[Aqualist] Megafauna Symposium Second Circular and Program

[Matt Cupper]

The Geological Society of Australia Victoria Division invites you to the

SELWYN SYMPOSIUM 2007
http://www.vic.gsa.org.au/Selwyn/symposium.html
27 September 2007
Copland Theatre, Economics and Commerce Bdg, The University of Melbourne

Climate change or human impact? Australia's megafaunal extinction

Ever since farmers began pulling bones of what they thought were 
rhinos, hippos and elephants from wells and creek banks during the 
earliest days of European settlement of Australia, we've been 
intrigued by the question of what caused the extinction of the 
megafauna. Some blame humans, suggesting that the first Aboriginal 
hunters swept across the continent killing off all the giant animals 
or that bushfires started by these hunters destroyed the habitats of 
the megafauna. Others contend that climate change of the last Ice Age 
was responsible. Indeed, the cause of this extinction is subject to 
much debate in the current scientific literature. This Symposium 
brings together many of the researchers in this field from around 
Australia to present their views on what caused the megafaunal 
extinction. Talks will be presented covering all aspects of the 
debate, including: palaeontology, palaeoclimate, dating techniques, 
bone taphonomy, sedimentological and archaeological evidence.

Symposium Conveners: Dr Stephen Gallagher and Dr Matt Cupper, The 
University of Melbourne

For more information go to:

http://www.vic.gsa.org.au/Selwyn/symposium.html

PROGRAM:

Symposium registration
Introduction: Dr Stephen Gallagher & Dr Matt Cupper
Opening address: Prof Peter Rathjen, Dean of Science, The University 
of Melbourne
Plenary Address: Dr John Long, Museum of Victoria - The Australian 
Prehistoric Megafauna: an overview of discoveries and controversies

Session 1. Chairs of session: Dr Gilbert Price & Prof Gifford Miller

-Dr Stephen Wroe, The University of New South Wales - A review of the 
evidence for a human role in the extinction of Australian megafauna 
and an alternative interpretation
-Dr Gavin Prideaux, Flinders University - Megafauna, caves and 
climate: records from southern Australia
-Dr Judith Field, The University of Sydney - Contextualizing 
chronologies for the human megafauna overlap in Australia

Session 2. Chairs of session: Dr Stephen Wroe & Dr John Long

-Dr Gilbert Price, The University of Queensland - Climatic forcing 
for Pleistocene megafaunal extinction: evidence from eastern Australia
-Dr John Magee, The Australian National University - Timing and cause 
of Genyornis extinction, and duration of human-megafauna overlap in 
Australia
-Prof Gifford Miller, University of Colorado - Tracking late 
Quaternary environmental and climate histories using C, O and N 
isotopes preserved in avian eggshells, and contrasting megafaunal 
extinctions in Madagascar and Australia.
-Julien Louys, The University of New South Wales - Quaternary 
extinctions of Southeast Asia's megafauna

Session 3. Chairs of session: Dr Gavin Prideaux & Dr Judith Field

-Prof Peter Kershaw, Monash University - The contribution of long 
pollen and charcoal records to the explanation of Late Pleistocene 
megafaunal extinction in Australia
-Dr Matt Cupper, The University of Melbourne - Synopsis: Who (or 
what) killed the Australian megafauna?

Forum & discussion: Chaired by Dr Matt Cupper & Dr Stephen Gallagher

Selwyn Medal presentation to Dr Tom Rich (Museum of Victoria) and 
Prof Patricia Vickers-Rich (Monash University)

GSAVIC SELWYN LECTURE
By Australian of the Year 2007, Prof Tim Flannery Macquarie 
University - A climate change update to September 2007

Selwyn Dinner, Graduate House, The University of Melbourne

REGISTRATION:

http://www.vic.gsa.org.au/Downloads/Selwynprogram_2007.pdf

COST:

Cost: $100 for full delegates; $50 retirees; Free* for full time 
students (all costs GST inclusive)

(*NOTE: students will be charged $10 on the day if they do not RSVP 
before 27 September)

CONTACT:

Dr Stephen Gallagher
Chairman, Geological Society of Australia, Victoria Division

GPO Box 2355V
Melbourne
Victoria 3001

School of Earth Sciences
The University of Melbourne
Victoria 3010 Australia

Tel: +61 3 8344 6513
Fax: +61 3 8344 7761
E-mail: sjgall at unimelb.edu.au
_____________
Matthew Cupper
School of Earth Sciences
The University of Melbourne
Victoria 3010 Australia

Tel: +61 3 8344 6521
Fax: +61 3 8344 7761
Mob: +61 408 006 690

http://www.earthsci.unimelb.edu.au/~mlcupper
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