From developmental stability to organismic senility: Hox genes and telomere impact on life history evolution. Australia benefits from training researchers and technicians in new, break-through biotechnology and from applying this knowledge to relevant, cutting-edge questions in highly publicized research fields. This project contains both these ingredients. Our model species (a lizard) has a relatively high level of offspring malformations (ca 15%), which makes it much more likely to detect thei ....From developmental stability to organismic senility: Hox genes and telomere impact on life history evolution. Australia benefits from training researchers and technicians in new, break-through biotechnology and from applying this knowledge to relevant, cutting-edge questions in highly publicized research fields. This project contains both these ingredients. Our model species (a lizard) has a relatively high level of offspring malformations (ca 15%), which makes it much more likely to detect their underlying genetic mechanism. Furthermore, we can also assess how these animals survive and reproduce in relation to how quickly they age, which can be measured by assessing the shortening of telomeres per unit time. Thus, this collaboration provides an opportunity to train Australian researchers and in that process generate very high profile research.Read moreRead less
How are weeds adapting to life in Australia? Quantifying the rate and direction of evolution in introduced species. Introduced plants are a major problem throughout Australia. Introduced species are listed as one of the most severe threats to biodiversity in Australia, and managing them costs Australia around $4 billion per annum. The information we gather in this project will tell us what sort of changes introduced plants undergo when they arrive in Australia; how quickly plants can adapt to a ....How are weeds adapting to life in Australia? Quantifying the rate and direction of evolution in introduced species. Introduced plants are a major problem throughout Australia. Introduced species are listed as one of the most severe threats to biodiversity in Australia, and managing them costs Australia around $4 billion per annum. The information we gather in this project will tell us what sort of changes introduced plants undergo when they arrive in Australia; how quickly plants can adapt to a new environment, and what sort of species are best able to adapt to new conditions. We will also ask whether introduced species are still adapting to Australian conditions. If so, then we might expect even more naturalised species to become problem weeds in the future. This sort of knowledge is fundamental to our ability to develop appropriate control programs.Read moreRead less
Does divergent natural selection drive the early stages of speciation? Australia is a megadiverse country containing more than one million species, including many endemic and endangered species. Nonetheless, human driven activities, including climate change and the introduction of invasive pests, threaten Australia's biodiversity and economic wealth. This project will test how species diversify in response to environmental differences and will provide resources to compliment efforts to better un ....Does divergent natural selection drive the early stages of speciation? Australia is a megadiverse country containing more than one million species, including many endemic and endangered species. Nonetheless, human driven activities, including climate change and the introduction of invasive pests, threaten Australia's biodiversity and economic wealth. This project will test how species diversify in response to environmental differences and will provide resources to compliment efforts to better understand the destructive effects of interbreeding between native and invasive plants. Information on the role of the environment on the origin of new species will help us manage Australia's unique biodiversity. This project will provide research training opportunities in ecology, genetics, and molecular biology.Read moreRead less
Speciation and the breakdown of coevolution during hybridisation. The preservation of Australia's biodiversity depends on understanding its origins and the mechanisms that prevent its disappearance. Interacting genes, such as those coding for the machinery of the cell, evolve together and can prevent the fusion of species during hybridisation. This occurs because the cellular machinery evolves independently in different species, leading to incompatible parts that fail in hybrids. This project wi ....Speciation and the breakdown of coevolution during hybridisation. The preservation of Australia's biodiversity depends on understanding its origins and the mechanisms that prevent its disappearance. Interacting genes, such as those coding for the machinery of the cell, evolve together and can prevent the fusion of species during hybridisation. This occurs because the cellular machinery evolves independently in different species, leading to incompatible parts that fail in hybrids. This project will investigate novel genetic mechanisms that lead to reduced hybrid survival and reproduction, and therefore to the preservation of species. Australian students will receive advanced training at the frontier where ecology, genetics, and molecular biology intersect.Read moreRead less
Sympatric speciation in Australian sexually deceptive orchids. Speciation has generated the diversity of life, yet the mechanisms of speciation remain poorly understood. Chiloglottis orchids are pollinated by highly specific sexually attracted male pollinators-an intriguing and predominantly Australian pollination mechanism. New evidence indicates these orchids offer novel opportunities to illuminate the evolutionary processes of speciation. This project will integrate new and powerful molecul ....Sympatric speciation in Australian sexually deceptive orchids. Speciation has generated the diversity of life, yet the mechanisms of speciation remain poorly understood. Chiloglottis orchids are pollinated by highly specific sexually attracted male pollinators-an intriguing and predominantly Australian pollination mechanism. New evidence indicates these orchids offer novel opportunities to illuminate the evolutionary processes of speciation. This project will integrate new and powerful molecular laboratory procedures with field studies to investigate the mechanisms of speciation within the genus. These orchids may provide rare examples of sympatric speciation-the evolution of species in the absence of geographic isolation. This is currently a speciation mechanism of current and intense research interest worldwide.Read moreRead less
