Southern
Simpson Ecological & Palaeontology Expedition
In
association with
  
Summary
Continuing on from the site of the Kallakoopah Creek Palaeontology Expedition,
this exploratory expedition will investigate the surrounding dune and salt lake country
conducting a broad based botanical, ornithological & marsupial survey, as well as
traversing parts of the lower Kallakoopah searching for fossils. The 2009 floods would
have completely rejuvenated the entire creek floodplain, perhaps exposing more treasures
from the sands. Who knows what we may find?
We last visited this
area in 2007 on the ADE Arid Rivers Research Expedition
and reports from that journey indicate numerous stone tools and artefacts in an area to
the south of the creek that warrants further investigation, and it is intended that this
expedition should also search for the location of any native wells along the creek.
Palaeontologist Dr
Trevor Worthy will be leading the search;
"I think the most
exciting thing that we could potentially uncover would be good specimens of Genyornis -
this is really rare in the Australia wide context but whatever we find will be important.
Even flamingoes and such from the Pleistocene will be most exciting - basically the
samples of birds are relatively small from these sediments. But doubtless we will have to
deal with many old roos and the odd Diprotodon first."
Palaeontologist and member of ADE's
Research Advisory Panel, Associate Professor Rod Wells, is confident that the expedition
will uncover more megafauna fossils and the camels will be carrying extraction equipment
if it is deemed possible to collect specimens. This will be our last visit to the
Kallakoopah Creek area at least until 2013.
Participating scientist:
Dr Trevor H Worthy
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of New South Wales
Sydney
Senior
ecologist:
Mr Brian Blaylock
Member or the ADE Research Advisory Panel
Secretary BirdsSA, member of Birds Australia
Volunteer with the SA Department for Environment and Heritage
Consulting scientists:
Assoc. Professor Rod Wells
School of Biological Sciences
Flinders University
Mr Aaron
Camens
Megafaunal Palaeontologist/ Functional Morphologist
PhD
Student, University of Adelaide
 Walking
alongside a small unnamed salt lake, 2007 |
Expedition
Details
Dates: August 29 to September 19 2010 - EXPEDITION
CANCELLED DUE TO FLOODS
Total days including transfers: 22 - 2 day transfer/18 days trekking/2 day transfer
Trekking days: 18
Grade: Moderate/Challenging
Departure point: Adelaide
Finish point: Adelaide
Maximum places available: 12
Full tour price: $6350
Repeat Trekker price: $6032
Home
A typical camel camp, 2007
Senior Cameleer Josef Schofield and
cameleer Danae Moore lead B String across a small claypan, 2007
|
 Member
of ADE's Research Advisory Panel, Brian Blaylock and Nerissa Haby collecting botanical
specimens, 2007
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