Latest news with #DaphneLee
Otago Daily Times
10 hours ago
- Science
- Otago Daily Times
E-book allows replicas to be 3-D printed
Forget your yellow rubber ducky — what about a plesiosaur to play with in the bathtub? Fossilised bones from the prehistoric marine reptile are on display at the University of Otago's geology department and are among 50 fossils highlighted in a newly released e-book titled Fossil Treasures of the Geology Museum. Many of the fossils in the online book have logos that say "print ready", which means readers can click on it and print their own 3-D replica of the fossil. The book is the brainchild of University of Otago geology emeritus professor Daphne Lee, Geology Museum fossil collections archivist Dr Jeffrey Robinson, and University of Auckland School of Biological Sciences honorary academic and University of Otago visiting academic Dr Daniel Thomas. Dr Thomas said the e-book, released last week, brought to life the stories of a selection of the 60,000 fossil vertebrate, invertebrate and plant specimens held in the Geology Museum. Collected over 150 years of paleontology research at Otago, the fossils are used for research, teaching and outreach, and collectively represented the past 500 million years of Earth's evolutionary history, he said. Fossil Treasures of the Geology Museum tells the tale of around 50 of the specimens in the geology museum. "We have a range of materials like giant plesiosaurs; we have mega-sharks through to tiny little beetles, — so there's a huge diversity. "These are from locations including Foulden Maar, and much of our material is from Southland in particular, but also North Otago, South Canterbury and beyond. "So it has a strong southern, South Island focus." He said the 3-D models spanned the past 500 million years, which gave insight into the range of fossils at the museum. "Just as much as we have biological diversity represented in the book, we've actually got time diversity as well." Dr Thomas said the e-book was released last week and was free to access. It would be particularly useful for schools to use. "Our target age is 13-14 and slightly younger. "We actually have a couple of NCEA assessment standards that we had in mind while writing this. "Because this is an e-book, we have infinite capacity to make improvements, so what we really want is to hear back from people, especially teachers, who may be thinking, 'I could use this, but it's not quite there'. "We would really welcome those conversations so we can make improvements, to make this as useful and accessible as possible." He said the trio would continue to add to the resource in the future. "Certainly, those readers who are familiar with the collections will straight away see that there's a lot of material from the museum that's not currently in the e-book, especially plant material. "And, so, these are all chapters that are actually in the works right now, and this will just be added to over time."
Otago Daily Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Letters to the Editor: Maar, mining and the Treaty
Today's Letters to the Editor from readers cover topics including access to Foulden Maar, the fast track expansion of mining at Bathurst, and a journey of correcting the past. Professor backed over DCC in Maar stand-off I am writing to support the work of Emeritus Professor Daphne Lee who desires to visit Foulden Maar with others, ostensibly scientists and students to continue documenting the findings from the Miocene period of New Zealand geology and paleontology. What magnificent research and recording has been carried out by Prof Lee in recent times; this to be found in her, and co-writers' book Fossil Treasures of Foulden Maar . In an article by Hamish McLean ( ODT 23.4.25), it appears that Dunedin City Council is denying Prof Lee access to the site to continue her work. Now that DCC has taken responsibility for the site (magnificent decision), it seems that it is being over-protective. Does the council think that Prof Lee and her fellow researchers are tomb raiders? They are particularly dedicated, and lobbied with thousands of others to prevent this site being mined. For goodness sake and science, let Prof Lee have access, and please do read her book: you will see care, concern and brilliant science on every page. I am deeply disturbed about the intransigence of the city council over access to Foulden Maar by Prof Daphne Lee of the University of Otago geology department. I hope there are candidates in the forthcoming local body elections who will pursue this matter. I would like to suggest Unesco Geopark status might be the way to go on this one. Either as an independent entity or incorporation into the new Waitaki Geopark. There may be people in Māori Studies at Otago: under the principle of kaitiakitanga-guardianship and conservation, I'm sure there might be value in pursuing that avenue. Rest-assured there are many of us in Otago and graduates of Otago who will do whatever we can to resolve this matter. It is too important to be left to local body politics. The arrogance of DCC chief executive Sandy Graham over Foulden Maar is mind-boggling. What qualifications and expertise does she remotely think council planning officers have over world-class paleontologists in deciding the management of this scientific reserve? Time for our councillors to break the impasse and instruct the city manager, the only employee they can order, to get out of the way of the scientists. I wonder if DCC chief executive Sandy Graham realises how petty and small-minded she appears when she bars famous Professor Lee from taking groups of students to study this world-renowned fossil site on a regular basis? Blow-ins are as blow-ins do in mine stoush I heartily support and congratulate the gutsy souls who gave up their Easter to protest Bathurst Resources attempted fast track expansion of mining at Denniston. Far from being "unaware and selfish" as Minister Shane Jones characterised them, these people are only too aware of the existential threat posed to us all by coal mining. To quote Rod Carr, the outgoing chairman of the Climate Commission (who is far more qualified than Mr Jones on this subject): "Those who continue to promote the combustion of fossil fuels in the open air without carbon capture and storage are, in my view, committing a crime against humanity." As for the protesters described as being "blow-ins" by Minister Jones and told to "bugger off back to where they came from" by Grey Mayor Tania Gibson, do they not realise the climate is not a local issue? Do the "hundreds of people who make their living from mining" that Mr Jones and Ms Gibson defend, have the right to add to the destruction of our climate and environment for their short-term financial gain? Many of these miners are "blow-ins" themselves as is Bathurst Resources, originally Australian and now majority Singaporean owned. Incredibly, New Zealand doesn't even benefit financially from this enterprise. Taxpayers pay more per year to clean up historical mining damage at one mine (Stockton) than they get from all coal mining royalties in that year. This government trumpets that New Zealand is now "open for business". It would be more accurate to say open for exploitation. The first ships, the first streets, and facts first To Kieran Ford (Letters ODT 10.4.25): my letter contained factually correct information about the heritage that evolved upon the arrival of the John Wickliffe and the Philip Laing on March 23 and April 15 1848. Both ships carried Scottish settlers, including Otago settlement founder William Cargill. March 23 is now our Anniversary Day. Dunedin place names, main streets and suburbs commemorate the close association between the "new" Edinburgh of the South and Old Edinburgh. Dunedin is the Gaelic form of Edinburgh. Dunedin flourished due to the discovery of gold by Gabriel Reid in 1861. The flood of gold seekers nearly submerged the early settlement but Scottish influence survived. So what disinformation and untruths is Kieran Ford referring to? I have studied the Treaty of Waitangi and have not found any mention for our council or university (both the council buildings and the university were built with Scottish architecture) to start their proceedings with a karakia. I take exception to the accusation of "cultural erasure" having Māori aunts, cousins and grandchildren. A long journey Edward Ellison ( ODT 11.4.25) said the failure of the Treaty Principles Bill should signal that the Treaty of Waitangi is not going anywhere. That's true, the Treaty articles will never change but in time the principles could change or be deleted. The Waitangi Tribunal was not being honest when it argued that if the Bill was enacted it would revoke the promises and guarantees Queen Victoria made to Māori in 1840. It won't: the Treaty principles were invented after the Queen's death. Mr Ellison said we are on a journey of correcting the past. Yes, and it could go on forever. Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@
