Biomolecular chemical survival strategies of terrestrial extremophiles and the spectroscopic search for life on Mars. This project is aimed to place Australian research at the forefront of developments in the search for extraterrestrial life, the evolution of life on earth, and the design of new probes for the identification of microorganisms. The research will link key centres in Australia and the UK with international space agencies (NASA and the European Space Agency) in the search for cutti ....Biomolecular chemical survival strategies of terrestrial extremophiles and the spectroscopic search for life on Mars. This project is aimed to place Australian research at the forefront of developments in the search for extraterrestrial life, the evolution of life on earth, and the design of new probes for the identification of microorganisms. The research will link key centres in Australia and the UK with international space agencies (NASA and the European Space Agency) in the search for cutting edge techniques to be used in the search for extraterrestrial life forms and their links to paleo and extremophile life forms on Earth. Read moreRead less
Environmental change in northern Cenozoic Australia: a multidisciplinary approach. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that by 2020 to 2050, Australia will suffer significant biodiversity loss and water shortages. Our research will document and date the evolution of Australia's biota through three cycles of climate change over the last 25 million years to quantify and thereby better anticipate the nature and dimension of threats facing our natural and cultural communities ....Environmental change in northern Cenozoic Australia: a multidisciplinary approach. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that by 2020 to 2050, Australia will suffer significant biodiversity loss and water shortages. Our research will document and date the evolution of Australia's biota through three cycles of climate change over the last 25 million years to quantify and thereby better anticipate the nature and dimension of threats facing our natural and cultural communities. We will develop innovative techniques to date prehistoric biotic and climatic events and, using a range of tracers, characterize ancient environments and groundwater. This project will assist rural and regional Australia through education and job creation in geotourism and natural resource interpretation and provide a mechanism to combat generational skill shortage.Read moreRead less
The mechanics of being human. This project will lead to far more detailed understanding of skull mechanics in our own lineage. Results will be of great interest to international scholars in both evolutionary and biomedical fields and help to establish a primary position for Australia in the rapidly expanding area of computer simulation of biological structure. Further development on our own established protocols for automated transfer of CT scan data into finite element models, which have alread ....The mechanics of being human. This project will lead to far more detailed understanding of skull mechanics in our own lineage. Results will be of great interest to international scholars in both evolutionary and biomedical fields and help to establish a primary position for Australia in the rapidly expanding area of computer simulation of biological structure. Further development on our own established protocols for automated transfer of CT scan data into finite element models, which have already improved speed, accuracy and realism, will take finite element analysis to a point at which it can be more readily applied to evolutionary, biomedical and safety design questions.Read moreRead less
Time frame for the evolution of Australia's extraordinary mammals. This Project will refine a national biostratigraphic framework integrating growing understanding about the history of Australia's unique mammals, climate change and geological events. Increasing precision in correlating Australia's phylogenetic, palaeoecological and palaeoclimatological events will clarify how these act synergistically to change environments and biodiversity. Increased precision in the biostratigraphic framework ....Time frame for the evolution of Australia's extraordinary mammals. This Project will refine a national biostratigraphic framework integrating growing understanding about the history of Australia's unique mammals, climate change and geological events. Increasing precision in correlating Australia's phylogenetic, palaeoecological and palaeoclimatological events will clarify how these act synergistically to change environments and biodiversity. Increased precision in the biostratigraphic framework will also serve evolutionary genetics which needs age data to calculate molecular rates of divergence, economic geologists needing to know the age of Cainozoic sediments, biologists trying to understand the origins and nature of biodiversity and conservationists using divergence dates and relative branch lengths to help determine conservation priorities. Read moreRead less
The Cambrian Population Explosion of Arthropods in Australia: Ediacaran origins, evolution and biodiversity. This project addresses key questions on the origin and diversification of life, by investigating the evolution of the most important fossil group (arthropods) across arguably the most important event after the origin of life (the Cambrian explosion of macroscopic life). It will also excavate, promote and conserve two key geological resources of national importance, in the Flinders Ranges ....The Cambrian Population Explosion of Arthropods in Australia: Ediacaran origins, evolution and biodiversity. This project addresses key questions on the origin and diversification of life, by investigating the evolution of the most important fossil group (arthropods) across arguably the most important event after the origin of life (the Cambrian explosion of macroscopic life). It will also excavate, promote and conserve two key geological resources of national importance, in the Flinders Ranges and Kangaroo Island. Also, it will lead to increased knowledge of the palaeoecology and geology of the economically-important Adelaide geosyncline, and benefit rural SA communities through ecotourism, a rural schools education program, and public outreach.Read moreRead less
Predicting Biodiversity from Population Dynamics. This research aims to deepen our understanding of how changes to the environment, including those attributable to human activities, influence the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that generate and maintain biodiversity. This understanding is of urgent importance, in light of the predicted changes in climate and habitat over the next century, because biodiversity is critical to the proper functioning of ecosystems that human societies depend ....Predicting Biodiversity from Population Dynamics. This research aims to deepen our understanding of how changes to the environment, including those attributable to human activities, influence the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that generate and maintain biodiversity. This understanding is of urgent importance, in light of the predicted changes in climate and habitat over the next century, because biodiversity is critical to the proper functioning of ecosystems that human societies depend upon. The graduate student involved in this research will have the opportunity to receive in-depth training as part of a cross-disciplinary collaboration that combines mathematics, ecology, evolution, and paleontology.
