Latest news with #Winton
ABC News
21 hours ago
- Science
- ABC News
First reported sauropod fossil stomach contents show the dinosaurs were 'bulk feeders' of plants
Fossilised dinosaur guts unearthed in outback Queensland could back a long-standing theory on the diet of sauropods, the biggest reptiles to roam the planet. For nearly 150 years, it's been thought that sauropods — a group of four-legged, long-necked and relatively small-headed creatures like the Brachiosaurus — were herbivores. This was based on several assumptions, including their flat teeth and overall large body that would make it hard for them to chase down moving prey. But direct evidence of what these animals ate has been lacking. Now, in today's issue of the journal Current Biology, researchers report their first ever discovery of fossilised intestinal contents — referred to as "cololite" — from a sauropod. The cololite was found inside a relatively complete skeleton of Diamantinasaurus matildae in 2017 at Belmont Station, near Winton, with much of it sealed over by a layer of mineralised skin. "What was really exciting about it [the gut fossil] is in places you could see the folds of the gut," Belmont Station owner and palaeontologist David Elliott said. An analysis of the fossil showed a young Diamantinasaurus specimen, nicknamed "Judy", whose gut contained small voids — impressions left behind by decomposed plants. Palaeontologist and study lead author Stephen Poropat, from Curtin University, said Judy seemed to have eaten plants from a range of heights. "There's relatives of modern-day monkey puzzle trees, we have seed ferns, which are a totally extinct group," he said. "And we also have leaves from angiosperms, which are flowering plants. Back in the Cretaceous period when Judy was alive, they would have looked somewhat similar to modern-day magnolias." The study has shown not only what a sauropod like Diamantinasaurus ate, but how they ate too. Uppsala University palaeontologist Martin Qvarnström, who was not involved in the study, said the size of the food fragments found in Judy's gut supported the idea that sauropods fermented their food rather than chewed it. "The tricky part here was proving the plant material wasn't just random debris, and here the authors make a strong case, especially with evidence of the plants being sealed inside mineralised skin," he said. "The preservation of both gut contents and skin is unusual." Diamantinasaurus were first described in 2009 and lived in the mid Cretaceous, about 101 to 94 million years ago. They were part of the sauropod group of dinosaurs, which lived from about 201 million years ago until the end of the age of dinosaurs about 66 million years ago. When Diamantinasaurus lived, Australia was closer to the South Pole, and what is now outback would have been a wet flood plain covered in conifers, gingkos, seed ferns and other plants — plenty of food for a growing dinosaur. The largest-known sauropod eggs are smaller than a soccer ball so when the baby reptiles hatched, they may have been no bigger than 50 centimetres from tip to tail. Dr Poropat said they would then have to grow very fast to avoid falling victim to predators. "I often think about sauropods in similar context of turtles, where turtle mothers will lay a large number of eggs … and then basically abandon them," he said. "And when the babies hatch, they're ready to go. "For sea turtles that's the sea, but for sauropods they might have just needed to get into a forest … where they were surrounded by food and also had places to shelter." Dr Poropat said Judy was a sub-adult and probably measured about 11 to 12 metres. A fully grown Diamantinasaurus would have reached about 16m long. He theorised Judy (who is referred to as "she" although her gender isn't known) was in a transition phase where she was eating some of the plants she consumed when she first hatched. "We actually speculate that Judy might have had a diet different to an adult Diamantinasaurus," he said. "She couldn't reach up into the tops of conifers, but also she's starting to eat the conifer foliage that is targeted maybe more so by adults. "So it's kind of cool to think that sauropods would have changed their diet as they grew up, just as many animals do." Miami Frost Museum of Science palaeontologist Cary Woodruff, who specialises in sauropods but was not involved in the study, said capturing this transitionary period and its implications for sauropod growth were the crowning jewel of the new study. "Previous studies have shown that in some species, the young had pointed snouts, likely for selective feeding, and when they grew up, they had broad 'muzzles' for grazing," he said. "And in some, the young had teeth designed for both soft and coarse vegetation. Dr Woodruff said Judy captured a "moment in time" where the Diamantinasaurus had this Swiss Army knife. Mr Elliott said Judy the dinosaur, who scientists named after his wife, was likely to be given her own exhibit at a new building at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs museum in Winton. He said galleries were currently being designed and Judy was a prime candidate for a skeleton reconstruction. "We want to tell the story of Australian evolution as how from the very first life forms how Australian life has changed over millions of years."
