Institute of Advanced Studies

Using Australian Biodiversity as a Model for Understanding the Earth

An IAS Masterclass on Opportunities for Thinking about Australia with Michael Huston, Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos and IAS Professor-at-Large 2009

About this Masterclass
The premise of this discussion is that Australia is unique among the continents on planet, and that this uniqueness is the key to understanding the complex patterns of ecology, evolution, economics, and civilization everywhere else (since everywhere else is similar to somewhere in Australia). 

Extremes are important because they represent the endpoints of the continua of conditions over the planet, including the “normal” conditions that get most of the attention. The critical uniqueness of Australia is that it includes the extremes of many types of environmental conditions within a relatively small geographical area. Unlike most countries, in Australia the extremes are much more common than the “normal” conditions that have led to a narrow and distorted view of nature and society in most of the “developed world.” In addition, the biology, ecology, paleontology, anthropology, and archeology of Australia have been thoroughly studied by some of the best academic and governmental scientists in the world.
We will discuss the various gradients of environmental conditions that make Australia a microcosm of the planet, and focus on how this range of conditions illustrates the operation of the dominant ecological, evolutionary, and socioeconomic processes that have shaped life on Earth.

Students of all disciplines are welcome to discuss and explore their own interests, research, and ideas in the context of range of geological and climatic conditions that have shaped Australia. 

Enrolment is limited to allow for a relaxed, informal atmosphere.