Dissertations / Theses: 'Australian magpie'

1

Rollinson, Daniel J. "Synanthropy of the Australian magpie a comparison of populations in rural and suburban areas of southeast Queensland, Australia /." Connect to this title online, 2003. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20040924.152124/.

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2

Kaplan, Gisela. "Vocal behaviour of Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) : a study of vocal development, song learning, communication and mimicry in the Australia magpie /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2005. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe18686.pdf.

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3

Dobson, Ana Elizabeth. "Investigating the Genetic Basis of Plumage Variation in the Australian Magpie, Cracticus tibicen." Thesis, Griffith University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/365743.

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Many species exhibit some form of colour variation between groups or individuals, and studies of such colour variation, its genetic basis and functional importance can contribute unique insights into the evolutionary, ecological, demographic and genetic processes affecting the diversity of life. Through the examination of the genetics underlying colour traits, the relative importance of different selective and demographic processes in the evolution and maintenance of a trait can be inferred, enabling scientists to gain a better understanding of what drives evolutionary change in different organisms and environments. Such studies also assist in bridging the gaps in our knowledge about the interactions between genetics and ecology that are involved in phenotypic variation. Understanding the pathways linking genetic and regulatory changes to phenotypic change and evolutionary change through time contributes to our knowledge about how species develop and evolve. The Australian magpie (Cracticus tibicen), is a group-living and territorial passerine bird with a characteristic pied appearance of strongly contrasting patches of black and white plumage. The species has several different plumage forms, delineated by the colour and/or pattern of back feathers; these plumage forms hybridise where their distributions overlap. Distributions of plumage forms are highly discordant with patterns of phylogeographic structure found in this species, making a scenario of allopatric divergence followed by secondary recontact at hybrid zones highly unlikely.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith School of Environment
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
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4

Rollinson, Daniel J., and n/a. "Synanthropy of the Australian Magpie: A Comparison of Populations in Rural and Suburban Areas of Southeast Queensland, Australia." Griffith University. Australian School of Environmental Studies, 2004. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20040924.152124.

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The urbanised environment provides ecologists with unique situations in which to undertake ecological study. It has been said that urbanisation is like a natural experiment; we often have populations of animals that have gone from living in natural or semi-natural environments to living in a highly modified anthropogenic environment. These situations provide ideal settings to study the ecological and behavioural differences that may develop in populations located in different habitats. Urbanisation typically results in a minority of species dominating the fauna, and this thesis aimed to examine one such species, the Australian magpie. Despite the magpie being a common and well-liked suburban bird, the majority of previous research on this species has been undertaken within rural or exurban locations. This thesis aimed to examine what actually happens to the species when it lives in the suburban environment. In particular I focused on specific behavioural and ecological features, to see if there were any particular adaptations the suburban magpies showed and also if the suburban habitats provide certain resources favourable to the magpies and what ecological effects these may have. Comparisons of the territory structure and resources of rural and suburban magpies showed that although many features of the territory are similar between rural and suburban locations, notably the choice of native nest trees, magpie territories within suburban areas were smaller and contained more anthropogenic features. The reduced territory size may possibly be related to a greater abundance of key food resources also evident within suburban areas. Furthermore, suburban magpies are more successful in their foraging attempts, again possibly reflecting a more abundant food supply in suburbia and also the simplified nature of suburban foraging areas might facilitate more successful foraging. The increased foraging success is likely to explain the greater provisioning rate to nestling suburban magpies. Suburban magpies also utilised human provided foods. I quantified the extent of wildlife feeding within many of the suburban study sites of this thesis (through the use of questionnaire surveys). In each of the locations it was evident that at least one person (usually more) was providing a regular supply of food to wildlife and magpies appeared to be the main recipients of this food. Previous ecological studies suggest the provision of extra food to avian populations is likely to affect the breeding ecology, and this was so for magpies. The suburban populations initiated breeding significantly earlier than rural magpies. To test the influence of food, supplementary food was provided to rural magpies, not currently receiving any additional human provided foods. The fed rural magpies initiated breeding before control rural magpies (i.e. not receiving any additional food) but suburban magpies still initiated breeding before all other groups. This suggests additional factors present within suburbia, such as warmer temperatures, may also control the timing of breeding in magpies. Magpies in rural and suburban locations lived within different vertebrate communities. Within suburban magpie territories a greater number of intrusions were made by domestic animals, notably dogs (Canis lupus) and cats (Felis domesticus). The frequency of raptors entering the territorial areas occupied by magpies appears to suggest such events are more common in rural areas. The number of humans entering magpie territories was obviously greater in the more populated suburban areas and the majority of magpies responded neutrally to humans. However a group of magpies that previously exhibited extreme aggression towards humans were found to have a greater frequency of aggressive interactions with potential predatory intruders, which were primarily humans. Subsequent examination of the level of corticosterone from this aggressive group of magpies found that a high level of aggressive interactions with potential predators and humans is reflected in higher level of corticosterone, which may have implications for further behavioural and even physiological changes. An ability to habituate to human in urbanised areas is a key attribute of successful synanthropic species. Comparisons of magpies disturbance distances at different points along the urban gradient (the gradient that runs from the urbaised city to natural wildlands) found suburban magpies only responded to humans when they had approached to a close distance (often less than one metre) and many simply walked away to avoid the approaching human. Rural and exurban magpies responded to humans at greater distances than suburban magpies. The distance at which they responded to the human was usually 100 meters plus, and these magpies always flew away. A continuation of this investigation over a temporal scale again found the large difference in response to humans, with suburban magpies exhibiting a decreased response towards humans. However, a certain proportion of responses from suburban magpies were also aggressive. The examination of disturbance distance over the breeding season found that in suburban magpies the responses of most disturbance distance variables remained similar between breeding stages. Rural magpies, however, exhibited variation in their responses towards humans depending on the stage of breeding. It is suggested that the response of rural magpies may be a typical fear response towards an unusual potential threat. The studies presented in this thesis show that magpies have the behavioural capacity to take advantage of resources in suburban landscapes that are not available or are in lessor supply in rural landscapes, it is these abilities that facilitate the magpies synanthropy.

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5

Rollinson, Daniel J. "Synanthropy of the Australian Magpie: A Comparison of Populations in Rural and Suburban Areas of Southeast Queensland, Australia." Thesis, Griffith University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367089.