West Australian
03-06-2025
- Health
- West Australian
Early Years bus service to provide vital school and healthcare access for Great Southern families
A brand-new Early Years bus service enables young children in the Great Southern access to essential early childhood services by removing persistent transport barriers. Taking its first trip on May 6, the service provides transport to families with children up to 4-years-old to early education services such as KindiLink, health services, and cultural events across Katanning, Kojonup, Gnowangerup, and Broomehill-Tambellup. The initiative developed from the Central Great Southern Community Plan, co-designed with local families, educators and service providers, who identified transport as a major hurdle when accessing early childhood education and health services. Funded through the Early Years Partnership, the place-based approach guarantees tailored solutions to the individual needs of families in the region to improve school readiness, health outcomes, and family participation in the community, to be evaluated in time. Early Childhood Minister Sabine Winton said she is eager to support young families and continue to deliver Early Years projects. 'The first five years of a child's life are so important. It is during this time that they build the foundation for lifelong learning, health and wellbeing,' Ms Winton said. 'The Early Years Partnership is a unique collaboration between the State Government, Minderoo Foundation, and the Telethon Kids Research Institute Australia that promotes new ways of working to achieve positive outcomes for children, families and the wider community. 'We know that attending early learning activities and child health appointments is vital in supporting children's wellbeing and school readiness. 'I'm pleased that the Early Years bus service is helping families in Katanning and surrounding communities to access early childhood services.' Families can enrol in the service via a barcode system with the BAC Connected Beginnings team.
The Guardian
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Chess: national solving championship 2025 open to entries from Britain
This week's puzzle is a chance to enter an annual national contest in which Guardian readers traditionally perform strongly and in considerable numbers. White in the diagram, playing as usual up the board, is to play and checkmate in two moves, against any black defence. The puzzle is the first stage of the annual Winton British Solving Championship, organised by the British Chess Problem Society. This competition is open only to British residents, and entry is free. To take part, simply send White's first move to Nigel Dennis, Boundary House, 230 Greys Road, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon RG9 1QY or by email to winton@ All entries must be postmarked or emailed no later than 31 July 2025, and provide the entrant's name and home address. Juniors under 18 on 31 August 2024 should give their date of birth. Please mark your entry 'Guardian'. Receipt of the solution to the first stage problem will be acknowledged after the closing date, when all competitors will receive the answer. Those who get it right will also be sent the postal round of eight harder problems, with plenty of time for solving. The best 15-20 competitors from the postal round, plus the best juniors, will be invited to the final at Harrow School on Saturday 21 February 2026, where the prize money is expected to be £1,500. The winner of the final will also qualify for the Great Britain team in the 2025 world solving championship, an event where GB is often a medal contender. At Jurmala, Latvia, in July 2024, the Great Britain team of John Nunn (individual silver medallist), David Hodge (2024 British champion) and Jonathan Mestel won the team gold medals for the first time since 2007. Poland won the silver medals, and Israel the bronze. The starter problem is tricky, with both white and black armies scattered apparently randomly round the board. There are some near-misses to avoid. Obvious first move choices rarely work. It is easy to make an error, so be sure to double- and treble-check your answer before sending it. Good luck to all Guardian entrants. There could be a double burst of chess history this weekend. At Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Argentina's 'Chess Messi', 11-year-old Faustino Oro, is closing in on Abhimanyu Mishra's age record for the youngest ever grandmaster title, which the American achieved at 12 years and four months. Oro, who already has two of his required three GM norms, can surpass Mishra's record if he totals 1.5/3 from his final three Sharjah games and then improves his rating from its current 2454 to the required 2500. With three of the nine rounds at Sharjah remaining, Oro has scored an unbeaten 3.5/6 with a tournament performance rating of 2560. All his six opponents have been grandmasters rated above 2550. He probably needs just 1.5/3 for his historic third GM norm. Over to Belgrade, Serbia, where Russia's Roman Shogdzhiev, who has been beating GMs at blitz since he was seven, and is now just 10 years and two months old, is on the hunt for Oro's world records and seeking his third and final IM norm. Shogdziev is competing at Belgrade in a low-level event where the IM norm is a challenging 7.5/9, but the youngster was recently invited to a blitz tournament alongside Russia's GM elite and made an excellent score against the likes of Andrey Esipenko and Alexey Dreev, both of whom he beat. At Belgrade, Shogdzhiev has made light of his task, with 4.5/5 so far. He will still need some rating points, but Oro's IM world age record of 10 years and eight months is within his reach. All the signs are that this young boy is being groomed to restore the great days of Russian chess.
