A biological basis for the efficient breeding of native plants for export markets: a case study with the Australian Goodeniaceae. The native plant family Goodeniaceae exhibits enormous potential for the world potted-plant trade. To provide vital biological information for the efficient breeding of these plants, we will (i) determine the molecular evolutionary relationships of species, (ii) assess chromosomal variation within and among species, (iii) characterise mating patterns in natural popul ....A biological basis for the efficient breeding of native plants for export markets: a case study with the Australian Goodeniaceae. The native plant family Goodeniaceae exhibits enormous potential for the world potted-plant trade. To provide vital biological information for the efficient breeding of these plants, we will (i) determine the molecular evolutionary relationships of species, (ii) assess chromosomal variation within and among species, (iii) characterise mating patterns in natural populations using DNA fingerprinting for paternity analysis, (iv) develop techniques to overcome barriers to wide crossing, and (v) use DNA fingerprinting for the rapid identification of artificial hybrids. Expected outcomes are an understanding of evolution and mating in the Goodeniaceae and the efficient development of horticulturally significant materialRead moreRead less
Were the Tertiary radiations of the Australian flora synchronous? A molecular phylogenetic approach. The fossil record shows that in a short period from about 20 Mya, the ancestral Gondwanan rainforest gave way to the unique Australian ?sclerophyll? flora dominated by eucalypts, acacias and casuarinas. This coincided with a drying climate and the advent of fire. It is hypothesized that ?explosive? evolutionary radiations rapidly increased the number of sclerophyll species, rather than a mere r ....Were the Tertiary radiations of the Australian flora synchronous? A molecular phylogenetic approach. The fossil record shows that in a short period from about 20 Mya, the ancestral Gondwanan rainforest gave way to the unique Australian ?sclerophyll? flora dominated by eucalypts, acacias and casuarinas. This coincided with a drying climate and the advent of fire. It is hypothesized that ?explosive? evolutionary radiations rapidly increased the number of sclerophyll species, rather than a mere range expansion of pre-existing species. In a novel approach, molecular phylogenies of several distantly related plant groups will be used to test whether explosive evolutionary radiations took place simultaneously and to identify the environmental triggers.Read moreRead less
Molecular approaches for the exploitation of genetic diversity in subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) for profitable Australian farming systems. Subterranean clover is the most widely sown annual pasture legume species in southern Australia. It is native to the Mediterranean basin and has been sown over an estimated area of 22 million ha. This project will provide breeders with a focused core germplasm collection representing the range of genetic diversity of the around 8000 accessio ....Molecular approaches for the exploitation of genetic diversity in subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) for profitable Australian farming systems. Subterranean clover is the most widely sown annual pasture legume species in southern Australia. It is native to the Mediterranean basin and has been sown over an estimated area of 22 million ha. This project will provide breeders with a focused core germplasm collection representing the range of genetic diversity of the around 8000 accessions in the original collection. The focused core collection will lead to more efficient and effective breeding of elite cultivars for sustainable and profitable farming systems to benefit wool, meat and grains industries.Read moreRead less
Australia's monsoon tropical flora: invader or relict? The monsoonal tropics is a large region with unique yet poorly understood biodiversity. It is undergoing rapid agricultural, urban and tourist development, all of which threaten the sustainability of that biodiversity. The region includes three World Heritage areas, all with flora in their listed values: Kakadu National Park, Purnulu NP (Bungle Bungles) and Riversleigh. Additionally, the Kimberley is considered one of the last great wilderne ....Australia's monsoon tropical flora: invader or relict? The monsoonal tropics is a large region with unique yet poorly understood biodiversity. It is undergoing rapid agricultural, urban and tourist development, all of which threaten the sustainability of that biodiversity. The region includes three World Heritage areas, all with flora in their listed values: Kakadu National Park, Purnulu NP (Bungle Bungles) and Riversleigh. Additionally, the Kimberley is considered one of the last great wilderness areas in the world. This project will help us understand the evolutionary and geographic origins of the biodiversity of the monsoonal tropics, including the World Heritage areas, and it will identify those components that are uniquely Australian and therefore have the greatest heritage values.Read moreRead less
Distinguishing among patterns of extinction and speciation through geological and climatic change: a molecular modelling approach. This research will enhance our understanding of the ancient origins of Australia's unique floral heritage. By developing new molecular modelling methods, it will strengthen Australia's position at the cutting edge of evolutionary phylogenetics. When Australia separated from Gondwana by continental drift 32 million years ago, the changed ocean circulation patterns tri ....Distinguishing among patterns of extinction and speciation through geological and climatic change: a molecular modelling approach. This research will enhance our understanding of the ancient origins of Australia's unique floral heritage. By developing new molecular modelling methods, it will strengthen Australia's position at the cutting edge of evolutionary phylogenetics. When Australia separated from Gondwana by continental drift 32 million years ago, the changed ocean circulation patterns triggered global climate change. The result was turnover of biota world-wide and dramatic changes within Australia. We will develop new insights into the rate and mode of these changes that will have international significance. Understanding the long-term turnover of flora from previous global climate changes will help to predict the impact of current and future climate change.Read moreRead less