Breaking selective constraints: is Hsp90 a capacitor of evolutionary change? Gene action and expression can be modulated by genetic mechanisms. If a general mechanism controlling gene expression exists that can be easily manipulated it has the potential to allow animal and plant breeders to quickly produce and select for new characters of agricultural importance without relying on transgenics and long-term breeding programs. It would also assist in the development of tools for identifying and de ....Breaking selective constraints: is Hsp90 a capacitor of evolutionary change? Gene action and expression can be modulated by genetic mechanisms. If a general mechanism controlling gene expression exists that can be easily manipulated it has the potential to allow animal and plant breeders to quickly produce and select for new characters of agricultural importance without relying on transgenics and long-term breeding programs. It would also assist in the development of tools for identifying and detecting genes that increase susceptibility to human diseases, such as cancer, that are only expressed under certain conditions environmental. I intend to determine whether the protein Hsp90 represents a general mechanism controlling gene expression. Read moreRead less
Adaptive evolution of mutual mate preferences in nature. Working at the interface of evolution, genetics and the environment, our research combines top scientists from Australia and abroad to seek a comprehensive understanding of the origins of biodiversity, and the evolution of new species. Such knowledge is essential if we wish to predict, and hopefully minimise, the loss of biodiversity through human-mediated environmental change. Using a native Australian insect, we are investigating the evo ....Adaptive evolution of mutual mate preferences in nature. Working at the interface of evolution, genetics and the environment, our research combines top scientists from Australia and abroad to seek a comprehensive understanding of the origins of biodiversity, and the evolution of new species. Such knowledge is essential if we wish to predict, and hopefully minimise, the loss of biodiversity through human-mediated environmental change. Using a native Australian insect, we are investigating the evolutionary consequences of the choice individuals make when selecting a mate. In addition to its role in the origin and maintenance of biodiversity, these choices can have fundamental effects on adaptation to changing environments and the long-term persistence of endangered populations.Read moreRead less
Mapping Speciation Genes. Although Darwin's seminal work was entitled "On the Origin of Species", how new species arise is still poorly understood. Modern genetic techniques and quantitative trait loci analysis (QTLs) potentially allow the characterization of the genetic basis of traits directly involved in the speciation process. I intend to conduct two complementary QTL analyses of reproductive isolation in the Drosophila serrata complex. The first will determine the genetic basis of reproduc ....Mapping Speciation Genes. Although Darwin's seminal work was entitled "On the Origin of Species", how new species arise is still poorly understood. Modern genetic techniques and quantitative trait loci analysis (QTLs) potentially allow the characterization of the genetic basis of traits directly involved in the speciation process. I intend to conduct two complementary QTL analyses of reproductive isolation in the Drosophila serrata complex. The first will determine the genetic basis of reproductive isolation between D. serrata and D. birchii, while the second will determine if the same loci are currently under natural selection in D. serrata populations that are sympatric with D. birchii.Read moreRead less
Natural Selection on Mate Recognition in Field Populations of Drosophila serrata. Natural selection on mate recognition is thought to play an important role in the process of speciation. Stronger mating discrimination between closely related species in areas where their distributions overlap, referred to as reproductive character displacement, suggests that mate recognition has been reinforced by natural selection. Drosophila serrata displays reproductive character displacement in areas where ....Natural Selection on Mate Recognition in Field Populations of Drosophila serrata. Natural selection on mate recognition is thought to play an important role in the process of speciation. Stronger mating discrimination between closely related species in areas where their distributions overlap, referred to as reproductive character displacement, suggests that mate recognition has been reinforced by natural selection. Drosophila serrata displays reproductive character displacement in areas where it occurs alongside the congener D. birchii. Using a combination of molecular and quantitative genetic techniques I will investigate how reproductive character displacement has evolved in natural populations of D. serrata. Specifically, the role that natural selection has played in generating this pattern will be evaluated.Read moreRead less
The success and rapid evolution of invasive species: resolving a genetic paradox. Invasive species have an enormous economic impact on trade, agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and eco-tourism in Australia. In order to negate such detrimental impacts, integrated strategies need to be formulated to effectively control and eradicate introduced species. Our limited knowledge of the factors underlying the success of invasive species has hampered such efforts. A detailed understanding of the invasio ....The success and rapid evolution of invasive species: resolving a genetic paradox. Invasive species have an enormous economic impact on trade, agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and eco-tourism in Australia. In order to negate such detrimental impacts, integrated strategies need to be formulated to effectively control and eradicate introduced species. Our limited knowledge of the factors underlying the success of invasive species has hampered such efforts. A detailed understanding of the invasion dynamics of introduced species is essential for identifying potential weaknesses that can be exploited in management strategies. My research will examine the invasion dynamics of a successful invasive species, the delicate skink, providing information directly relevant to the management of introduced species in Australia.Read moreRead less