Alcheringa (journal)

"Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology" is the official journal of the Association of Australasian Palaeontologists. The journal is international in scope and publishes articles on all aspects of palaeontology and its ramifications into the earth and biological sciences, including: taxonomy, biostratigraphy, micropalaeontology, vertebrate palaeontology, palaeobotany, palynology, palaeobiology, palaeoanatomy, palaeoecology, biostratinomy, biogeography, chronobiology, biogeochemistry and palichnology. The journal was established in 1975 and is currently published as four issues per year. Alcheringa is derived from the Arrernte language of the Arrernte aboriginal people of the Alice Springs area of central Australia. Alcheringa (also spelt "altjeringa") is the popularized English version of an Arunta expression that means 'in the beginning' or 'from all eternity'. [ Strehlow 1971, p. 614] "Alcheringa" is also the name given to a 2.7-2.8 billion year old stromatolite from the Pilbara region of Western Australia, [Walter 1972, p. 123)] and symbolizes the antiquity of life and its record in sedimentary rocks. An image of the stromatolite is illustrated on the cover of the journal.

Notes

References

*Strehlow, T.G.H., 1971. Songs of central Australia. Angus & Robertson, Sydney, liv + 755 pp.
*Walter, M.R., 1972. Stromatolites and the biostratigraphy of the Australian Precambrian and Cambrian. Special Papers in Palaeontology 11, i-x + 190 pp., 33 pl.