West Australian
21-05-2025
- General
- West Australian
WA Education Minister Sabine Winton teaches next generation in Fitzroy Crossing where her career began
When Sabine Winton arrived in Fitzroy Crossing as a bright, second-year teacher in the 1990s she was keen to put her training into practice. Lttle did she know she was about to receive an education of her own. Three decades on, the Education Minister recently returned to the Kimberley town she credits with being, 'the personal and professional making' of her so that she could reconnect with the people who taught her that to be a successful teacher in the bush you need to bring the community with you. Ms Winton was welcomed at Fitzroy Crossing District High School and she even taught a few lessons to the students, some of whom were the children of the pupils she had taught between 1991 and 1993. 'There's no question that those three years in Fitzroy Crossing were the personal and professional making of me and has shaped my worldview, has shaped everything I've done since,' Ms Winton said after the trip. 'It's something quite magical when you can live and work in a community, and you stay connected to that community for the entire week, the entire year, as opposed to a metropolitan setting where you go and do your work and then you go and live a separate life. 'It shaped my teaching career onwards, and also my political career, because really, to be a successful teacher, it's about connecting with the students, and it's about connecting with parents. And that's so important, particularly in a setting like Fitzroy, you need to bring community with you.' During the school visit she reconnected with former colleague Robyn Long who was the Aboriginal and Islander education officer in the 1990s and a person Ms Winton credits with helping her succeed with the students. 'She's still working at that school some 30-odd years later. My success in classrooms and Fitzroy was really very much based on relationships with community and Aboriginal people, so that I could meet the Aboriginal kids from where they're coming from and that's really, really important,' she said. Bunuba elder Patsy Ngalu Bedford said it was a heartwarming reunion for the entire community. 'She did have an impact in Fitzroy when she was a teacher,' Ms Bedford said. 'It's so exciting and to now be a minister in that field where she first started off, we're very fortunate, and honored that she's climbed into that space of being Minister for Education, because she's come from the ground up.' 'She's been there, she's done it. Now she's at a level where we know she understands the struggles that the system brings into the education field, because she's been part of it,' Ms Bedford said. The elder was also delighted to see her nine-year-old granddaughter receiving a lesson from Ms Winton just as her own mother had in the 1990s. 'She said, 'I like her, I want her to be my teacher,' Ms Bedford recounted. After the school visit Ms Winton was at the opening of the new kitchen for Marra Worra Worra Aboriginal Corporation's Night Place program. The initiative offers a hot meal, activities and a lift home for young people in Fitzroy Crossing with the aim of keeping them off the streets and out of trouble. 'They're doing an incredible job in engaging with disconnected kids, giving them not only a safe space, but a place where they can actually talk, connect, and from that start that journey back into trying to get them back into school. 'I'm really looking forward to continuing to support Marra Worra Worra's work so that we can also see those positive impacts back in school and getting those kids engaged in school,' she said. Ms Winton's visit to Fitzroy Crossing was part of her first Kimberley trip as Education Minister where she attended the Cross-sectoral Kimberley School Leadership Team Conference. 'There are a number of schools in the Kimberley, some Department of Education, some Catholic Education and some independent. Each of those schools do tremendous work. It's really great for all those sectors to be able to get together to celebrate and share their successes and also talk about their challenges,' she said. With many parts of regional WA suffering from skills shortages of essential workers Ms Winton said she hoped as Education Minister to encourage more teachers to take on remote posting, such as in the Kimberley. 'I've never met a policeman, a nurse or a teacher yet who doesn't reflect anything but positively on their time in community, and so we've got great teachers doing incredible work in remote and regional places in the Kimberley, and we want to improve on that,' she said. 'We want to get more people up here, and we want more people to stay longer and make a commitment to community.'