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The urbanised environment provides ecologists with unique situations in which to undertake ecological study. It has been said that urbanisation is like a natural experiment; we often have populations of animals that have gone from living in natural or semi-natural environments to living in a highly modified anthropogenic environment. These situations provide ideal settings to study the ecological and behavioural differences that may develop in populations located in different habitats. Urbanisation typically results in a minority of species dominating the fauna, and this thesis aimed to examine one such species, the Australian magpie. Despite the magpie being a common and well-liked suburban bird, the majority of previous research on this species has been undertaken within rural or exurban locations. This thesis aimed to examine what actually happens to the species when it lives in the suburban environment. In particular I focused on specific behavioural and ecological features, to see if there were any particular adaptations the suburban magpies showed and also if the suburban habitats provide certain resources favourable to the magpies and what ecological effects these may have. Comparisons of the territory structure and resources of rural and suburban magpies showed that although many features of the territory are similar between rural and suburban locations, notably the choice of native nest trees, magpie territories within suburban areas were smaller and contained more anthropogenic features. The reduced territory size may possibly be related to a greater abundance of key food resources also evident within suburban areas. Furthermore, suburban magpies are more successful in their foraging attempts, again possibly reflecting a more abundant food supply in suburbia and also the simplified nature of suburban foraging areas might facilitate more successful foraging. The increased foraging success is likely to explain the greater provisioning rate to nestling suburban magpies. Suburban magpies also utilised human provided foods. I quantified the extent of wildlife feeding within many of the suburban study sites of this thesis (through the use of questionnaire surveys). In each of the locations it was evident that at least one person (usually more) was providing a regular supply of food to wildlife and magpies appeared to be the main recipients of this food. Previous ecological studies suggest the provision of extra food to avian populations is likely to affect the breeding ecology, and this was so for magpies. The suburban populations initiated breeding significantly earlier than rural magpies. To test the influence of food, supplementary food was provided to rural magpies, not currently receiving any additional human provided foods. The fed rural magpies initiated breeding before control rural magpies (i.e. not receiving any additional food) but suburban magpies still initiated breeding before all other groups. This suggests additional factors present within suburbia, such as warmer temperatures, may also control the timing of breeding in magpies. Magpies in rural and suburban locations lived within different vertebrate communities. Within suburban magpie territories a greater number of intrusions were made by domestic animals, notably dogs (Canis lupus) and cats (Felis domesticus). The frequency of raptors entering the territorial areas occupied by magpies appears to suggest such events are more common in rural areas. The number of humans entering magpie territories was obviously greater in the more populated suburban areas and the majority of magpies responded neutrally to humans. However a group of magpies that previously exhibited extreme aggression towards humans were found to have a greater frequency of aggressive interactions with potential predatory intruders, which were primarily humans. Subsequent examination of the level of corticosterone from this aggressive group of magpies found that a high level of aggressive interactions with potential predators and humans is reflected in higher level of corticosterone, which may have implications for further behavioural and even physiological changes. An ability to habituate to human in urbanised areas is a key attribute of successful synanthropic species. Comparisons of magpies disturbance distances at different points along the urban gradient (the gradient that runs from the urbaised city to natural wildlands) found suburban magpies only responded to humans when they had approached to a close distance (often less than one metre) and many simply walked away to avoid the approaching human. Rural and exurban magpies responded to humans at greater distances than suburban magpies. The distance at which they responded to the human was usually 100 meters plus, and these magpies always flew away. A continuation of this investigation over a temporal scale again found the large difference in response to humans, with suburban magpies exhibiting a decreased response towards humans. However, a certain proportion of responses from suburban magpies were also aggressive. The examination of disturbance distance over the breeding season found that in suburban magpies the responses of most disturbance distance variables remained similar between breeding stages. Rural magpies, however, exhibited variation in their responses towards humans depending on the stage of breeding. It is suggested that the response of rural magpies may be a typical fear response towards an unusual potential threat. The studies presented in this thesis show that magpies have the behavioural capacity to take advantage of resources in suburban landscapes that are not available or are in lessor supply in rural landscapes, it is these abilities that facilitate the magpies synanthropy.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Australian School of Environmental Studies
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6

Ishigame, Go. "Biological effects of backyard feeding the Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) in south-east Queensland /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2004. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe18294.pdf.

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7

Toon, Alicia. "Reconstructing the Evolutionary History of the Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina Tibicen): Patterns of Molecular Variation in a Widespread Passerine and Two Species of Obligate Feather Ectoparasites." Thesis, Griffith University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/365874.

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During the Pleistocene, fluctuating climates led to cycles of glacial/arid activity interspersed with pluvial periods across continents in both northern and southern hemispheres. Many studies in the northern hemisphere have used genetic analysis to document the important role that glacial activity has played in structuring avian populations at high latitudes. However, few have attempted to study the associated effect of aridification at low latitudes in the southern hemisphere. I investigated the past effects that cyclic aridification may have had on the population structure and history of a widespread endemic Australian bird species, the Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) and two species of obligate feather ectoparasites. 1166 samples from across the native range of G. tibicen were analysed for mitochondrial control region sequence variation and variation at six microsatellite loci. Analysis of mitochondrial control region sequence data indicated monophyletic clades that were geographically congruent with an eastern and western region. Analysis of mitochondrial variation at the sites sampled in this study suggested the contemporary distribution of eastern and western clades is non-overlapping but in close proximity. Analysis of microsatellite variation suggested that secondary contact may have occurred between eastern and western clades in north-western Australia. From AMOVA analysis and Bayesian analysis of population structure (BAPS) it was indicated that contemporary nuclear gene flow preceded mitochondrial gene flow from eastern populations through to north-western Australia. Most eastern, northern and north-western sites showed little geographic structure for microsatellite variation. BAPS analysis of microsatellite variation however, suggested there was as much structure among south-west populations as there was between eastern and western populations. For a majority of population comparisons, estimates of gene flow based on coalescent analyses (LAMARC) suggested higher gene flow rates for males than predicted by differences in effective population size of nuclear DNA compared to mitochondrial DNA. This result coupled with the spread of nuclear DNA preceding mitochondrial DNA supports earlier studies that suggest dispersal in magpies in male biased. Using the program IM, eastern and western mainland clades were estimated to have diverged in the Pleistocene around 36, 000 years ago. The island population of Tasmania was even more recent in origin, possibly since sea levels rose 16,000 years ago, inundating Bass Strait. The putative Carpentarian and possibly Canning barriers in the north and the Nullarbor-Eyrean arid barriers in the south appear to be associated with the divergence between eastern and western mainland populations. Nested clade analysis indicated a signature of range expansion in the eastern region suggesting movement possibly inland and northward subsequent to the last period of aridity. Although not significant, north-eastern and south-eastern populations appeared to show some evidence of a population expansion from mitochondrial DNA. Collectively, phylogeographic analyses suggested that increasing aridity during the Pleistocene played an important role in structuring the Australian magpie. The east to west pattern of mtDNA divergence that was identified contrasts with the striking north to south pattern in morphological (back colour) variation in magpies. Over a large proportion of northern Australia, magpies are black backed (BB) and over a smaller area in southern Australia, magpies are white backed (WB). Between BB’s and WB’s a contact zone is present where both parental forms and magpies with an intermediate black band occur. The discordance between back colour and mtDNA structure in magpies suggests recent history is not responsible for the morphological variation. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I sequence variation was analysed for two species of feather lice associated with G. tibicen. Philopterus sp. has greater habitat specificity than Brueelia semiannulata and as predicted showed deeper divergences among populations than B. semiannulata. There was concordance between the distribution of mitochondrial clades for Philopterus sp. and magpies. The overlap of eastern magpie haplotypes and western Philopterus sp. haplotypes at one site suggested secondary contact among eastern and western clades in northern Australia. Two clades were also evident for B. semiannulata. However they were not congruent with geographic structure of the host or Philopterus sp. Rather, the two non-overlapping B. semiannulata clades were distributed in northern and southern Australia. The divergent clades of B. semiannulata may represent populations that diverged on magpies that were isolated prior to the last period of aridity. It was evident that gene flow occurs among populations of northern and southern B. semiannulata; therefore the contemporary maintenance of divergent clades may be due to selection. One possibility is that selection for thermal tolerance is maintaining current distributions of B. semiannulata.Overall microsatellite variation and mtDNA variation in host and lice suggest that increasing aridity and Pleistocene refugia played a role in structuring populations of the Australian magpie. Since the Pleistocene, the dispersal ability and generalist habitat requirements may have facilitated the movement of magpies into an almost contiguous modern distribution across the continent. This study supports the idea that Pleistocene aridification played an important role in structuring intraspecific variation in low latitudinal southern hemisphere avian species.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Australian School of Environmental Studies
Faculty of Environmental Studies
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8

Durrant, Kate. "The Genetic and Social Mating System of a White-Backed Population of the Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen tyrannica)." Thesis, Griffith University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/366788.

