Biogeography of avian mating systems: polyandry, reverse-plumage dimorphism, and sexual selection in Cape York and New Guinea eclectus parrots. Current sexual selection theory explains how one sex can be strongly sexually selected through competition or mate choice, or how sexual selection can push both sexes in the same direction through mutual mate choice. However, the strong and independent sexual selection in both sexes of eclectus parrot is unique amongst birds, and poses a major challenge ....Biogeography of avian mating systems: polyandry, reverse-plumage dimorphism, and sexual selection in Cape York and New Guinea eclectus parrots. Current sexual selection theory explains how one sex can be strongly sexually selected through competition or mate choice, or how sexual selection can push both sexes in the same direction through mutual mate choice. However, the strong and independent sexual selection in both sexes of eclectus parrot is unique amongst birds, and poses a major challenge to existing theory. Here I propose novel field experiments and biogeographical comparisons of populations in Cape York and New Guinea that, when combined with molecular techniques and spectro-radiometry, will identify the elements of competition and mate choice responsible for their extraordinary reverse plumage dimorphism.Read moreRead less
Interspecific communication and the evolution of alarm calls in birds. There are probably more papers on vocal communication in some individual European and American species of birds than there are on all Australian species combined. Our work will contribute to redressing this imbalance by carrying out detailed studies on acoustic communication in a major group of Australian songbirds (scrubwrens, fairy-wrens, honeyeaters and allies), while at the same time addressing an unsolved general problem ....Interspecific communication and the evolution of alarm calls in birds. There are probably more papers on vocal communication in some individual European and American species of birds than there are on all Australian species combined. Our work will contribute to redressing this imbalance by carrying out detailed studies on acoustic communication in a major group of Australian songbirds (scrubwrens, fairy-wrens, honeyeaters and allies), while at the same time addressing an unsolved general problem in call design first identified 50 years ago in European songbirds. Specifically, we will test whether different prey species have repeatedly evolved 'hawk' alarm calls of similar structure, and whether such evolution could be due to benefits of having similar calls when communicating with other prey species. Read moreRead less
Communication and predation in scrubwrens: alarm calls and eavesdropping. Animal behaviour, including acoustic communication, is shaped by the risk of being killed by predators. Many animals give alarm calls, potentially warning others of danger, and all face the risk that calls intended for conspecifics might be overheard by predators. We will use observations and playback experiments on birds to test what information is conveyed in alarm calls, and measure the risk of predators eavesdropping o ....Communication and predation in scrubwrens: alarm calls and eavesdropping. Animal behaviour, including acoustic communication, is shaped by the risk of being killed by predators. Many animals give alarm calls, potentially warning others of danger, and all face the risk that calls intended for conspecifics might be overheard by predators. We will use observations and playback experiments on birds to test what information is conveyed in alarm calls, and measure the risk of predators eavesdropping on the calls of young birds. Such work has never before been carried out on wild birds, and will contribute to the understanding of non-human communication about the environment and the design of signals.Read moreRead less
What is the genetic relationship between attractiveness, fighting ability and fertilization success in field crickets? The persistence of extravagant male sexual features like horns and bright colours remains a puzzle. There are many theoretical explanations but empirical tests are still rare. This study, which uses selective breeding, will provide insight into the genetic basis of male sexual attractiveness and dominance. Although focused on an endemic field cricket the potential results have w ....What is the genetic relationship between attractiveness, fighting ability and fertilization success in field crickets? The persistence of extravagant male sexual features like horns and bright colours remains a puzzle. There are many theoretical explanations but empirical tests are still rare. This study, which uses selective breeding, will provide insight into the genetic basis of male sexual attractiveness and dominance. Although focused on an endemic field cricket the potential results have wider implications. They may be applicable to many animals of importance to the community, including livestock, domesticated animals, pests and native wildlife. All these animals are subject to selection pressure created by humans. This study will help us understand how selection on one trait (e.g. weight) may influence the evolution of another (e.g. lifespan).Read moreRead less
Not lost in translation: how to get information from other species' calls? Information reduces life's uncertainties, and so underlies adaptive decisions in a changing world. However, the importance of information gained from other species is largely overlooked, despite the flow of information, just like resources, affecting individual fitness and population viability. This project aims to use a novel integration of visual and acoustic ecology to test how animals gain reliable information about p ....Not lost in translation: how to get information from other species' calls? Information reduces life's uncertainties, and so underlies adaptive decisions in a changing world. However, the importance of information gained from other species is largely overlooked, despite the flow of information, just like resources, affecting individual fitness and population viability. This project aims to use a novel integration of visual and acoustic ecology to test how animals gain reliable information about predators by eavesdropping on the alarm calls of other species. Thus, the project focuses on alarm calls because information about danger is critical to animal survival. The outcomes of the project could help us to understand how natural information webs form and function, and so refine predictions about the impact of environmental change on animal communities.Read moreRead less
