Dr Liz Triswell: Oceans Apart? Reflections on the History of the Floras of South Africa and Australia

In exploring the history of plant groups shared between these two continents information from both DNA and the fossil record needs to be considered. DNA information suggests when particular ancestral groups of plants might have differentiated; the fossil record provides a check on these dates. We now have a reasonable understanding of the geology of the Indian Ocean seafloor, giving a measure of control on possible routes of plant migration.

 DrLiz Truswell is a Visiting Fellow in the Research School of Earth Science at the ANU. Her past research as a palynologist has dealt with the history of the floras of Australia and Antarctica.  She is presently a practising artist with an interest in the relationships between art and science.