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The Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) is a large, sedentary, omnivorous passerine. In some populations, individuals live in groups, and some of these groups breed cooperatively. The white-backed magpie (G. t. tyrannica) from the south-eastern corner of the continent, has had relatively little study, and few details are known of its mating system, social structure, and method of parental care. I conducted an observational study on a population of white-backed magpies, recording details of their demography, dispersal, breeding system, and parental care. In conjunction, I conducted a genetic analysis of the population, to determine if the genetic mating system matched the observed social system, to detect instances of extra-group mating, and to sex juvenile birds. Extra-pair paternity (EPP) is a common feature of the mating systems of many birds. The rate of EPP may vary between species, races and populations. I made a comparison of extra-group paternity (EGP) rates between two races of the Australian magpie, to determine if similar mating systems were being employed. The two populations had similar social structure, but differed in group size and dispersal. I predicted that dispersal differences would have a profound effect on the rate of EGP between the populations, as the population with the lower rate of dispersal and higher chance of breeding with a close relative would engage in EGPs more frequently. Eight microsatellite loci were used to determine parentage in the white-backed Australian magpie. The rate of EGP was found to be 44%. Dispersal rates were estimated from observational data. Over half of the juvenile magpie cohort from the previous breeding season leave the territorial group. These results contrast sharply with the results found by other researchers in a population of western Australian magpies (G t. dorsalis). In this population, 82% EGP is recorded and dispersal of juveniles is close to nil. The results indicate that dispersal rate is a potentially important predictor of rates of extra-group fertilisations between populations of this species, and suggest that females maximise their reproductive output by avoiding breeding with close kin. The reproductive success of a male bird is often correlated with measurable traits that predict his intrinsic quality. Females are thought to select mates based on their quality to gain their 'good genes'. Male Australian magpies of the white-backed race were trapped in two breeding seasons. Measurements were taken of morphometric and other characteristics in order to discover whether particular traits of males were associated with: a) number of fledglings produced in the territory per season; b) percentage of offspring sired in the territory; and c) whether females select males for their 'good genes'. The only variable that was correlated with number of territorial offspring was feather lice load. Males with high numbers of lice were less likely to produce territorial fledglings in one season and across both seasons. Males of inferior quality may be subject to increased conspecific territorial intrusions, leading to more time spent on defence, more failed breeding attempts, less time allocated to grooming and thus high parasite loads. Males that produced many territorial fledglings were more likely to gain genetic paternity of at least some of them, although again this was significant for only one season. Also, across both seasons, a high number of females in the group was correlated with increased paternity within the group. The general lack of correlation between the variables and level of genetic paternity may be due to females engaging in extra-group mating primarily to avoid breeding with a close relative rather than to choose a quality male. In this scenario, males would not have to be 'high quality', but merely genetically different to the female's social mate. Extra-group paternity (EGP) can affect paternal effort. It may also influence the helping effort of auxiliary birds in cooperatively breeding species. If helping is driven by kin selection, helpers should decline to provision unrelated young. Relatedness becomes difficult to assess however, when females mate outside the group. Alternative rewards may then become important in helper decisions. In my study population of Australian magpies, 38% of fledglings were sired by males outside the territorial group. In a second population (G. t. dorsalis), 82% of fledglings were sired by extra-group males. I observed within-group male and helper feeding effort over three breeding seasons in the first population and obtained data recorded over a single season in the second population. In both populations, males provisioned young regardless of relatedness, as did helpers. Males provisioned less than the nesting female on average. Paternal effort did not reduce with an increase in the rate of EGP between populations. In the population with intermediate levels of EGP, the white-backed magpies, I observed helpers in about half of the sampled territories that produced fledglings. Helpers did not increase the production of young. In the population with high levels of EGP, western magpies, I detected helping behaviour in proportionally more territories. It appears that Australian magpie helpers provide help in order to pay 'rent' and remain on the natal territory. I discuss these results in light of the differences between the two races of magpie and the major theories regarding male parenting decisions and helper activity. Finally, I examine the relatively high rates of EGP's in the Australian magpie from a phylogenetic perspective. Although inbreeding avoidance is strongly supported by this study as the major reason EGP is so common in magpie populations, there may be an element of phylogenetic inertia that maintains the frequency of this behavioural trait. I comment upon the use of single-population estimates of species EGP rates in comparative analyses, given the intraspecific variation discovered between Australian magpie populations. Future directions for the study of mate choice in the Australian magpie are outlined with a proposal to study variation at the major histocompatibility complex between mated pairs.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Australian School of Environmental Studies
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9

Durrant, Kate, and n/a. "The Genetic and Social Mating System of a White-Backed Population of the Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen tyrannica)." Griffith University. Australian School of Environmental Studies, 2004. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20040716.093636.

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Abstract:

The Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) is a large, sedentary, omnivorous passerine. In some populations, individuals live in groups, and some of these groups breed cooperatively. The white-backed magpie (G. t. tyrannica) from the south-eastern corner of the continent, has had relatively little study, and few details are known of its mating system, social structure, and method of parental care. I conducted an observational study on a population of white-backed magpies, recording details of their demography, dispersal, breeding system, and parental care. In conjunction, I conducted a genetic analysis of the population, to determine if the genetic mating system matched the observed social system, to detect instances of extra-group mating, and to sex juvenile birds. Extra-pair paternity (EPP) is a common feature of the mating systems of many birds. The rate of EPP may vary between species, races and populations. I made a comparison of extra-group paternity (EGP) rates between two races of the Australian magpie, to determine if similar mating systems were being employed. The two populations had similar social structure, but differed in group size and dispersal. I predicted that dispersal differences would have a profound effect on the rate of EGP between the populations, as the population with the lower rate of dispersal and higher chance of breeding with a close relative would engage in EGPs more frequently. Eight microsatellite loci were used to determine parentage in the white-backed Australian magpie. The rate of EGP was found to be 44%. Dispersal rates were estimated from observational data. Over half of the juvenile magpie cohort from the previous breeding season leave the territorial group. These results contrast sharply with the results found by other researchers in a population of western Australian magpies (G t. dorsalis). In this population, 82% EGP is recorded and dispersal of juveniles is close to nil. The results indicate that dispersal rate is a potentially important predictor of rates of extra-group fertilisations between populations of this species, and suggest that females maximise their reproductive output by avoiding breeding with close kin. The reproductive success of a male bird is often correlated with measurable traits that predict his intrinsic quality. Females are thought to select mates based on their quality to gain their 'good genes'. Male Australian magpies of the white-backed race were trapped in two breeding seasons. Measurements were taken of morphometric and other characteristics in order to discover whether particular traits of males were associated with: a) number of fledglings produced in the territory per season; b) percentage of offspring sired in the territory; and c) whether females select males for their 'good genes'. The only variable that was correlated with number of territorial offspring was feather lice load. Males with high numbers of lice were less likely to produce territorial fledglings in one season and across both seasons. Males of inferior quality may be subject to increased conspecific territorial intrusions, leading to more time spent on defence, more failed breeding attempts, less time allocated to grooming and thus high parasite loads. Males that produced many territorial fledglings were more likely to gain genetic paternity of at least some of them, although again this was significant for only one season. Also, across both seasons, a high number of females in the group was correlated with increased paternity within the group. The general lack of correlation between the variables and level of genetic paternity may be due to females engaging in extra-group mating primarily to avoid breeding with a close relative rather than to choose a quality male. In this scenario, males would not have to be 'high quality', but merely genetically different to the female's social mate. Extra-group paternity (EGP) can affect paternal effort. It may also influence the helping effort of auxiliary birds in cooperatively breeding species. If helping is driven by kin selection, helpers should decline to provision unrelated young. Relatedness becomes difficult to assess however, when females mate outside the group. Alternative rewards may then become important in helper decisions. In my study population of Australian magpies, 38% of fledglings were sired by males outside the territorial group. In a second population (G. t. dorsalis), 82% of fledglings were sired by extra-group males. I observed within-group male and helper feeding effort over three breeding seasons in the first population and obtained data recorded over a single season in the second population. In both populations, males provisioned young regardless of relatedness, as did helpers. Males provisioned less than the nesting female on average. Paternal effort did not reduce with an increase in the rate of EGP between populations. In the population with intermediate levels of EGP, the white-backed magpies, I observed helpers in about half of the sampled territories that produced fledglings. Helpers did not increase the production of young. In the population with high levels of EGP, western magpies, I detected helping behaviour in proportionally more territories. It appears that Australian magpie helpers provide help in order to pay 'rent' and remain on the natal territory. I discuss these results in light of the differences between the two races of magpie and the major theories regarding male parenting decisions and helper activity. Finally, I examine the relatively high rates of EGP's in the Australian magpie from a phylogenetic perspective. Although inbreeding avoidance is strongly supported by this study as the major reason EGP is so common in magpie populations, there may be an element of phylogenetic inertia that maintains the frequency of this behavioural trait. I comment upon the use of single-population estimates of species EGP rates in comparative analyses, given the intraspecific variation discovered between Australian magpie populations. Future directions for the study of mate choice in the Australian magpie are outlined with a proposal to study variation at the major histocompatibility complex between mated pairs.