Sex and mutations - testing the genic capture hypothesis. The proposed project will use a novel method to test a major outstanding theoretical problem in evolutionary biology and behavioural ecology. This will strengthen Australian research in this field and contribute to the growing international recognition it currently receives. The new methods developed will be useful to other researchers interested in mutation, sexual selection and the evolution and maintenance of sex. Part of the project w ....Sex and mutations - testing the genic capture hypothesis. The proposed project will use a novel method to test a major outstanding theoretical problem in evolutionary biology and behavioural ecology. This will strengthen Australian research in this field and contribute to the growing international recognition it currently receives. The new methods developed will be useful to other researchers interested in mutation, sexual selection and the evolution and maintenance of sex. Part of the project will be conducted in collaboration with a leading researcher in the UK. This will strengthen the links between institution in Australia and the UK.Read moreRead less
Lucky in Love: the role of chance in sexual selection. Is luck important in the lives of animals? This project aims to ascertain how much variation in male mating success is attributable to male quality, traits or resources and how much is attributable to luck. Mating is the most important evolutionary process. Male mating success should be highly predictable: males with the best genes, most preferred displays or highest quality resources should attract females. Male mating success is, however, ....Lucky in Love: the role of chance in sexual selection. Is luck important in the lives of animals? This project aims to ascertain how much variation in male mating success is attributable to male quality, traits or resources and how much is attributable to luck. Mating is the most important evolutionary process. Male mating success should be highly predictable: males with the best genes, most preferred displays or highest quality resources should attract females. Male mating success is, however, surprisingly difficult to predict and we currently write off up to 90 per cent of the variance as noise. This project aims to quantify the relative importance of deterministic and stochastic sources of variation in male mating success. Ignored variance may be an untapped opportunity to understand selection.Read moreRead less
Population divergence and the thermal ecology of sexual conflict. This project aims to test how populations of introduced mosquitofish have adapted to local differences in water temperature (such as Tasmania versus Queensland). To what extent has natural selection (for survival) and sexual selection (the ability of males to acquire mates and/or females to resist unwanted matings) driven the local adaptation of populations? Many species have traits that evolve under intense sexual conflict – nota ....Population divergence and the thermal ecology of sexual conflict. This project aims to test how populations of introduced mosquitofish have adapted to local differences in water temperature (such as Tasmania versus Queensland). To what extent has natural selection (for survival) and sexual selection (the ability of males to acquire mates and/or females to resist unwanted matings) driven the local adaptation of populations? Many species have traits that evolve under intense sexual conflict – notably when males harass or coerce females into mating and females resist these attempts. It is assumed that sexual conflict traits are rarely affected by the local environment. The project will test the hypothesis that temperature can actually drive the evolution of such traits, specifically coercion and resistance to mating.Read moreRead less
The fitness consequences of age-dependent changes in cognitive abilities. This project aims to investigate health-related topics in invasive fish. The evolution of large brains suggests that smarter individuals have more offspring due to natural and sexual selection. This project aims to test if the ability to perform cognitively challenging tasks predicts reproductive success. In addition, many life history traits show a trade-off between early and late life performance. This project will test ....The fitness consequences of age-dependent changes in cognitive abilities. This project aims to investigate health-related topics in invasive fish. The evolution of large brains suggests that smarter individuals have more offspring due to natural and sexual selection. This project aims to test if the ability to perform cognitively challenging tasks predicts reproductive success. In addition, many life history traits show a trade-off between early and late life performance. This project will test this prediction to see if individuals with above average cognitive performance when young are below average when old, that is faster 'cognitive senescence', or whether some individuals stay relatively smarter than others throughout their lives.Read moreRead less
Vocal mimicry in songbirds. Many of the world’s largest clade of birds - the songbirds - incorporate vocal mimicry in their songs, but while scientific interest in vocal mimicry dates from Aristotle, limited progress has been made. With our unique research program we aim to provide an empirically based, theoretically informed understanding of avian vocal mimicry. In an important advance, we will examine both sexes to test long-held male-centric assumptions about evolutionary origins and maintena ....Vocal mimicry in songbirds. Many of the world’s largest clade of birds - the songbirds - incorporate vocal mimicry in their songs, but while scientific interest in vocal mimicry dates from Aristotle, limited progress has been made. With our unique research program we aim to provide an empirically based, theoretically informed understanding of avian vocal mimicry. In an important advance, we will examine both sexes to test long-held male-centric assumptions about evolutionary origins and maintenance of this trait. Crucially, we focus on lineages found only in Australia and PNG, where songbirds originated, to develop a robust scientific understanding of vocal mimicry across the entire songbird clade, and so provide an important new perspective on why and how song began.Read moreRead less