The evolution of cooperative communication. This interdisciplinary project will provide a broad understanding of communication in a model ecological system involving ants, lycaenid butterflies, and host-plants. The project will reveal the nature of the chemical signals used to communicate, and their role in the origin, maintenance, and loss of mutualistic and parasitic associations.
Characterisation of tumour variants of Devil Facial Tumour Disease. This project will take a new approach to cancer research by studying the evolution of Devil Facial Tumour Disease. The results will directly contribute to the conservation management of the Tasmanian devil, as well as generating new information on tumour growth, metastasis and emergence of resistance.
Building giants: the origins of extreme biology in baleen whales. Baleen whales are unlike any other animal. They have evolved unparalleled specialisations for feeding, hearing, smell, cognition and – above all – the largest ever body size. These extreme features underlie the unmatched dominance of baleen whales in today's oceans. The origins of these key adaptations required major changes in the anatomy and function of the skull and teeth. However, exactly how and when the extreme innovations o ....Building giants: the origins of extreme biology in baleen whales. Baleen whales are unlike any other animal. They have evolved unparalleled specialisations for feeding, hearing, smell, cognition and – above all – the largest ever body size. These extreme features underlie the unmatched dominance of baleen whales in today's oceans. The origins of these key adaptations required major changes in the anatomy and function of the skull and teeth. However, exactly how and when the extreme innovations of baleen whales began remains an outstanding question in animal biology. This proposal aims to combine exceptional Australian fossils with recent advances in 3D imaging, biomechanics, and evolutionary analysis to discover how the secrets to the success of baleen whales first evolved.Read moreRead less
Continuous tooth replacement in mammals: revealing the fundamental processes in tooth generation and movement. This project will investigate how molar teeth are made in mammals by examining the nabarlek, or little rock-wallaby, which is one of a handful of mammals that is able to regenerate new molars throughout its life. These new teeth migrate through the bone in order to move into the correct position in the mouth. By investigating two well-studied organisms, the mouse and the tammar wallaby, ....Continuous tooth replacement in mammals: revealing the fundamental processes in tooth generation and movement. This project will investigate how molar teeth are made in mammals by examining the nabarlek, or little rock-wallaby, which is one of a handful of mammals that is able to regenerate new molars throughout its life. These new teeth migrate through the bone in order to move into the correct position in the mouth. By investigating two well-studied organisms, the mouse and the tammar wallaby, as well as the nabarlek itself, the developmental processes and genes involved in molar generation and movement will be revealed. This project will integrate findings in regenerative medicine, evolutionary biology, materials engineering and palaeontology to reveal the mechanisms and origins of this astounding capability.Read moreRead less
Unravelling the role of heteroplasmy in mitochondrial adaptation. This project aims to unravel the evolutionary implications of heteroplasmy – a scenario in which multiple mitochondrial DNA genotypes exist in one individual. Recent studies indicate heteroplasmy is widespread, and can be caused by paternal transmission of mtDNA. But the effects of heteroplasmy on evolutionary processes remain unknown. Leveraging state-of-the-art methods, this project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas ....Unravelling the role of heteroplasmy in mitochondrial adaptation. This project aims to unravel the evolutionary implications of heteroplasmy – a scenario in which multiple mitochondrial DNA genotypes exist in one individual. Recent studies indicate heteroplasmy is widespread, and can be caused by paternal transmission of mtDNA. But the effects of heteroplasmy on evolutionary processes remain unknown. Leveraging state-of-the-art methods, this project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of evolutionary ecology and mitochondrial genetics. Expected outcomes include discoveries that advance understanding of fundamental biological processes, and student training. Expected benefits include strengthening of Australia’s research capacity, by setting the research agenda in this rapidly developing field.Read moreRead less