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10

Baker, Andrew. "Genetic evidence of an inverse relationship between dispersal and territorial group size among mainland populations of the Australian magpie." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 1999.

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11

Rivett, Mary I. "Yilpinji art 'love magic' : changes in representation of yilpinji 'love magic' objects in the visual arts at Yuendumu /." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 2005. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ARAH.M/09arah.mr624.pdf.

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Thesis (M.A.(St.Art.Hist.)) -- University of Adelaide, Master of Arts (Studies in Art History), School of History and Politics, Discipline of History, 2005.
Coursework. "January, 2005" Bibliography: leaves 108-112.

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12

Gorman, Sean. "Moorditj magic : the story of Jim and Phillip Krakouer /." Gorman, Sean (2004) Moorditj magic: the story of Jim and Phillip Krakouer. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2004. http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/44/.

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This thesis analyses and investigates the issue of racism in the football code of Australian Rules to understand how racism is manifested in Australian daily life. In doing this, it considers biological determinism, Indigenous social obligation and kinship structure, social justice and equity, government policy, the media, local history, everyday life, football culture, history and communities and the emergence of Indigenous players in the modern game. These social issues are explored through the genre of biography and the story of the Noongar footballers, Jim and Phillip Krakouer, who played for Claremont and North Melbourne in the late 1970's and 1980's. This thesis, in looking at Jim and Phillip Krakouers careers, engages with other Indigenous footballer's contributions prior to the AFL introducing Racial and Religious Vilification Laws in 1995. This thesis offers a way of reading cultural texts and difference to understand some Indigenous and non-Indigenous relationships in an Australian context.

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13

Milne, Patricia A., and n/a. "Australian reviewers of children's books: an empirical report." University of Canberra. Library & Information Sciences, 1990. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060410.150051.

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This thesis reports on a study which developed a profile of the reviewers of children's books in Australia. It then compared the profile with one which was developed by Kathleen Craver in 1984 of children's book reviewers in the United States. Five research questions were addressed by this study relating to reviewers and their opinions regarding review aspects, reviewer roles and review practices within the framework of their personal and professional background. Craver surveyed the reviewers from School Library journal because as a group, they provided the greatest potential for statistical significance of all the reviewing journals in the United States. As no Australian journal enjoys either the number of reviewers or the circulation of School Library journal, reviewers from eight journals which are most used by teacher and children's librarians were selected to form the population for this research. These journals are Fiction Focus, LINES, Magpies, Reading Time, Reviewpoin t, Review Bulletin, Scan and Tasmanian Resources Review. The reviewer profile which emerged from this study was very similar to Craver's in that it was not one which could be entirely defined in terms of group characteristics. Selected cross tabulations either with the particular journals, demographic details, or other variables, particularly those relating to reviewer experience failed to produce predictable behaviourial correlations. However, reviewers were united on certain issues which can be attributed to their own professional background.

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14

Souza, Liziane Kugland de. "The magic pudding : a verbal and pictorial translation." reponame:Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da UFRGS, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10183/170382.

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A partir de minha tradução para o português brasileiro de The Magic Pudding (1918), novela infantil australiana escrita e ilustrada por Norman Lindsay, o objetivo desta dissertação é demonstrar as peculiaridades da tradução de literatura infantil ilustrada. Portanto, este estudo analisa o papel das ilustrações na tradução, enquanto levanta questões sobre a adaptação literária em uma época em que novos meios e tecnologias de leitura competem com o livro impresso pela atenção infantil. Como O Pudim Mágico é a primeira tradução da novela para o português, e devido à importância das ilustrações na narrativa, é proposta uma tradução estrangeirizada para que elementos da cultura e da natureza australianas, especialmente alimentos e animais, permaneçam visíveis no texto de chegada. Pelas mesmas razões, tanto o texto propriamente dito quanto as ilustrações são tratados como textos, respectivamente, verbal e pictórico, em oposição aos peritextos verbal e pictórico acrescentados ao texto de chegada. Este estudo é dividido em quatro capítulos: 1) apresentação da biografia e obra do autor, bem como do contexto em que The Magic Pudding foi escrito, seguida pelo resumo detalhado da novela, uma discussão sobre as peculiaridades da tradução para crianças e, baseadas principalmente em Lawrence Venuti e Gérard Genette, as justificativas para a abordagem estrangeirizante com o emprego de elementos peritextuais; 2) apresentação das estratégias de Javier Franco Aixelá para a tradução de itens culturais-específicos para discutir o tratamento de nomes próprios contendo significados culturais; considerando o leitor-alvo, é sugerido o acréscimo de elementos peritextuais, tais como novas ilustrações combinadas com um prefácio verbal, a fim de evitar o emprego de notas de rodapé; 3) análise da influência da ilustrações de Lindsay na tradução, com sugestões para o tratamento do texto verbal de chegada; 4) discussão sobre tópicos de adaptação e transmidiação de literatura infantil, com sugestões para tratar os textos verbal e pictórico na transposição de O Pudim Mágico de meio impresso a digital; com base principalmente nos estudos de Lars Elleström e Ellen McCracken, dispositivos digitais de leitura como o Amazon Kindle e o Apple iPad são analisados, concluindo-se que o texto-alvo é considerado uma tradução em formato impresso, uma remidiação em formato para Kindle e uma transmidiação em formato para iPad.
Based on my unpublished translation of The Magic Pudding (1918), Australian children’s novel written and illustrated by Norman Lindsay, this thesis aims at demonstrating the peculiarities of translating illustrated children’s literature. Therefore, it analyses the role of the illustrations in the translation while raising questions on literary adaptation at a time when new reading media and technology compete with the printed book for children’s attention. Given that O Pudim Mágico is the first translation of the novel into Portuguese and due to the importance of the illustrations in the narrative, I propose a foreignised translation to preserve Australia’s cultural and natural elements, in particular foods and animals, visible in the target text. For the same reasons, both the text proper and the illustrations are regarded as texts, respectively verbal and pictorial, in opposition to the verbal and pictorial peritexts added to the target text. This study is divided into four chapters: 1) a presentation of the author’s biography and oeuvre, as well as of the context in which The Magic Pudding was written, followed by a detailed summary of the novel, a discussion on the peculiarities of translating for children and, mainly based on Lawrence Venuti and Gérard Genette, a justification for the foreignising approach with the employment of peritextual elements; 2) a presentation of Javier Franco Aixelá’s strategies to translate culture-specific items in order to discuss the treatment of proper names that hold cultural meanings; considering the target reader, the addition of peritextual elements, such as new illustrations combined with a verbal preface, is suggested as a means to avoid the employment of footnotes; 3) an analysis of the influence of Lindsay’s illustrations on the translation with suggestions for the treatment of the verbal target text; 4) a discussion on issues of adaptation and transmediation of children’s literature, with suggestions for treating the verbal and pictorial texts in the transposition of O Pudim Mágico from printed to digitised media; based mainly on the studies by Lars Elleström and Ellen McCracken, digital reading devices such as Amazon Kindle and Apple iPad are analysed to conclude that the novel’s target text is deemed to be a translation in print format, a remediation on Kindle and a transmediation on iPad. Keywords: Adaptation. Australian Literature. Children’

