with weakly defined nodes, like those of extinct titanosaurs from AM L#3 that also lived in a semiarid environment. We suggest the internode spaces in both megapode and titanosaur species act as funnels, which concentrate the condensed water vapor between the nodes. This water funneling in megapodes through the layer of calcium phosphate reduces the likelihood of bacterial infection by creating a barrier to microbial invasion. In addition, the accessory layer of both species possesses sulfur, which reinforces the calcium phosphate barrier to bacterial and fungal contamination. Like titanosaurs, pores through the eggshell are Y-shaped in both species, but A. lathami displays unique mid-shell connections tangential to the eggshell surface and that connect some adjacent pores, like the eggshells of titanosaur of AM L#4 and Transylvania. The function of these inter-connections is not known, but likely helps the diffusion of gases in eggs buried in environments where occlusion of pores is possible.

Isolation and characterisation of 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci for the threatened mound-building malleefowl, Leipoa ocellata (Aves : Megapodiidae)

Using 454 pyrosequencing and genomic enrichment techniques we developed 12 polymorphic markers for the endangered megapode, the malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata). Pyrosequencing on a 454 instrument resulted in 65 536 reads, with 3469 containing microsatellite repeats. Of these, 232 contained unique flanking sequences and had more than 8 repeat motifs. We chose 13 loci based on reliability of amplification and, from these, 12 unlinked loci were selected for genotyping. In a single population (n = 19), the 12 markers were moderately polymorphic (number of alleles per locus range = 3–7) and showed moderate to high levels of heterozygosity (0.285–0.882). Nine microsatellite primer pairs developed from the brush turkey (Alectura lathami), the closest living relative of the malleefowl in the family, Megapodiidae, failed to reliably amplify malleefowl DNA.