Scales, Seals, and Survival

Today, marine mammals are found throughout the world's oceans. But what is the secret to their success? Join James as he dives into their 50 million year evolutionary history. He will cover fossil discoveries from Australia and New Zealand, including the origins of titanic baleen whales, and the oldest evidence of monk seals found right here in Melbourne! Throughout deep-time marine mammals have evolved amazing adaptations for ocean life, endured environmental turbulence, and occasionally, succumbed to extinction.

What do you eat when there’s nothing left in the freezer? Air, of course! Join me on an expedition down south to discover how microbes survive the harsh Antarctic environment with nothing but the air around them. The continent is home to incredible microbes that can “live on air”, generating energy, biomass, and even liquid water from trace gases in the atmosphere. This is a huge ecological advantage in the vast polar desert where food is scarce and conditions are brutal. These microorganisms are redefining how life can exist in extremely energy-limited environments, withstand months of darkness, and also tolerate rising global temperatures. You’ll learn how life can survive on almost nothing, and why Antarctica’s tiniest inhabitants might be the ultimate survival experts.

Feathers, scales, and hair all share a common ancestor and arise from the same underlying genetic system in the skin. But how does the skin actually decide what to grow? How can birds have feathers on their body but scales on their legs? And what happens when this system breaks down? In some cases, you might end up with something like a catfish.