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Maufort, Jessica. "Ecological Magic Realism and Magic Realist Ecopoetics: Storying Place in Postcolonial Canadian and Australasian Novels." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 2018. https://dipot.ulb.ac.be/dspace/bitstream/2013/276457/5/Contrat.pdf.

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This comparative reading of contemporary Australasian and Canadian fiction privileges a reciprocal interaction between ecocriticism and magic realism within the field of postcolonial studies. My research shows that few works examine magic realism as a distinct aesthetic mode, while many ecocritical and postcolonial studies favour colonialist and pessimistic perspectives. Seeking to balance thematic and aesthetic concerns, my concepts of ecological magic realism and magic realist ecopoetics re-evaluate this still often misunderstood mode: its techniques in postcolonial narratives not only transcribe the cultural plight of the postcolonial subject, but also translate the missing ecological link between the environment and human beings. Informed by ecopoetic reflections on figurative language, Delbaere-Garant’s notion of mythic realism, and material ecocriticism, my concepts take the narrative and physical agency – or poiesis – of the non-human world as their focal point. Recognizing the dialogical web of human and non-human energies raises the issues of eco-imperialism as well as those of environmental and social justice. My thesis discusses two main configurations of ecological magic realism common to Anglo-Celtic and Indigenous texts within my corpus: synergy and crisis. These shifting interspecies relations are explored through the contexts of eco-spiritualities, scientific approaches to Nature, Nature writing, gothic-like metamorphoses, eco-apocalypse, and the Anthropocene. Rejecting dualistic worldviews, magic realism in these collaborative or competitive humans/Nature interactions remains ambivalent: on the one hand, it re-enacts human beings’ failed embeddedness in their non-human surroundings; on the other, it also re-opens the possibility of a mutually-enriching symbiosis.
Doctorat en Langues, lettres et traductologie
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

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Sugeng, Kiki Ariyanti University of Ballarat. "Magic and antimagic labeling of graphs." University of Ballarat, 2005. http://archimedes.ballarat.edu.au:8080/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/12758.

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"A bijection mapping that assigns natural numbers to vertices and/or edges of a graph is called a labeling. In this thesis, we consider graph labelings that have weights associated with each edge and/or vertex. If all the vertex weights (respectively, edge weights) have the same value then the labeling is called magic. If the weight is different for every vertex (respectively, every edge) then we called the labeling antimagic. In this thesis we introduce some variations of magic and antimagic labelings and discuss their properties and provide corresponding labeling schemes. There are two main parts in this thesis. One main part is on vertex labeling and the other main part is on edge labeling."
Doctor of Philosophy

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Sugeng, Kiki Ariyanti. "Magic and antimagic labeling of graphs." Thesis, University of Ballarat, 2005. http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/42649.

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"A bijection mapping that assigns natural numbers to vertices and/or edges of a graph is called a labeling. In this thesis, we consider graph labelings that have weights associated with each edge and/or vertex. If all the vertex weights (respectively, edge weights) have the same value then the labeling is called magic. If the weight is different for every vertex (respectively, every edge) then we called the labeling antimagic. In this thesis we introduce some variations of magic and antimagic labelings and discuss their properties and provide corresponding labeling schemes. There are two main parts in this thesis. One main part is on vertex labeling and the other main part is on edge labeling."
Doctor of Philosophy

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Sugeng, Kiki Ariyanti. "Magic and antimagic labeling of graphs." University of Ballarat, 2005. http://archimedes.ballarat.edu.au:8080/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/15385.

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"A bijection mapping that assigns natural numbers to vertices and/or edges of a graph is called a labeling. In this thesis, we consider graph labelings that have weights associated with each edge and/or vertex. If all the vertex weights (respectively, edge weights) have the same value then the labeling is called magic. If the weight is different for every vertex (respectively, every edge) then we called the labeling antimagic. In this thesis we introduce some variations of magic and antimagic labelings and discuss their properties and provide corresponding labeling schemes. There are two main parts in this thesis. One main part is on vertex labeling and the other main part is on edge labeling."
Doctor of Philosophy

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Hartrick, Elizabeth. "Consuming illusions : the magic lantern in Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand 1850-1910 /." Connect to thesis, 2003. http://eprints.unimelb.edu.au/archive/00002203.

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Kucharova, Sue. "The torch collector /." View thesis, 1999. http://library.uws.edu.au/adt-NUWS/public/adt-NUWS20030905.143557/index.html.

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Baker, Suzanne Lynda. "Clowning seriously: The political force of magic realism in postcolonial fiction from Australia and Canada." Thesis, Baker, Suzanne Lynda (1997) Clowning seriously: The political force of magic realism in postcolonial fiction from Australia and Canada. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 1997. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/52961/.

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The primary objective of this thesis is to demonstrate that the discursive mode of magic realism can contribute to the political force of postcolonial texts. This is achieved through detailed readings of contemporary works of fiction, written in English, from Australia and Canada. While the term ‘magic realism’ has been in use for more than seventy years, in recent times it has gained increasing currency in the critical discourses of Western literature. Commonly associated with the literature of the Latin American region, with Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novel One Hundred Years of Solitude generally considered the paradigmatic example of literary magic realism, the term is now being applied to writing emerging from countries as diverse as Canada, Australia, Greece, and Norway. This thesis will argue that because of its inherent ambivalence and hybridity, the mode of magic realism represents a challenge to the authority of colonial discourses and hence its current popularity in the context of postcolonial writing. This thesis works on two fronts. The first part examines the historical evolution of the concept of magic realism, from its origins in the art world to its appearance in the literatures of the Latin American region. Existing definitions of the term will be evaluated in order to delineate the most important characteristics of magic realist writing. By exploring the concept in this way, the thesis aims to demonstrate the relevance of the term for contemporary literary theory. The second part of the thesis specifically addresses magic realism in the context of postcolonial writing from Canada and Australia. These nations have been chosen because of their similar postcolonial literary histories. This thesis represents the first extended study of magic realism in the context of postcolonial writing. The central claim of this thesis is that magic realism is an important politicising agent in that it challenges dominant and coercive ideologies and belief-systems at the same time as it challenges the conventions of the realist genre through which these ideologies are often perpetuated. It is argued here that the transgression of boundaries inherent in magic realism enables writers to move beyond the constrictions of commonly-accepted hierarchies. At the same time, however, by maintaining links with the discourse of realism, magic realism anchors the narrative to a ‘real’ world and thus creates a space where such hierarchies can be challenged and perhaps overturned. The thesis substantiates this claim by presenting readings of selected texts from the postcolonial settler cultures of Canada and Australia in which specific instances of magic realism add political force to the postcolonial themes and concerns which the texts explore. While magic realism has occupied a prominent position in Canadian literary theory for some time, this thesis is the first critical survey of magic realism in Australian fiction. The special contribution which this thesis makes to postcolonial studies is its bringing together of Australian and Canadian texts to explore their use of magic realism in the context of postcolonial writing. Also, included as a part of this thesis is the first annotated critical bibliography of magic realism which, it is anticipated, will be of considerable value for other researchers in the field. There is no doubt that we live in a world where rapid developments in technology and vast increases in scientific knowledge have meant that the limits of the ‘possible’ are constantly being challenged and redefined. This thesis will conclude by arguing that in spite of the fact that everyday ‘reality’ is becoming more and more ‘incredible’ as the borders of the possible and the impossible are subject to constant expansion and change, magic realism will continue to be an important and relevant discursive mode for exposing and critically challenging the ideologies behind the current status quo.

