NRMjobs Quiz answers 30-Apr-2020

This week’s theme: ‘Rivers’

(1) The Murray River’s flow is severely constrained by three narrow points as it passes through the redgum forest area downstream of Tocumwal. What do river managers call this constrained reach?

Answer: The Barmah Choke.

(2) What do the following five rivers have in common?: Hunter River (NSW), Murray River (NSW/Vic/SA), Lockhart River (Qld), Serpentine River (Tas) and Fitzroy River (Qld).

Answer: They all have counterparts in Western Australia (ie. rivers of the same name).

(3) What is the largest constructed reservoir in Australia? (bonus point: what is the second largest?).

Answer: Lake Gordon (Tasmania). Bonus: Lake Argyle (WA).

(4) Which famous scientist published an explanation in 1926 of why rivers meander?

Answer: Albert Einstein (‘Die Ursache der Mäanderbildung der Flußläufe und des sogenannten Baerschen Gesetzes’, Naturwissenschaften, 14, 223–224, 1926).

(5) What two rivers were dammed in the 1970s to flood Lake Pedder, transforming it into Tasmania’s second largest lake? (one point each).

Answer: Serpentine River and Huon River.

NRMjobs Quiz answers 23-Apr-2020

This week’s theme: ‘Frogs’

(1) What recently extinct Queensland frog species has been the subject of a much-publicised ‘Lazarus project’ aimed at resurrecting the species?

Answer: The gastric brooding frog (Rheobatrachus vitellinus / Rheobatrachus silus).

(2) What is the name of the mythological frog who in a popular Aboriginal legend swallowed all the fresh water in the world? (bonus point: what animal succeeded in making him release the water again?)

Answer: Tiddalik (aka Molok). Bonus: Nabunum the eel.

(3) Which famous Australian herpetologist, known as ‘The Frog Man’, died in Adelaide on 26 March this year?

Answer: Professor Mike Tyler.

(4) What disease, discovered by Australian researcher Lee Berger in 1998, has caused the decline and extinction of numerous frog species in Australia and throughout the world?

Answer: Amphibian chytrid fungus (Chytridiomycosis).

(5) Why until the 1960s did medical laboratories keep large breeding populations of exotic African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis)?

Answer: To use as human pregnancy tests (urine injected from a pregnant woman triggered egg-laying in the frogs).

NRMjobs Quiz answers 16-Apr-2020

This week’s theme: ‘Fire’

(1) In what year was Victoria’s Country Fire Authority officially established? (bonus points: in what year was NSW’s Rural Fire Service officially established?)

Answer: 1945 (bonus point: 1997).

(2) Three Australian raptor species – whistling kites, black kites and brown falcons – have been dubbed collectively as ‘firehawks’. Why?

Answer: During fires they reportedly carry away burning twigs and use them to ignite new areas, in order to flush out prey.

(3) In February 2020 the Federal Government established a Royal Commission into National Disaster Arrangements (aka the Bushfires Royal Commission), and appointed three commissioners. Who are they? (one point each).

Answer: Air Vice Marshal Mark Binskin, Dr Annabelle Bennett & Professor Andrew Macintosh.

(4) The term ‘fire-stick farming’ was coined in a 1969 book authored by an Australian archaeologist. What was the archaeologist’s name? (bonus point: what was the title of the book?).

Answer: Rhys Jones (bonus: Fire-Stick Farming).

(5) Approximately how many homes in Australia were lost to bushfires between June 2019 and February 2020? (a) 2,500 (b) 3,500 (c) 4,500 or (d) 5,500.

Answer: (b) 3,500.

NRMjobs Quiz answers 09-Apr-2020

This week's theme: 'Monotremes'

(1) In how many countries do monotremes occur naturally?

Answer: Three (Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia).

(2) What is generally accepted as the common name of a baby monotreme? (bonus point: A former member of which famous Australian rock band is often credited with coining the name?).

Answer: Puggle (bonus: Tony Barber from Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs).

(3) True or false?: Monotremes have no external ears.

Answer: True (monotremes have no pinnae).

(4) The name ‘Echidna’ comes from which people’s ancient mythology?

Answer: Greek.

(5) Monotremes have a rare ‘sixth sense’ which they share with sharks, some fish, bees, cockroaches and one species of dolphin. What is it?

Answer: Electroreception (aka electroception – the ability to perceive electrical stimuli).