Adventure Ausrama Blog

Vanuatu ancestors were from Taiwan and the Philippines. A discovery has sent shock waves through anthropology. The ancestors of Vanuatuans were put in the pot of Pacific Islanders. People of this island do not look like Asians. However, DNA tests on the oldest skeletons found show that the island's first arrivals came from the Philippines and Taiwan only 3,000 years ago. It seems that Australian Aboriginals and New Guineans were not keen to venture out onto the high sea, though Pacific islands were much closer to them than it was for Southeast Asians. Scientists say Papuans moved their later to produce the modern Vanuatuan gene pool. There is a problem here. Combining the facial features of say Filipinos and Papuans does not produce modern Vanuatuans.  There was earlier movement westward across the large ocean of people from South America. Pacific islanders of South American descent obviously arrived in Vanuatu at some time. ◆ Antrhopology by Ty Buchanan ...

Science: Dingo dog came to Australia via Southeast Asian seafarers. Archaeological evidence shows that dingoes arrived in Australia 4,000 years ago.  There is no mystery as to who brought them.  Southeast Asian seafarers did land in Australia to get fresh water and herbs to treat constipation. The dingo is common across the world today, all the way from India to the Pacific islands.  In news videos you see dogs roaming about the street in the background that are absolutely identical to the dingo, same tail, same color coat. People chosen as the distributor of the dingo are the Lapita who moved eastward out into the pacific.  This choice is just for convenience.  It is definitely wrong.  The dog is common everywhere.  Let's face it, Timor is so close to Australia that sailors obviously landed here, often. Genetic evidence places the origin of dingoes in China.  This is only where the breed began.  It rapidly spread to every ...

We are getting very hot conditions with flooding. This is seen by many as unusual. Australia has very hot dry weather followed by cooler wet weather in its regular pattern. There is a 100 year cycle in El Niño and La Niña events.  In other words severity peaks every century. Australia is currently in a transition period.  The La Niña could continue or it could change to El Niño.  There is presently a lot of rain. Oddly there is also a drought inland. If it were an El Niño cycle things would be a lot worse. It seems global warming is making La Niña years very hot. Australia is now getting hot La Niñas along with very hot El Niños. This is bad for the whole world because all continents are affected by weather in the Pacific Ocean. Some El Niños reach a critical temperature with dry periods being severe. Global warming means that more of them will go over this critical point. The average of extreme El Niños has been one in twenty years. Australians fear ho...

There are many species of dolphin. To most people they look much alike. We know that they are very intelligent and like to be in the presence of Man, even if it is only following boats A new species has been identified off northern Australia. It could have always been there or moved there from somewhere else. They are in the "hump" class, having a raised portion below the dorsal fin. Scientists are treating the dolphin as a new species which makes three species of Indo-Pacific humpback. There are four kinds of humpback in total including the eastern Atlantic type, Sousa teuszi l.   Apparently, naming of the "new" species is a complex process based on the previously used naming practice, behavior of the animal itself and its habitat. Discovery of the northern Australian dolphin came about by the first intense study into the humpback genus. It involved examination of 180 skulls and 235 tissue samples. http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot....

Climate change is not all one way. There are cycles. Research on coral areas has shown two cycles, 20-30 years and 50-70 year. The region tested is in the northern Pacific which has a strong influence on Asian Monsoons. The amount of rainfall can vary a lot. In regard to Australia, the climate varies across the continent. Western Australia is usually out-of-kilter with the rest of Australia. When there are floods in the east there are droughts in the west. The cycles were discovered by drilling out cores and examining the undersea strata with ultraviolet light, a process called Spectral Luminescence Scanning. Findings have helped to clarify changes in the climate of Madagascar since 1950. Changes in rainfall and river run off have left their mark. Cycles can be traced as far back as 1708. http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/ http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/ http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com/atom.xml http://www.technorati.com/blogs/ . . . . . . . ...

Nations in the Pacific are the first to be affected by global warming. The tide is literally coming in higher and higher. Children play in sea water as it enters homes built on the highest points available on small islands. The Australian Government's Pacific Climate Change Science Program (PCCSP) has released a report on the Pacific region. The last decade has been the warmest ever recorded. Acidity in sea water is also rising because there is more carbon dioxide. Cyclones are predicted to increase with greater rainfall. Day and night temperatures will be higher. While the report will help Pacific nations show what damage has been done by the developed world, it is doubtful advanced countries will assist financially. Knowing what will happen will help island nations plan for the future though the changes are already apparent as the sea takes over the land. http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/ http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/ http://www.feeds.feedburner.com/Adv...

The mystery of coconuts is solved. This useful fruit has been used for centuries. Besides being a healthy food it can be used as a carrying container, made into charcoal, its fibre used to make rope and it will save your life if appropriately adapted as a flotation device. DNA tests have been done on coconuts worldwide. They have been spread around so much by people transporting them in their travels that they are quite homogeneous by type. There are only two main kinds: one from the Indian Ocean region and the other from the Pacific. Tall types predominate. The dwarf coconut accounts for only 5 per cent of all coconuts. Both types of coconuts are used for different purposes. The niu vai is the usual kind with sweet juice inside. Copra is obtained from the niu kafa . One mystery still remains. While their are two distinct types, Madagascar has a variety that is a combination of the Pacific and Indian Ocean types. http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/ http://www.tysau...