Dinosaur, Australia - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

ANSWER: 2+2 dialogue

Explanation:
India and Australia held their first '2+2 dialogue' in New Delhi and highlighted need to maintain Asia-Pacific region as a "free" and "open" zone.

The 2+2 dialogue model between both countries included foreign and defence secretaries.

India and Australia share warm bilateral relations based on shared democratic values and pluralism.

There is a growing convergence of strategic perspectives between the two countries.

2+2 Dialogue: Know More

• It was first meeting of this level since the two sides participated in quadrilateral discussion between India, United States, Australia and Japan in Manila in November 2017 for new strategic partnership targeting the Asia-Pacific region.
• In the 2+2 dialogue, all aspects of bilateral relations with focus on strategic and defence relations between two countries were reviewed.
• Both countries agreed that free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region serves the long-term interests of all countries in the region and of the world at large.
• The dialogue indicated that focus remains on freedom of navigation in South China Sea, where China has been reclaiming land for infrastructure, boosting its maritime influence.

ANSWER: Australia

Explanation:
Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull on 5th July 2016 refused to step down even as opposition labour party leader Bill Shorten called for Turnbull to quit as leader of the Liberal National Party Coalition indicating the premier was out of touch and unable to provide parliamentary stability promised to Australian voters.

• Turnbull said he will not step down from the post and described the Labour leader’s attack as purely political
• Australia has said that there is no such thing as a failed election

ANSWER: Judith

Explanation:
Fossils of dinosaur skulls unearthed in Midwestern United States have revealed two new species namely Machairoceratops cronusi, and Spiclypeus shipporum.

• The latter also nicknamed Judith after the Montana Judith River geological formation is close to 76 million years old and was part of the Chasmosaurine family -- which includes the famous Triceratops -- and had "horns over the eyes, which stuck out sideways from the skull.
• This is a new addition to the family of horned dinosaurs that roamed western North America between 85 and 66 million years ago. Spiclypeus, however, appears to be unique to Montana.
• Its name is combination of two Latin words meaning "spiked shield," and shipporum is a nod to the man who found the fossil on his land, Bill Shipp.
• Another horned dinosaur uncovered in the Wahweap Formation in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah was adorned with two spikes rising out of its neck shield.
• This one, newly named Machairoceratops cronusi, lived around 77 million years ago and weighed one to two tons. Its skull features showed it was unlike any previously known centrosaurine, a subfamily of ceratopsids which were characterized by parrot-like beaks, facial horns and ornate neck shields.

ANSWER: Alaska

Explanation:
The skeleton belongs to a newly-discovered species of duck-billed dinosaur, which was 30-feet long and lived through months of winter darkness and probably snow. It is the dinosaur with the most northernmost habitat ever found known as Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis. Discovery indicates a new world of dinosaurs that could live in snowy conditions and contended with months of darkness.The researchers estimate that there could be at least 13 different dinosaur present in the area — and will now continue to research to find out how they lived in regions that scientists had previously thought to be uninhabitable for reptilian dinosaurs.The new dinosaur is closely related to Edmontosaurus, another duck-billed dinosaur that lived about 70 million years ago.

ANSWER: Australia

Explanation:
World’s longest chain of continental volcanoes put together in the past 33 million years stretch over 2000 km in eastern Australia. Active volcanic chain is running from central Queensland coast’s Cape Hillsborough to New South Wales and Cosgrove in Victoria. This volcanic chain ws created as Australia moved north-northeast over a mantle plume hotspot now located in Bass Strait.

This kind of volcanic activity occurs away from tectonic plate boundaries where most volcanoes are located. Newly discovered volcanic chain is westerly of 3 volcanic chains running across eastern Australia. The fastest moving continent on Earth is Australia currently.

ANSWER: Malcolm Turnbull

Explanation:
Former Australian PM Tony Abbott lost a leadership ballot through members of his own party in a vote 54 Yes to 44 No to replace him. Party whip Scott Buchholz announced that Liberal Party leader and communications minister Malcolm Turnbull will replace Tony Abbott. Turnbull called for a leadership poll following an opinion survey which called for changes to the conservative coalition government.

ANSWER: Heyuan

Explanation:
A nest containing 43 dinosaur egg fossils was found in the city in southern China's Guangdong province. These eggs are large in size and one even has a diameter of 13 cm. All the eggs, which were found on April 2015 have been sent to the museum for further preservation and further research. Nearly 17,000 dinosaur eggs have been found in Heyuan since 1996, when a group of children playing at a building site first came across some fossils. The museum has been recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records for its collection of 10,008 dinosaur egg fossils, the largest in the world.