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Stewart, Lucy Claire. ""Theatre of the dancing language" : new possibilities in contemporary Australian playwrighting." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2008. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/28477/1/Lucy_Stewart_Thesis.pdf.

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This study focuses on trends in contemporary Australian playwrighting, discussing recent investigations into the playwrighting process. The study analyses the current state of this country’s playwrighting industry, with a particular focus on programming trends since 1998. It seeks to explore the implications of this current theatrical climate, in particular the types of work most commonly being favoured for production. It argues that Australian plays are under-represented (compared to non-Australian plays) on ‘mainstream’ stages and that audiences might benefit from more challenging modes of writing than the popular three-act realist play models. The thesis argues that ‘New Lyricism’ might fill this position of offering an innovative Australian playwrighting mode. New Lyricism is characterised by a set of common aesthetics, including a non-linear narrative structure, a poetic use of language and magic realism. Several Australian playwrights who have adopted this mode of writing are identified and their works examined. The author’s play Floodlands is presented as a case study and the author’s creative process is examined in light of the published critical discussions about experimental playwriting work.

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Stewart, Lucy Claire. ""Theatre of the dancing language" : new possibilities in contemporary Australian playwrighting." Queensland University of Technology, 2008. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/28477/.

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This study focuses on trends in contemporary Australian playwrighting, discussing recent investigations into the playwrighting process. The study analyses the current state of this country’s playwrighting industry, with a particular focus on programming trends since 1998. It seeks to explore the implications of this current theatrical climate, in particular the types of work most commonly being favoured for production. It argues that Australian plays are under-represented (compared to non-Australian plays) on ‘mainstream’ stages and that audiences might benefit from more challenging modes of writing than the popular three-act realist play models. The thesis argues that ‘New Lyricism’ might fill this position of offering an innovative Australian playwrighting mode. New Lyricism is characterised by a set of common aesthetics, including a non-linear narrative structure, a poetic use of language and magic realism. Several Australian playwrights who have adopted this mode of writing are identified and their works examined. The author’s play Floodlands is presented as a case study and the author’s creative process is examined in light of the published critical discussions about experimental playwriting work.

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Murray, Philippa, and pmurray@swin edu au. "The Floating World - An investigation into illustrative and decorative art practices and theory in print media and animation." RMIT University. Arts and Culture, 2006. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20080506.143949.

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Considered under the theme 'The Floating World', the aim of this research project was to create a written exegesis and a series of artworks, primarily in the form of digital animation and illustration, which investigate decorative and illustrative art practices and their historical lineages. Particular emphasis was given to investigating the links between contemporary decorative/illustrative art practice and the aesthetics and psychology of the Edo period in Japan (C17th - C19th), in which the term 'The Floating World' was used to describe the city of Edo (old Tokyo). The writing concerned with The Floating World is comprised of the following chapters: history; concepts; aesthetics; contemporary adaptations of Ukiyo-e; and gothic romance and associated genres. The outcomes of my Masters program represent a sustained exploration of decorative and illustrative art practice and theory, and incorporate experimentation with associated genres such as magic realism, gothic romance, the uncanny, iconography, surrealism and other metaphorical and abstract representational practices. More broadly, my Masters project is an investigation, both theoretical and practical, into the way drawing and illustration have been a process through which to (literally) give shape to hopes and fears, and to describe understandings of self and the world. I am particularly interested in exploring how, through the act of abstraction and the use of metaphor and decoration, a capacity to 'speak the unspeakable' and 'know the unknowable' are somehow enabled. For example, when contemporary Japanese artist Takashi Murakami decorates Edo-inspired screens with a colourful arrangement of morphing cartoon mushrooms, he conjures up a startling and complex poetic space that juxtaposes traditional Japanese aesthetics and philosophy with the hyper-consumerist characters and ethos of Disneyland, as well as disquieting references to the mushroom bombs that dropped down on Hiroshima and Nagasaki from US planes. A similarly complex space is enacted by contemporary US artist Inka Essenhigh: her oversized canvases seem like sublime Japanese-inspired screens but a closer inspection reveals that the decorative motifs are actually dismembered body parts morphed together to create a savage and compelling metaphor for contemporary America that is all the more disarming for being perf ormed in a seemingly innocuous illustrative style. My research will draw on these examples but will endeavour to create a series of artworks that are particular to an Australian context. This interests me particularly in a time when, as a nation, we appear to be confounded about what it means to be Australian: as a contemporary artist I am interested in how we represent ourselves as a nation, and in exploring the motifs and attributes that we consider to be ours.

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Schwalm, Tanja. "Animal writing : magical realism and the posthuman other." Thesis, University of Canterbury. English, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/4470.

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Magical realist fiction is marked by a striking abundance of animals. Analysing magical realist novels from Australia and Canada, as well as exploring the influence of two seminal Latin American magical realist narratives, this thesis focuses on representations of animals and animality. Examining human-animal relationships in the postcolonial context reveals that magical realism embodies and represents an idea of feral animality that critically engages with an inherently imperialist and Cartesian humanism, and that, moreover, accounts for magical realism's elusiveness within systems of genre categorisation and labelling. It is this embodiment and presence of animal agency that animates magical realism and injects it with life and vibrancy. The magical realist writers discussed in this dissertation make use of animal practices inextricably intertwined with imperialism, such as pastoral farming, natural historical collections, the circus, the rodeo, the Wild West show, and the zoo, as well as alternative animal practices inherently incompatible with European ideologies, such as the Aboriginal Dreaming, Native North American animist beliefs, and subsistence hunting, as different ways of positioning themselves in relation to the Cartesian human subject. The circus is a particular influence on the form and style of many magical realist texts, whereby oxymoronically structured circensian spaces form the basis of the narratives‟ realities, and hierarchical imperial structures and hegemonic discourses that are portrayed as natural through Cartesian science and Linnaean taxonomies are revealed as deceptive illusions that perpetuate the self-interests of the powerful.

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Earls, Alison. "Genuine cherry red : a fiction novel." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2003.