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Oxygenating the Earth: using innovative techniques to resolve the timing of the origin of oxygen-producing photosynthesis in cyanobacteria. The early Earth was a hostile place with little oxygen in the atmosphere. Then cyanobacteria ('blue-green algae') invented oxygen-releasing photosynthesis. That profound event affected many fundamental processes, from the course of evolution to the formation of ore deposits. However, estimates of when these bacteria originated are disputed with uncertainties ....Oxygenating the Earth: using innovative techniques to resolve the timing of the origin of oxygen-producing photosynthesis in cyanobacteria. The early Earth was a hostile place with little oxygen in the atmosphere. Then cyanobacteria ('blue-green algae') invented oxygen-releasing photosynthesis. That profound event affected many fundamental processes, from the course of evolution to the formation of ore deposits. However, estimates of when these bacteria originated are disputed with uncertainties of hundreds of millions of years. We will resolve those uncertainties. We have developed new analytical techniques that we will apply to well-preserved 2.7-2.8 billion-year-old rocks in Western Australia. We will couple that approach to the use of the latest genetic techniques to reveal the origins of living cyanobacteria.Read moreRead less
Unlocking archives of faunal dispersal and extinction: the key to reconstructing palaeoenvironmental change in Southeast Asia. The influence of environmental change on faunal populations is a pressing issue for Australian communities in environmentally sensitive areas. This will be addressed by documenting how fauna (and humans) in Southeast Asia, our nearest neighbours, responded to environmental challenges. Revealing when humans dispersed through the region and how they adapted will contribute ....Unlocking archives of faunal dispersal and extinction: the key to reconstructing palaeoenvironmental change in Southeast Asia. The influence of environmental change on faunal populations is a pressing issue for Australian communities in environmentally sensitive areas. This will be addressed by documenting how fauna (and humans) in Southeast Asia, our nearest neighbours, responded to environmental challenges. Revealing when humans dispersed through the region and how they adapted will contribute to our understanding of the cultural heritage of Australia's indigenous settlers. This project will develop established Indonesian collaborations, encourage new collaborations with Chinese, Thai, English and Dutch researchers to promote Australian research on a world stage, and pioneer new dating methodologies to enhance Australia's place at the forefront of geochronology.Read moreRead less
The evolution of Australian rainforest faunas and the implications of continuing climate change. Australia's rainforest animals and ecosystems have been evolving for millions of years yet we routinely use only the last 200 years to assess changes that will affect their future - far too short a time interval to distinguish short-term perturbations from long-term trends in lineage health or community response. Our multidisciplinary team proposes to learn from 55 million years of response to rainfa ....The evolution of Australian rainforest faunas and the implications of continuing climate change. Australia's rainforest animals and ecosystems have been evolving for millions of years yet we routinely use only the last 200 years to assess changes that will affect their future - far too short a time interval to distinguish short-term perturbations from long-term trends in lineage health or community response. Our multidisciplinary team proposes to learn from 55 million years of response to rainfall and other climate change documented by the spectacular national, natural treasures in the fossil deposits of Tingamarra, Riversleigh and Rockhampton, to assess probable impacts of future environmental change and inform development of effective, long-term conservation strategies for rainforest communities. Read moreRead less
In search of the first Asian hominins: excavations at Mata Menge, Flores, Indonesia. Australian researchers will undertake a large, interdisciplinary project concerned with the most fundamental issues in hominin evolution and dispersal in collaboration with high profile Indonesian and American institutions. This project will strengthen international ties; will create other research, educational and exchange opportunities; and will provide a venue for training of local people, postgraduate studen ....In search of the first Asian hominins: excavations at Mata Menge, Flores, Indonesia. Australian researchers will undertake a large, interdisciplinary project concerned with the most fundamental issues in hominin evolution and dispersal in collaboration with high profile Indonesian and American institutions. This project will strengthen international ties; will create other research, educational and exchange opportunities; and will provide a venue for training of local people, postgraduate students, technical staff and other participants in a range of skills (e.g. survey, mapping, excavation, data management).Read moreRead less