Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101535

Funder

Australian Research Council

Funding Amount

$363,000.00

Summary

Ancient genomics of Western Australian taxa to inform conservation management. The project aims to apply genomic approaches to infer the genetic health and evolutionary history of three threatened, iconic Western Australian taxa: black cockatoos, ghost bats and woylies. Genomic data provide a powerful lens through which to study species, but the applications of genomic techniques in conservation biology have been sparse. Effective restoration and conservation initiatives require an understanding .... Ancient genomics of Western Australian taxa to inform conservation management. The project aims to apply genomic approaches to infer the genetic health and evolutionary history of three threatened, iconic Western Australian taxa: black cockatoos, ghost bats and woylies. Genomic data provide a powerful lens through which to study species, but the applications of genomic techniques in conservation biology have been sparse. Effective restoration and conservation initiatives require an understanding of species' former population sizes, connectivity and biodiversity. The project seeks to elucidate the population genetic, phylogenetic, and conservation genetic parameters of the three species at the genomic level using DNA isolated from modern and ancient sources (eg museum skins and fossils). The information gained may inform conservation efforts for some of Australia’s endangered biota.
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