Community & Business
9 February, 2025
Northern koalas in the spotlight
KOALAS living in our region is the subject of a free talk to be held at Malanda this Thursday.
The Tree Kangaroo and Mammal Group is inviting everyone to the free public presentation on 6 February in the Malanda Hotel, starting at 7.30pm.
Roger Martin, the well-known wildlife ecologist who is one of the most experienced scientists studying wild koala populations, will present a talk on the mating system of the Northern Koala.
Since Roger has been studying our northern koalas, much has been learned already that gives a significant boost to understanding why this population in northern Queensland may be highly important.
One aspect is their rich genetic diversity compared with southern populations. A major study recently published by scientists from the University of Sydney reported a decline in the genetic diversity of koala populations throughout Eastern Australia.
Northern koalas were the most genetically diverse of the populations sampled, with a koala from the Atherton Tablelands showing one of the highest individual levels of diversity.
These researchers suggested the situation in the south has developed as a consequence of habitat destruction (from urban development and catastrophic fires) and in-breeding, as a result of koalas being packed into isolated patches of remnant habitat.
In this talk, Roger will describe some of the distinctive characteristics of the sparse koala populations of the north, their mating system and how it ensures a high level of outbreeding.
