Antarctic penguins climate change winners

A COLONY of Antarctic penguins could be excused for feeling like climate change's big winners.

A study has found a group of Adelie penguins on Beaufort Island in the Ross Sea, 3500km south of New Zealand, has significantly boosted its numbers as nearby glaciers have receded.

A team of US and New Zealand-based scientists has used aerial photographs from as far back as 1958 and modern satellite imagery to measure nesting areas and population.

"Population size varied with available habitat, and both increased rapidly since the mid-1980s," the team found.

Numbers in the colony increased by 84 per cent as habitat grew by 71 per cent.

Between 1983-2010, habitat grew by 20 per cent as a snow-ice field near the colony retreated more than 500 metres.

The researchers say their findings are markedly different to what could be expected in other Adelie penguin habitats, where warm temperatures are causing population decline.

The team found average temperatures at the US's nearby McMurdo Station had increased by one degree Celsius between 1958 and 2010, most of it between 1980-2000.

They said temperatures in the October-December snow melt period had increased 3.2 degrees.

"Our results are in line with predictions that major ice shelves and glaciers will retreat rapidly elsewhere in the Antarctic," the researchers said in an article published in the journal PLOS ONE.

An increased prevalence of silverfish, which are eaten by the penguins, could also have contributed to the thriving population.

Fishing for Antarctic toothfish in the Ross Sea has reduced the competition for silverfish, meaning more food for the penguin colony.

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Mystery surrounds accused killer's name change

Daniel Morcombe. Picture: Supplied. Source: The Courier-Mail

Daniel's parents Denise and Bruce Morcombe arrive at court for day one of the committal hearing. Picture: Philip Norrish. Source: news.com.au

Daniel Morcombe touched the heart of a nation. Picture: Supplied.
Source: The Courier-Mail

• Brett Peter Cowan changed his name to Shadoo Nunya Hunter
• The meaning of Cowan's new name remains a mystery
• Cowan to be addressed by his natural name at trial

DEFENCE lawyers for the man accused of Daniel Morcombe's murder do not know why their client changed his name prior to his arrest.

Brett Peter Cowan changed his name to Shadoo (pronounced Shadow) Nunya Hunter in the years between Daniel's disappearance and the 2010 inquest into his suspected murder, at which Cowan was a person of interest.

Within months of the inquest being adjourned in 2011, Cowan was charged with murder, child stealing, deprivation of liberty, indecent treatment of a child and interfering with a corpse.

The 43-year-old's odd name change was revealed during the cross-examination of a lead investigator at his committal hearing in February.

At the committal, defence lawyer Michael Bosscher asked Detective Senior Sergeant Stephen Blanchfield whether the accused had legally changed his name to Shadoo Nunya Hunter.

''My understanding is that is now his legal name,'' the detective said.

Tim Meehan, of Bosscher Lawyers, told news.com.au that the defence team became aware of the name change upon taking on their client.

"He hasn't (provided an explanation for the name change) and it's not something we've pushed with him," he said.

"I can't guess as to what the motivation was or whether there's any special meaning or whether it attaches to anything in popular culture or whether it's just a name.

"People change their names all the time - it's not anything unusual. People do it often and for any number of different reasons."

Mr Meehan said the defence team addressed Cowan by his natural name and that his client had never insisted on being called Shadoo.

It is understood police were aware of the name change at the time of Cowan's arrest but charged him under his natural name anyway.

Mr Meehan said he was unsure what name Cowan's family used to address him.

"I don't talk about his family with him," he said.

"(Our communication) is just solely related to us defending him."

While the meaning of Shadoo Nunya Hunter is unknown, the name has a range of popular culture inferences.

Shadow Hunters is a survival board game set in a forest in which three groups of characters - the Shadows, creatures of the night; the Hunters, humans who try to destroy supernatural creatures; and the Neutrals, civilians caught in the middle of this ancient battle - struggle against each other to survive. 

The key to winning is to identify allies and enemies because once a players' identity is revealed, their enemies will attack with impunity.

There is a series of Shadowhunter novels in which shadowhunters, a magical race of beings that are half angel and half human, endeavour to protect the world from demons and other supernatural forces.

There is a Shadow Hunter comic book series by Virgin Comics and porn star Jenna Jameson.

There is also a 13-episode documentary television series about the paranormal called Shadow Hunter.

The only known meaning for "Nunya" is that it is slang for "none of your business".

It is believed Cowan probably changed his name in his home state of Western Australia.

The WA Department of the Attorney General said police checks were not performed against every name-change application but that the Registry ran police checks "in certain circumstances".

A trial date for Cowan, who remains segregated from other inmates at Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre in Queensland, is expected to soon be set for as early as this year. 

Mr Meehan said the defence team were ready.

"It just needs to be done," he said.

"We're happy to just get in and do it really.

"(A trial this year would be good) for absolutely everyone involved."

News.com.au understands Cowan will be addressed by his natural name at his trial.

However, University of Adelaide Advocacy and Justice Unit director David Caruso said this would change if Cowan was found guilty.

"If he's convicted he has to be sentenced and so forth as the law recognises him and the law recognises him by his legal name," he said.

Follow @itsKShort or email kristin.shorten@news.com.au

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