Returning Indigenous remains and the state of the climate in 2018

Editor's note

In museums across Australia and the world lie the remains of Indigenous Australians. In the early days of colonial Australia, these were often taken from burial sites and sold with no record of the location nor affiliation with a particular cultural group. Without knowledge of Country.

Today Joanne Wright and her colleagues describe their work to create an accurate DNA-based method for matching unprovenanced human remains with their living ancestors. Conducted in close consultation with Indigenous Australians, this is a first step towards a reliable, trusted way to return ancient people to Country.

The State of the Climate 2018 report, the latest biennial summary from the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO, reveals Australia is feeling the impacts of climate change in the form of worsening heatwaves, dangerous fire and drought conditions, coastal flooding, and extreme sea temperatures such as those that damaged the Great Barrier Reef in 2016-17.

Sarah Keenihan

Section Editor: Science + Technology

Top story

Indigenous Australians must be involved in research around provenance and country. Here, representatives of the Willandra Aboriginal Elders visit the Griffith University ancient DNA laboratory. Renee Chapman

DNA from ancient Aboriginal Australian remains enables their return to Country

Joanne Wright, Griffith University; David Lambert, Griffith University; Sally Wasef, Griffith University

Museums around the world hold remains of Aboriginal people that were often taken without permission and in the absence of accurate records. New DNA methods may help return these items to country.

Fire danger conditions are worsening in many areas of Australia. AAP Image/David Crosling

State of the Climate 2018: Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO

Michael Grose, CSIRO; Lynette Bettio, Australian Bureau of Meteorology

Australia is facing an increase in extreme heat, fire danger weather, floods and marine heatwaves, according to the latest biennial snapshot from the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO.

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