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"Genuine Cherry Red" is a fiction novel. It is the story of three people who live in a house beside a hill in the flattest place on earth - an almost fable-like setting. In different ways, each is locked inside the order and control they have constructed through the years. Surrounded by nature and its reliable cycle, they are resisting change and denying the unpredictable randomness of life. Marta is a young woman who is both intelligent and naïve, caught inside a private maze of thinking and rethinking. She lives with her mother's cousin Ena who gave up nursing to take Marta in when her mother succumbed to depression, and Ena' s husband Len, a successful and prolific writer of cowboy fiction. Since a cancer diagnosis, Len - who had been living with multiple sclerosis - has been virtually catatonic ... until Grey Bob suddenly arrives. The central character of Len's fictional stories permeates their lives and things begin to change. The natural environment, the people of the nearby town, the order of the house all transform and Marta, Ena and Len struggle to cope. But they have no choice. When the inevitable shifts occur, spontaneous events have impact and disease progresses, each member of the family eventually finds a way to deal with the fact that reality can be haphazard and out of their control. So, through the presence of a fictional character, three people are forced to confront the erratic nature of human life.

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Greenhill, Susan Heather. "Maps for the lost: A collection of short fiction And Human / nature ecotones: Climate change and the ecological imagination: A critical essay." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2015. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1701.

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The thesis comprises a collection of short fiction, Maps for the Lost, and a critical essay, “Human / Nature Ecotones: Climate Change and the Ecological Imagination.” In ecological terms, areas of interaction between adjacent ecosystems are known as ecotones. Sites of relationship between biotic communities, they are charged with fertility and evolutionary possibility. While postcolonial scholarship is concerned with borders as points of cross-cultural contact, ecocritical thought focuses upon the ecotone that occurs at the interface between human and non-human nature. In their occupation of the liminal zones between human and natural realms, the characters and narratives of Maps for the Lost reveal and nurture the porosity of conventional demarcations. In the title story, a Czech artist maps the globe by night in order to find his lover. The buried geographies of human landscapes coalesce with those of the non-human realm: the territories of wolves and the scent-trails of a fox mingle imperceptibly with nocturnal Prague and the ransacked villages of post-war Croatia. In “Seeds,” a narrative structured around the process of biological growth, the lost memories of an elderly woman are returned to her by her garden. “The Skin of the Ocean” traces the obsession of a diver who sinks his yacht under the weight of coral and fish, while in “Drift,” an Iranian refugee writes letters along the tide-line of a Tasmanian beach. The essay identifies the inadequacy of literature and literary scholarship’s response to the threat of climate change as a failure of the imagination, reflecting the transgressive dimension of the crisis itself, and the dualistic legacy which still informs Western discourse on non-human nature. In order to redress this shortfall, which I argue the current generations of writers have an urgent moral responsibility to do, it is critical that we learn to understand the natural world of which we are a part, in ways that cast off the limitations of conventional representation. Paradoxically, it is the profoundly disruptive (apocalyptic?) nature of the climate crisis itself, which may create the imaginative traction for that shift in comprehension, forcing us, through loss, to interpret the world in ways that have been forgotten, or are fundamentally new. By analysing Alexis Wright’s The Swan Book, and Les Murray’s “Presence” sequence, the essay explores the correlation between imaginative and ecological processes, and the role of voice, embodiment, patterning and story in negotiations of nature and place. In the context of the asymptotical essence of the relation between text and world, and the paradox of phenomenological representation, it calls for a deeper cultural engagement with scientific discourse and indigenous philosophy, in order to illuminate the multiplicity and complexity of human connections to the non-human natural world

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Hall, Michelle L. "Duetting and parental care in Australian magpie-larks." Phd thesis, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/147704.

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Traill, Lochran William. "Conservation of north Australian magpie geese Anseranas semipalmata populations under global change." 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/57035.

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The magpie goose (Anseranas semipalmata) is a spectacular and unique waterbird from tropical north Australia and southern New Guinea. Due to recent human persecution, the species has been eliminated from most of its former strongholds in southern and south-eastern Australia – reduced to small conservation-dependent populations through habitat loss, exploitation and drought. Yet, genuine conservation opportunity still exists in northern Australia, in the country's Northern Territory in particular, to maintain viable populations through evidence-based management of wetlands that support the waterbirds and mitigation of the threats posed by global change. Much has been achieved over the last 50 years to understand the ecology and life history of magpie geese, but little has been done to understand important population-level interactions with wetland habitat and the likely outcomes under climate warming, wetland loss to sea level rise, altered competitive interactions among wetland plants, increased frequency and severity of epizootics, and synergies with over-hunting. My review of pathogens and parasites likely to cause morbidity and mass mortality in magpie geese shows that bacterial diseases such as avian cholera and botulism, as well as pathogenic avian influenza viruses, pose the most serious threats. Bacterial diseases in particular are more likely to occur under warmer and wetter conditions, and geese are susceptible to these given large aggregations at favoured nesting and feeding sites. I use a metapopulation model to demonstrate that increased frequency and severity of epizootics will likely force extirpation of geese under current harvest rates across the Northern Territory. Magpie geese are also vulnerable to climate change through dependency on a favoured food plant – the water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis). As a result of a two-year field programme, I was able to show how birds seasonally migrate and aggregate in response to the availability of this resource and gain body condition following predation on the root tubers of the plants. My geospatial modelling of ocean level inundation of wetlands that support E. dulcis show marginal habitat loss under 1.4 m of sea level rise, and large-scale losses under multi-metre sea level rise, but the current resolution of GIS data do not account for fine-scale saline water intrusion through channel or eroded levees. The population models constructed predict that magpie geese are broadly resilient to change where harvest is tightly regulated, but current harvest rates are unlikely to be sustainable. Given the importance of maintaining viable, connected subpopulations large enough to maintain genetic diversity, and because of the value of magpie geese to Aboriginal Australians as a food source, ongoing monitoring of geese population trends will be essential. Wetland management options include erecting buffers to stop or slow down saltwater intrusion resulting from sea level rise, and implementing a system to monitor annual indigenous harvest. Temporary restrictions on harvest may be necessary following mass mortality events such as epizootics or droughts. Only the careful management of wetlands that support current geese populations, and close monitoring of populations will ensure continued sustainable harvest of geese under global change. Given the cultural and biological significance of this species and the north Australian wetlands that support it, this is a conservation resource we cannot afford to squander.
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Earth and Environmental Science, 2009

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Richards, Isabel. "Science communication through animistic magic in Aboriginal Australian sci-fi texts." Thesis, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/256626.

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Fiction is a powerful tool for science communication. Sci-fi, a particularly influential fiction genre, can shape people’s understanding and perceptions of science. Most science communication research pertaining to the meaning-making of science in fiction and in sci-fi has focused on texts written by Western authors – and thus reflect Western meanings of science and visions of the future. To obtain a more comprehensive and culturally inclusive understanding of science communication in fiction, it is important to study how sci-fi written by Indigenous peoples depicts science and conveys its meanings. In my thesis, I investigate how science manifests in four contemporary Aboriginal Australian sci-fi texts. These include the novels The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf (2012), The Disappearance of Ember Crow (2013), and The Foretelling of Georgie Spider (2015) written by Palyku author Ambelin Kwaymullina, as well as the novella Water (2014) by Mununjali author Ellen van Neerven. I uncover and compare how these texts explore the similarities and differences between Western science and Indigenous ways of knowing (that communicate knowledge about the world). In particular, I show how these texts reveal a form of scientific thinking that transcends the typical patterns of Western science, exploring the question of what it means to be human in terms of our reciprocal relationship with and responsibility to nature and its non-human inhabitants. I argue that animistic magic in my four study texts – as a repository of stimulating themes, characters, and literary devices – plays a crucial role in communicating, empowering, and creating meaning out of this Indigenous scientific thinking. In this way, my thesis contributes new perspectives to science communication literature on the cultural meanings of science. Specifically, I add how Aboriginal Australian fiction conveys the importance of complementing Western science with Indigenous ways of knowing to better address 21st century issues related to climate change and sustainability.

