The influence of breeding synchrony on avian reproductive strategies. Australia has a strong international reputation for research on avian evolutionary biology, in part, because of our diverse and unique avifauna. This research will resolve one of the more contentious issues in this field concerning the influence of breeding synchrony on a range of reproductive behaviours. Our experimental approach incorporates a series of new and innovative techniques and will help maintain Australia's leading ....The influence of breeding synchrony on avian reproductive strategies. Australia has a strong international reputation for research on avian evolutionary biology, in part, because of our diverse and unique avifauna. This research will resolve one of the more contentious issues in this field concerning the influence of breeding synchrony on a range of reproductive behaviours. Our experimental approach incorporates a series of new and innovative techniques and will help maintain Australia's leading role in this area. The project will provide intensive training for students and also promote awareness about Australia's bird life to a wide audience, including rural communities who have a critical role in the long-term preservation of many species.Read moreRead less
Uncovering the evolutionary history of Australasian marsupials: combining molecular phylogenetics and ecological inference. Marsupials are symbolic of the uniqueness of Australia's biological systems and there is widespread public interest in their natural history. Yet we know little of the evolutionary mechanisms that have shaped their biodiversity. This is a critical problem when considered in the context of Australian marsupials having suffered the highest extinction rate of any continental m ....Uncovering the evolutionary history of Australasian marsupials: combining molecular phylogenetics and ecological inference. Marsupials are symbolic of the uniqueness of Australia's biological systems and there is widespread public interest in their natural history. Yet we know little of the evolutionary mechanisms that have shaped their biodiversity. This is a critical problem when considered in the context of Australian marsupials having suffered the highest extinction rate of any continental mammal fauna over the past 200 years. This project will make a major contribution to understanding the origins, timescale and ecological nature of Australasian marsupial evolution. In doing so, it will inform conservation strategy, promote Australasian marsupials as a model system for studying faunal coevolution and develop widely applicable bioinformatic tools.Read moreRead less