Educating for Practical Wisdom: An Ideal and a Journey

This working paper details the work of the Habits of Inquiry and Reflection Practical Wisdom Fellows. It offers an understanding of the term, discusses opportunities for growing in practical wisdom, and connects it to learning across campus

COVID restrictions impact wildlife monitoring in Australia

The global COVID-19 pandemic has imposed restrictions on people's movement, work and access to places at multiple international, national and sub-national scales. We need a better understanding of how the varied restrictions have impacted wildlife monitoring as gaps in data continuity caused by these disruptions may limit future data use and analysis. To assess the effect of different levels of COVID-19 restrictions on both citizen science and traditional wildlife monitoring, we analyse observational records of a widespread and iconic monotreme, the Australian short- beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), in three states of Australia. We compare citizen science to observations from biodiversity data repositories across the three states by analysing numbers of observations, coverage in protected areas, and geographic distribution using an index of remoteness and accessibility. We analyse the effect of restriction levels by comparing these data from each restriction level in 2020 with corresponding periods in 2018–2019. Our results indicate that stricter and longer restrictions reduced numbers of scientific observations while citizen science showed few effects, though there is much variation due to differences in restriction levels in each state. Geographic distribution and coverage of protected and non-protected areas were also reduced for scientific monitoring while citizen science observations were little affected. This study shows that citizen science can continue to record accurate and widely distributed species observational data, despite pandemic restrictions, and thus demonstrates the potential value of citizen science to other researchers who require reliable data during periods of disruption.Alan Stenhouse, Tahlia Perry, Frank Grützner, Peggy Rismiller, Lian Pin Koh, Megan Lewi

Identification and functional characterization of a novel monotreme-specific antibacterial protein expressed during lactation

Monotremes are the only oviparous mammals and exhibit a fascinating combination of reptilian and mammalian characters. They represent a component of synapsidal reproduction by laying shelled eggs which are incubated outside the mother’s body. This is accompanied by a prototherian lactation process, marking them as representatives of early mammals. The only extant monotremes are the platypus, and the short- and long- beaked echidnas, and their distributions are limited to Australia and New Guinea. Apart for a short weaning period, milk is the sole source of nutrition and protection for the hatchlings which are altricial and immunologically naive. The duration of lactation in these mammals is prolonged relative to the gestational length and period of incubation of eggs. Much of the development of monotreme young occurs in the non-sterile ex-utero environment. Therefore the role of milk in the growth, development and disease protection of the young is of significant interest. By sequencing the cDNA of cells harvested from monotreme milk, we have identified a novel monotreme- specific transcript, and the corresponding gene was designated as the EchAMP. The expression profile of this gene in various tissues revealed that it is highly expressed in milk cells. The peptides corresponding to the EchAMP protein have been identified in a sample of echidna milk In silico analysis indicated putative antimicrobial potential for the cognate protein of EchAMP. This was further confirmed by in vitro assays using a host of bacteria. Interestingly, EchAMP did not display any activity against a commensal gut floral species. These results support the hypothesis of enhancement of survival of the young by antimicrobial bioactives of mammary gland origin and thus emphasize the protective, non- nutritional role of milk in mammals.Swathi Bisana, Satish Kumar, Peggy Rismiller, Stewart C. Nicol, Christophe Lefèvre, Kevin R. Nicholas, Julie A. Shar

Body mass, age and sexual maturity in short-beaked echidnas, Tachyglossus aculeatus

During the course of this 12 year field study body masses of 11 hatchling echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus multiaculeatus) and 25 pouch young between the ages of 5 and 60 days were recorded. Body mass increased from 0.3 to approximately 50 g in the first half of pouch life. It then quadrupled before young were placed in a burrow at 45 to 55 days of age. There was a positive correlation between the body mass of the female and that of her young at weaning. From 33 subadult echidnas located, tagged and radio tracked during this study, body masses of 10 were monitored to sexual maturity, i.e. when first encountered in a courtship train. Minimum age of sexual maturity ranged between 5 and 12 years. As subadults, there was no difference between mean body masses of males and females. At sexual maturity, mean body mass of females was significantly higher. No correlation was found between age at sexual maturity and body mass nor was there a significant difference in age of males and females at sexual maturity

Temperature and humidity in egg incubation mounds of Varanus rosenbergi

Rosenberg’s goanna, Varanus rosenbergi, use the mounds of the termite, Nasutitermes exitiosus, to incubate their eggs on Kangaroo Island. The termite mounds show seasonal temperature cycles both with and without the presence of goanna eggs. Superficially the overall seasonal temperature cycle of a mound resembles that of the ambient temperature (Ta), but mound temperatures are not correlated to daily Ta rhythms. Seasonal temperature variation in a mound containing Varanus rosenbergi eggs was less promounced than without eggs. A mound with eggs had significantly higher temperature during most of the winter (June – August) than in the previous year with no eggs. Mound temperatures fluctuated up to 10.5°C in a six-day period during egg incubation, however temperatures rarely varied more than 2°C within 24-hours. Humidity measured over three consecutive days each month of the year in two mounds showed daily rhythms in 11 out of 12 months for each mound. Humidity in the mounds was not correlated to mound temperature and no daily or seasonal rhythm was detected

Breeding phenology and behavior of Rosenberg's Goanna (Varanus rosenbergi) on Kangaroo Island, South Australia

For 16 years, we have observed and recorded seasonal life cycles of individual free-ranging Rosenberg's Goannas, Varanus rosenbergi. These monitor lizards are normally solitary except during their annual summer breeding cycle. Activities and behaviors were documented from precourtship through to pairing, courtship, copulation, selecting and excavating an incubation chamber, egg laying, and finally guarding the egg mound before returning to a solitary life style. Whereas the sequence of breeding activities tends to follow a set pattern, the timing and duration of physical and physiological events vary from season to season. Courtship through to defending the egg mound occupies up to 4 months of the year, commencing just before the summer solstice and ending shortly after the autumn equinox.Peggy D. Rismiller, Michael W. McKelvey, and Brian Gree