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Evans, Ian Joseph. "Touching magic: deliberately concealed objects in old Australian houses and buildings." Thesis, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/917146.

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Higher Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
The objective of the research that resulted in this thesis was to establish whether the practice of concealing objects in sealed voids in old houses and other buildings, widely known in the United Kingdom for many centuries, also occurred in Australia. The supplementary tasks were to establish how widespread it was, the period in which it occurred, and whether the practice displayed the same characteristics as in the United Kingdom. These objectives necessitated the discovery, photography and recording of as many concealed objects as could be located. Distinguishing qualifying objects from random losses or strays was based upon personal experience in the field together with information derived from research in the UK and discussions with colleagues in this area of research in that country. Following on from that, my intention was to place this custom within the framework of folk magic rituals carried out in England until the early-mid 20th century. By confirming that folk magic was intricately woven into the lives of the English people a high probability that such practices were brought to Australia by convicts and settlers became evident. This research required an unusual methodology in that the virtually complete absence of any contemporary documentation, an absence of record that is recognised by UK researchers, suggested that a similar void might exist in Australian archives and libraries. My own prior extensive research into Australian domestic architecture had already failed to identify any references to such practices in this country in the literature relating to architecture, social history or the building trades in both Australia and England. The focus of the research project therefore was to find as many concealed objects in Australian structures as possible and to examine and record these finds in an effort to understand the practice from a scrutiny of the objects and the place and manner of their concealment. The discovery phase was implemented by means of media releases, radio and television interviews, published articles in mainstream and heritage media and by lectures to specialist groups, particularly archaeologists. The result of this work, extending over a period of more than six years and which included travel to Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and within New South Wales, resulted in the accumulation of a significant number of finds of deliberately concealed objects. These have been recorded in a National Catalogue of Finds on which this thesis is based. It was confirmed that objects, which in the context of this research include boots and shoes, garments, cats and a variety of domestic artifacts and children's toys, were concealed in Australian houses and buildings, that they were both numerous and extremely widely distributed, that the types of objects and their placements were the same as those found in the United Kingdom and elsewhere and in consequence that a folk magic custom long established in the United Kingdom was practiced in this country, raising the possibility of an ancient lineage for a practice that was previously unknown in Australia. Further research is recommended in an effort to extend the scope of this one-man study. It is considered that this research will produce new insights into the lives of Australians in the period 1788 – 1930s.

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Kucharova, Sue, University of Western Sydney, and School of Communication and Media. "The torch collector." 1999. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/30737.

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The Torch Collector is a Magical Realist novel set in Sydney. It is a story of non conformity, history, hope. The story moves between three recognisable but not clearly identifiable spheres. A past, a present and the non identified other, which could be called the unreal, magical, other-worldly or third-dimensional The genderless protagonist collects torches which enable him/her to transgress the boundaries between the spheres of existence. S/he moves freely across filling the gaps in her/his identity created by her/his cross-cultural background. The novel examines life on the fringe of contemporary Australian society. The Torch Collector's position appears to be voluntary, defined by his/her relationship to the torches. This vital relationship prevents the protagonist from fully engaging in conventional life. It is also a story of Sydney. A city which hides its cross-cultural spirituality underneath a highly urban and technological facade.
Master of Arts (Writing)

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Vlahos, Lisa Marie. "Possum magic : exploring colour vision in the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)." Phd thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/150889.

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Research into the diversity and evolution of mammalian colour vision has become even more exciting with the recent discovery of both trichromatic and dichromatic colour vision in the Australian marsupials. Our knowledge about these colour vision systems is limited, with a number of discrepancies in the research. Methodology issues with some of the anatomical and behavioural studies may have falsely indicated trichromacy. It is also uncertain whether only the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) has dichromatic colour vision, or if dichromacy is represented in a number of marsupials. It is believed that most marsupials can perceive ultraviolet light, yet the transmission properties of ocular media have not yet been measured. In this thesis, I use anatomical and behavioural methods to examine colour vision in the Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). I firstly present a detailed analysis of the spectral transmission of light through the ocular media. Here, I demonstrated the variability of ocular media for three marsupial species: the ultraviolet light sensitive fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata), non-ultraviolet light sensitive tammar wallaby, and common brushtail possum. I then examine the topographical arrangement and spectral sensitivities of photoreceptors in the common brushtail possum. Using opsin antibodies known to label photoreceptors, I show that brushtail possums have an anatomical basis for at least dichromatic colour vision, with both M/LWS ({u03BB}max = 545nm) and SWS cones present in the retina. There is also a small population of unlabelled cones, which may form a third cone population. Their extremely low densities,however, would hardly contribute to visual processing. By tracking cone densities across the retina, I provide the first evidence for regionalisation in both opsin and cell morphology types in an Australian mammal. Finally, I showed functioning dichromatic colour vision with behavioural operant conditioning techniques. Brushtail possums have an innate preference to using brightness rather than colour vision. By introducing spatial information which faded over time, I was able to encourage subjects to choose between colours irrespective of brightness. Both increment-threshold spectral sensitivity and wavelength discrimination experiments indicate their perception of colours is based on dichromatic colour vision. By comparing behavioural and microspectrophotometry results, I conclude that SWS cones peak in sensitivity around 435 nm. This is the first non-macropod known to have a violet, rather than an ultraviolet visual pigment. This thesis confirms a diversity of both trichromatic and dichromatic colour vision in marsupials, with the tammar wallaby not the only marsupial with dichromatic colour vision. I propose that brushtail possums have selectively reduced spectral sensitivity to dichromacy, evidenced by the presence of three cone types, yet perception of colours based on two cone types. The study of marsupial colour vision provides a rich resource for examining the diversity and use of dichromatic and trichromatic colour vision in mammals other than primates.

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Maguire, Tina Louise. "Genetic diversity and interspecific relationships in Banksia L.f., (Proteaceae) / Tina Louise Maguire." Thesis, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/18820.

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Copy of author's previously presented paper inserted.
Bibliography: leaves 187-218.
x, 219, [12] leaves, [10] leaves of plates : ill (some col.) ; 30 cm.
This thesis aims to increase knowledge essential for conservation biology and for focused and efficient breeding of banksias. Interspecific hybridisation is assessed as a potential breeding tool, and for the assessment of species relationships within the genus. Species relationships within Banksia are also assessed using molecular techniques. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers are assessed for their usefulness at various taxonomic levels within the genus. The results indicate a close relationship between Banksia and Dryandra, which are sister genera in the tribe Banksiae, family Proteaceae.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Horticulture, Viticulture and Oenology, 1997

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(9796751), Gail Forrer. "Voicing the generational disruption experienced by the post-55-year-old and older women in contemporary Australian society through a creative narrative influenced by the literary genre of Magic Realism." Thesis, 2018. https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Voicing_the_generational_disruption_experienced_by_the_post-55-year-old_and_older_women_in_contemporary_Australian_society_through_a_creative_narrative_influenced_by_the_literary_genre_of_Magic_Realism/13447928.

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This research considered generational social changes and their effect on the post-55--year-old Australian woman, and explored whether this re-established order of society required a shift in conventional story-telling. The project has contributed to an understanding of how deep social change both accelerates and deconstructs lifestyles.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Australian magpie'

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