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Nutritional ecology of free ranging herbivores. Australian grasslands underpin most of our livestock industries and provide important habitats for many native plants and animals. In order to manage these areas sustainably, farmers and other land managers need to know how much food animals consume and how the nutritional quality of that food varies. However there is no simple way of doing this and this prevents timely manipulation of stock numbers and limits our ability to predict fluctuations i ....Nutritional ecology of free ranging herbivores. Australian grasslands underpin most of our livestock industries and provide important habitats for many native plants and animals. In order to manage these areas sustainably, farmers and other land managers need to know how much food animals consume and how the nutritional quality of that food varies. However there is no simple way of doing this and this prevents timely manipulation of stock numbers and limits our ability to predict fluctuations in numbers of native herbivores such as kangaroos. The project will provide a cheap and quick means for ecologists and land managers to incorporate nutritional analyses into their work
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Trade-offs underlying the evolution of female mating strategies. Multiple mating by females (polyandry) is a fundamental problem in behavioural ecology. The project will utilise an Australian species of stingless bee to quantify both the costs and the most probable benefits of polyandry. This will provide insight into the trade-offs underlying the evolution of mating strategies in this species and in general. Stingless bees are important members of many Australian ecosystems and have consider ....Trade-offs underlying the evolution of female mating strategies. Multiple mating by females (polyandry) is a fundamental problem in behavioural ecology. The project will utilise an Australian species of stingless bee to quantify both the costs and the most probable benefits of polyandry. This will provide insight into the trade-offs underlying the evolution of mating strategies in this species and in general. Stingless bees are important members of many Australian ecosystems and have considerable economic potential as well. The knowledge gained during the project will also substantially aid the development and management of the commercial use of stingless bees, which will have both ecological and economic benefits to Australia.Read moreRead less
You are what you eat: can tissues of top predators which show sequential dietary change identify long-term trends in ecosystems? This project uses stable isotope signatures in the whiskers of top predators to determine foraging ecology. We aim to validate current stable isotopic models so this cost-effective tool can be used to examine large scale changes in food web dynamics in one of the world's climate hotspots in the Antarctic. Changes in the Antarctic directly impact the Australian communit ....You are what you eat: can tissues of top predators which show sequential dietary change identify long-term trends in ecosystems? This project uses stable isotope signatures in the whiskers of top predators to determine foraging ecology. We aim to validate current stable isotopic models so this cost-effective tool can be used to examine large scale changes in food web dynamics in one of the world's climate hotspots in the Antarctic. Changes in the Antarctic directly impact the Australian community as our climate is affected by changes in Antarctica. As this project is part of an International Polar Year Program, Impact of CLImate induced glacial melting on marine and terrestric COastal communities on a gradient along the Western Antarctic PENinsula (ClicOPEN), it strengthens Australia's international scientific links and exposes Australia's future scientists to internationally collaborative research which is of global significance.Read moreRead less
Insights into macroevolution using a model adaptive radiation of lizards (Lerista). Australia has arguably the greatest diversity of lizards in the world. This research will investigate how this diversity arose, using Lerista, a radiation of skinks with over 80 species spanning fully limbed to totally legless forms. We will investigate how development, geographic distribution and morphological features have influenced the evolutionary diversification of Lerista. We will also map the biodivers ....Insights into macroevolution using a model adaptive radiation of lizards (Lerista). Australia has arguably the greatest diversity of lizards in the world. This research will investigate how this diversity arose, using Lerista, a radiation of skinks with over 80 species spanning fully limbed to totally legless forms. We will investigate how development, geographic distribution and morphological features have influenced the evolutionary diversification of Lerista. We will also map the biodiversity of Lerista across Australia using (and thus testing) several alternative methods of quantifying biodiversity. Such knowledge is important as many hotspots of Lerista diversity are coming under increasing human pressure (e.g. mid-coast of WA), and many species have very localised ranges.Read moreRead less
Extrinsic Control of Mammalian Germ Cell Delineation. Australia is a leader in the recent exciting breakthroughs in reproduction and development, such as cloning and embryonic stem cell propagation, and understanding how germ cells are specified would help us understand the biology underlying specification and developmental potential of all cells. This research will continue to contribute to maintaining Australia's high reputation in advances in reproductive biology. In addition, a greater under ....Extrinsic Control of Mammalian Germ Cell Delineation. Australia is a leader in the recent exciting breakthroughs in reproduction and development, such as cloning and embryonic stem cell propagation, and understanding how germ cells are specified would help us understand the biology underlying specification and developmental potential of all cells. This research will continue to contribute to maintaining Australia's high reputation in advances in reproductive biology. In addition, a greater understanding of marsupial reproduction is a high priority for Australia in the 21st century, with its current unacceptably high rate of mammalian extinctions, for 'we cannot conserve until we comprehend' (Short, 1985).The results therefore are of great potential benefit to society.