ABC News
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Opera Queensland's country and opera performance finds success in the outback
There are two genres of music people love to hate — opera and country. Under a kaleidoscope of stars in outback Queensland the two styles have merged and found a surprising audience. "Slim Dusty and Puccini, who would have thought," Melbourne opera fanatic Rosey Boyd said. Country songs are said to be made up of "loving, drinking, fighting and cussing" — similarly inspired themes that feature in opera, according to Opera Queensland. It is a hypothesis that Opera Queensland's Laura Hansford has transformed into the nationally touring country-opera production Are You Lonesome Tonight. Opera is not the typical genre of choice in rural communities, but the Festival of Outback Opera has been running for five years in western Queensland, bringing an influx of tourists from across Australia. It is a welcome boost for the local communities of Longreach and Winton where destructive flooding in parts of the outback earlier this year led to mass cancellations at the start of the tourist season. "We were actually very pleased that we were able to come and support the community given that they've had really hard times," said Brisbane attendee Elizabeth Wray. Laura Hansford recalled her initial apprehension four years ago when she was tasked with the challenge of creating a show that somehow combined John Williamson, Verdi, Slim Dusty and Puccini. "I said 'that's crazy' and then I went away and thought 'that's actually really cool and interesting,'" she said. It turns out that after "ruining" her Spotify algorithm researching the two genres, they unexpectedly had a lot in common. "One of the big things is the brilliance in storytelling," she said. She said the show had found success particularly with regional Queensland audiences, which led to Opera Queensland taking the show nationally this year. "Whether you're an opera fan, whether you are a country fan, whether you're a Taylor Swift fan, there is something in this show for everybody — and that's what connects us all," she said. Singer Gabrielle Diaz never thought she would end up in a production like this after studying classical voice at Brisbane's Conservatorium of Music. She loved the exploration of the two styles, switching effortlessly from American twang to the full vowels of an operatic aria. With grey nomad tourist numbers on the decline, a different niche of silver-haired travellers is boosting visitor numbers in western Queensland. Retirees, often from Melbourne or Sydney, make up the majority of the crowd at the Festival of the Outback Opera. Rosey Boyd and her crew are on a three-month road trip and were crunched for time to get to the show in Longreach. "We broke down two hours out of Melbourne, but we didn't let that stop us," Ms Boyd said. "We love the opera. We go as often as we can afford in Melbourne." Wrapped in a fur coat, Margaret Morgan flew from Brisbane just to experience the outback. "It's one of those things you have to be here to feel." Opera Queensland chief executive Patrick Nolan said the vast outback made for a perfect stage. "There's a clarity you get acoustically, once the sun sets, something happens in this environment which really lifts the singers' voices in a way," he said. As for the outback residents themselves? Opera has won over more than a few fans. "It's actually enjoyable. I don't usually like opera but from this I do. It tells a story," said Longreach country music enthusiast Kelsey Silburn.