Evolutionary limits. This project aims to understand the processes that limit adaptation to rapid environmental change. Adaption to rapid environmental change determines population persistence. Species with restricted distributions may lack the genetic variation necessary to adapt to changing environments, although they represent the vast majority of biodiversity. Understanding why they lack the necessary genetic variation for adaptation is important for identifying and managing vulnerable biolo ....Evolutionary limits. This project aims to understand the processes that limit adaptation to rapid environmental change. Adaption to rapid environmental change determines population persistence. Species with restricted distributions may lack the genetic variation necessary to adapt to changing environments, although they represent the vast majority of biodiversity. Understanding why they lack the necessary genetic variation for adaptation is important for identifying and managing vulnerable biological systems. This project will empirically determine the contribution of mutations to key traits to better understand what limits evolutionary adaptation. Better prediction of extinction risk should inform conservation and biodiversity management.Read moreRead less
Adaptation by DNA download: Experimental evolution of a pangenome. This project aims to understand how microbes adapt when they can directly “download" new genes from their surrounding environment, or from other types of bacteria. Specifically, the proposed research will carry out the largest-scale measurements of the fitness effects of horizontally transferred genetic variation, to discover how each of these genes interacts with the environment, and with other genes. This project is expected to ....Adaptation by DNA download: Experimental evolution of a pangenome. This project aims to understand how microbes adapt when they can directly “download" new genes from their surrounding environment, or from other types of bacteria. Specifically, the proposed research will carry out the largest-scale measurements of the fitness effects of horizontally transferred genetic variation, to discover how each of these genes interacts with the environment, and with other genes. This project is expected to generate new knowledge in the fields of microbial evolution and microbiome science. The benefits of this cutting-edge research will be to strengthen Australia’s research capacity in these rapidly developing fields and to train a new generation of interdisciplinary scientists.Read moreRead less
Integrating evolution and plasticity into predictions of population persistence in a changing climate: adaptation or extinction? To effectively manage biodiversity at a time of rapid environmental change, Australia needs accurate predictions of how human alterations to climate and habitat will affect species. This project integrates evolution and spatial ecology to develop new tools for predicting and understanding how species will respond to environmental change.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180101164
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,058.00
Summary
Evolution of chemical warfare in invasive plants. The project aims to test when, where and how exotic plant populations become invasive through the rapid evolution of chemical compounds that inhibit native plant species. Using an innovative quantitative genetics framework, the intended outcome is to determine how the chemicals are selected, and whether there is sufficient heritable variation for the chemicals to evolve across heterogeneous landscapes characteristic of introduced ranges. The proj ....Evolution of chemical warfare in invasive plants. The project aims to test when, where and how exotic plant populations become invasive through the rapid evolution of chemical compounds that inhibit native plant species. Using an innovative quantitative genetics framework, the intended outcome is to determine how the chemicals are selected, and whether there is sufficient heritable variation for the chemicals to evolve across heterogeneous landscapes characteristic of introduced ranges. The project will deliver key insights into the ecological and genetic mechanisms of adaptive evolution in invasive species, and predict evolutionary dynamics of biological invasions that inform their effective management. The project’s expected outcomes will be useful to policy makers, weed managers and farming communities.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101853
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$356,000.00
Summary
One genome but two sexes: Conflict and the evolution of sexual dimorphism. How can males and females display striking sex differences, when they primarily share the same set of genes? By experimentally evolving the degree of sexual dimorphism in Drosophila melanogaster, this project endeavours to address key issues at the heart of evolutionary biology. This project aims to deliver a novel, data-rich resource with which to explore the mechanisms and consequences of sexual dimorphism evolution, to ....One genome but two sexes: Conflict and the evolution of sexual dimorphism. How can males and females display striking sex differences, when they primarily share the same set of genes? By experimentally evolving the degree of sexual dimorphism in Drosophila melanogaster, this project endeavours to address key issues at the heart of evolutionary biology. This project aims to deliver a novel, data-rich resource with which to explore the mechanisms and consequences of sexual dimorphism evolution, to expand current understanding of this fundamental evolutionary paradox.Read moreRead less