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Reproductive technologies for the conservation of a critically endangered marsupial, the Gilberts potoroo. The Gilberts potoroo is currently Australia's most endangered mammal (population total is less than 40). Natural breeding in captivity has not been successful so reproductive technology, especially artificial insemination, will be developed contribute to the survival of the species. This will involve detailed testing of techniques for semen collection and preservation, oestrus detection an ....Reproductive technologies for the conservation of a critically endangered marsupial, the Gilberts potoroo. The Gilberts potoroo is currently Australia's most endangered mammal (population total is less than 40). Natural breeding in captivity has not been successful so reproductive technology, especially artificial insemination, will be developed contribute to the survival of the species. This will involve detailed testing of techniques for semen collection and preservation, oestrus detection and artificial insemination, initially with the closely related Long-nosed potoroo. Once reliable protocols are developed, they will be applied to the Gilberts potoroo. If successful, this will be the first application of artificial insemination to increasing the numbers of a threatened species of marsupial in Australia.Read moreRead less
Climate change and cryptic biodiversity in the Australian arid-zone: Molecular phylogeny-based assessment of conservation priorities. Australia's arid zone comprises two thirds of the country yet from a climate change, biodiversity, and conservation point of view it has received little attention relative to eastern Australia. The project will address broad questions in evolutionary biology with unique Australian systems, make a world class contribution to the fields of phylogeography, molecular ....Climate change and cryptic biodiversity in the Australian arid-zone: Molecular phylogeny-based assessment of conservation priorities. Australia's arid zone comprises two thirds of the country yet from a climate change, biodiversity, and conservation point of view it has received little attention relative to eastern Australia. The project will address broad questions in evolutionary biology with unique Australian systems, make a world class contribution to the fields of phylogeography, molecular phylogenetics and conservation genetics and contribute substantially to the continued training of high quality research students and postdoctoral fellows. The project directly addresses two National Priority Research Areas and will supply of critical information to the eight biggest of the 57 Natural Resource Management Regions. Read moreRead less
Comparative phylogeography and conservation genetics of Australia's biodiversity hotspot. Southwestern Australia has been identified as one of the world's 25 biodiversity hotspots. The project will address broad questions in evolutionary biology with unique Australian systems, make a world class contribution to the fields of phylogeography, molecular phylogenetics and conservation genetics and contribute substantially to the continued training of high quality research students. I am a foundation ....Comparative phylogeography and conservation genetics of Australia's biodiversity hotspot. Southwestern Australia has been identified as one of the world's 25 biodiversity hotspots. The project will address broad questions in evolutionary biology with unique Australian systems, make a world class contribution to the fields of phylogeography, molecular phylogenetics and conservation genetics and contribute substantially to the continued training of high quality research students. I am a foundation member of the new ARC Environmental Futures Network: Discovering the Past and Present to Shape the Future. One of its primary listed objectives is "documenting Australia's biodiversity: recognising, understanding and managing key hotspots". My research plan fits in precisely with this research agenda. Read moreRead less
Movement patterns and behavioural strategies of Estuarine Crocodiles: A long-term remote monitoring study using an underwater acoustic array. The on-going recovery of the estuarine crocodile population is creating a paradox for Australians. Although a salient species, an iconic animal, and a firm tourist attraction, estuarine crocodiles pose a significant risk to the public. Knowledge of where crocodiles go, what they do when they get there, and why they select particular habitats at certain tim ....Movement patterns and behavioural strategies of Estuarine Crocodiles: A long-term remote monitoring study using an underwater acoustic array. The on-going recovery of the estuarine crocodile population is creating a paradox for Australians. Although a salient species, an iconic animal, and a firm tourist attraction, estuarine crocodiles pose a significant risk to the public. Knowledge of where crocodiles go, what they do when they get there, and why they select particular habitats at certain times is critical for sustaining the Australian crocodile population, whilst ensuring public safety. This long term study will utilise the latest advancement in underwater acoustic technology to monitor the behavioural and physiological strategies used by estuarine crocodiles in occupying critical habitats, providing vital information for resource managers and policy makers. Read moreRead less
What's bred in bone: effects of thyroid hormone supplementation on bone growth and remodelling in ectotherms and endotherms. Influence of resting metabolic rate (RMR) and exercise activity on bone microstructure is investigated in a variety of amniote taxa. By varying the dose of supplemental triiodothyronine (T3), ectotherms are made hyperthyroid with elevated RMR, and endotherms - hypothyroid with depressed RMR. Effects of T3 are compared against those of mechanical loading, in form of increa ....What's bred in bone: effects of thyroid hormone supplementation on bone growth and remodelling in ectotherms and endotherms. Influence of resting metabolic rate (RMR) and exercise activity on bone microstructure is investigated in a variety of amniote taxa. By varying the dose of supplemental triiodothyronine (T3), ectotherms are made hyperthyroid with elevated RMR, and endotherms - hypothyroid with depressed RMR. Effects of T3 are compared against those of mechanical loading, in form of increased daily treadmill exercise. Rates of bone growth and secondary remodelling are determined by histological analysis, and correlated with T3 and bone strain levels. The study tests the hypothesis that evolution of endothermy can be inferred from bone microstructure of fossil bones.Read moreRead less