Molecular phylogeny and biodiversity of the plant family Rutaceae: evidence for Australian-New Caledonian biogeography. The results will contribute biological evidence for geological models of the evolution of New Caledonia and the Southwest Pacific region. Analyses will also contribute to improvement of methods and data interpretation in the field of historical biogeography. The molecular phylogeny will be the foundation for a new predictive classification of Australian Rutaceae at the level ....Molecular phylogeny and biodiversity of the plant family Rutaceae: evidence for Australian-New Caledonian biogeography. The results will contribute biological evidence for geological models of the evolution of New Caledonia and the Southwest Pacific region. Analyses will also contribute to improvement of methods and data interpretation in the field of historical biogeography. The molecular phylogeny will be the foundation for a new predictive classification of Australian Rutaceae at the level of tribes and genera. Improved phylogenetic classification underpins the delivery of biodiversity research, goods and services in Australia. Outcomes of improved taxonomy include species identification for ecological studies, identification of rare species, geographic areas of high conservation value and plants for horticulture.Read moreRead less
Developing biogeographic know-how: Improving species divergence and dispersal estimations to examine geological and climatic evolutionary drivers. Anthropogenic activity over the last 150 years is now dramatically changing our global climate and ecosystems. The impact on biodiversity is already evident, and large-scale floral and faunal extinctions are predicted. This study unites a cohort of international experts in an interdisciplinary team to develop new molecular and mathematical methods to ....Developing biogeographic know-how: Improving species divergence and dispersal estimations to examine geological and climatic evolutionary drivers. Anthropogenic activity over the last 150 years is now dramatically changing our global climate and ecosystems. The impact on biodiversity is already evident, and large-scale floral and faunal extinctions are predicted. This study unites a cohort of international experts in an interdisciplinary team to develop new molecular and mathematical methods to expand our fundamental knowledge on how geological and global climate change have affected our world's species components and ecosystems in the past. This research is of environmental significance and global importance as it will improve our ability to predict how species behave under future predicted climate scenarios.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0344009
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$300,000.00
Summary
South Australian Regional Facility for Molecular Evolution and Ecology. Adelaide and Flinders Universities and their partners, the South Australian Museum and the South Australian Research and Development Institute, seek to enhance the throughput and efficiency of molecular genotyping for the large amount of research undertaken in Adelaide in the general areas of molecular evolution and ecology, and to enhance long-term storage and accessibility of the valuable biological materials used for geno ....South Australian Regional Facility for Molecular Evolution and Ecology. Adelaide and Flinders Universities and their partners, the South Australian Museum and the South Australian Research and Development Institute, seek to enhance the throughput and efficiency of molecular genotyping for the large amount of research undertaken in Adelaide in the general areas of molecular evolution and ecology, and to enhance long-term storage and accessibility of the valuable biological materials used for genotyping. This will be achieved by developing a new fully integrated, jointly managed regional facility, that serves all relevant research groups in South Australia.Read moreRead less
A predictive phylogenetic classification for Australian acacias and their tropical legume relatives worldwide. The results of this project will provide the foundation for a new predictive classification of Australian acacias and their relatives, among tropical legumes. Improved phylogenetic classification will underpin the delivery of biodiversity research, goods and services in Australia and neighbouring tropical countries. Outcomes of improved taxonomy include species identification and spec ....A predictive phylogenetic classification for Australian acacias and their tropical legume relatives worldwide. The results of this project will provide the foundation for a new predictive classification of Australian acacias and their relatives, among tropical legumes. Improved phylogenetic classification will underpin the delivery of biodiversity research, goods and services in Australia and neighbouring tropical countries. Outcomes of improved taxonomy include species identification and species selection in various industries and environmental programs. Acacias and legumes are used in agro-forestry, as shade trees for crops, fuel wood, stock feed, nitrogen fixation, planting for land reclamation in arid and salinity-affected areas, and as new plantation timber products. Read moreRead less
Anatomy of a biodiversity hotspot: investigating the evolutionary and ecological basis of high plant diversity in southwestern Australia. Southwestern Australia - Australia's only global biodiversity hotspot - has an exceptionally rich flora but has suffered extensive habitat loss, so many rare plants are threatened with extinction. Further, this region is expected to suffer severely under projected climate change scenarios, lending urgency to efforts to describe and understand the regions plant ....Anatomy of a biodiversity hotspot: investigating the evolutionary and ecological basis of high plant diversity in southwestern Australia. Southwestern Australia - Australia's only global biodiversity hotspot - has an exceptionally rich flora but has suffered extensive habitat loss, so many rare plants are threatened with extinction. Further, this region is expected to suffer severely under projected climate change scenarios, lending urgency to efforts to describe and understand the regions plant biodiversity. This project will provide the first description and analysis of an important but hitherto little-known aspect of biodiversity, the evolutionary structure of ecological communities. This will enhance our understanding of how communities are assembled, providing a stronger scientific basis for sustainable management of the southwest's biodiversity.Read moreRead less