News: Geology and Earth Sciences
Humans coexisted with three-tonne marsupials and lizards as long as cars in ancient Australia
![Life and death in tropical Australia, 40,000 years ago. Giant reptiles ruled northern Australia during the Pleistocene with mega-marsupials as their prey. Image Credit: R. Bargiel, V. Konstantinov, A. Atuchin & S. Hocknull (2020). Queensland Museum.](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2020-05/news-megafauna-qld.jpeg?h=b8aae163&itok=SeHzLCFb)
Palaeontologists have found fossils of a huge extinct animals that answer, but also pose new questions in the megafauna extinction debate.
New 'Top Talent' appointment to elevate University's critical minerals research
![Dr Carl Spandler, Associate Professor of Critical Minerals](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2020-05/carl-spandler-2363.jpg?h=036f3151&itok=QWYQqlvc)
The University of Adelaide has appointed Carl Spandler as Associate Professor of Critical Minerals, part of the Top Talent program to attract the world’s best minds to South Australia.
[Read more about New 'Top Talent' appointment to elevate University's critical minerals research]
Esteemed gravitational wave scientist appointed head of School of Physical Sciences
![Peter Veitch](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2020-04/peter-veitch-large-rhs_0.jpg?h=2f83cd36&itok=gEWaQsZ-)
Professor Peter Veitch has been appointed Head of the School of Physical Sciences.
Neanderthals and Homo sapiens more similar than previously thought
![The marine abrasion platform of MIS 5e and the original, now-unroofed cave space. Image: Pedro Souto](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2020-04/news-portugal-caves.jpg?h=0f501424&itok=V518KJlk)
A cave on the Atlantic coast near Lisbon has provided researchers with key archaeological information that questions the behavioural gap once thought to separate Neanderthals from contemporaneous Homo sapiens.
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Local geoscientist the first Australian student to win award
![Simon Holford Natalie Debenham Ros King](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-10/debenham-holford-king.jpg?h=08b866d1&itok=uWz5M3IY)
Geoscientist Natalie Debenham has been awarded the Journal of Structural Geology’s 'Student Author of the Year Award'.
[Read more about Local geoscientist the first Australian student to win award]
Spaghetti and mud pies scoop 3-Minute Thesis final
![Sciences 3 minute thesis finals 2019 winners](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-08/news-3mt-sciences-finals-2019-43.jpg?h=2f83cd36&itok=ZH84d4Eu)
The depth and diversity of research student projects in the Faculty of Sciences was once again on display at this week's final of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition.
[Read more about Spaghetti and mud pies scoop 3-Minute Thesis final]
New model suggests lost continents for early Earth
![Models for the distribution of crustal thickness in early Earth. The crust in the prevailing paradigm is mostly oceanic, with some thin continental crust. The new model predicts a thicker and greater continental portion that was not preserved.](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-07/news-model-crust-hasterok.png?h=e189db08&itok=8pJqcJaG)
Earth scientists suggest that continents may have risen out of the sea much earlier than previously thought but were destroyed, leaving little trace.
[Read more about New model suggests lost continents for early Earth]
Where do rocks come from?
![Rocks contain a layer-by-layer record of the history of our planet. Fred Moore/flickr, CC BY-NC](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-06/the-conversation-where-do-rocks-come-from.jpg?h=abb6486a&itok=sTMX7PZ3)
Five-year-old Claire from Perth asks Professor Alan Collins, "where do rocks come from?"
Australia’s epic story: a tale of amazing people, amazing creatures & rising seas
![News Australia’s epic story. Shutterstock/Lev Savitskiy](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-04/news-epic-stories-world.jpg?h=6b2042a6&itok=PqyNrhYf)
The Australian continent has a remarkable history - a story of isolation, desiccation and resilience on an ark at the edge of the world.
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On top of the world: Sciences research ranks high in ERA results
![Institute for Photonics & Advanced Sensing (IPAS) research using 3D printing for the Austofix wrist plate.](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-03/physics-research-19541.jpg?h=2f83cd36&itok=mANTGQQj)
Science research at the University of Adelaide has reached new heights according to the 2018 Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) results released this week.
[Read more about On top of the world: Sciences research ranks high in ERA results]