Diet influences the selective advantage of mitochondrial DNA mutations. This project aims to examine critical mechanisms that affect mitochondrial DNA variation within species. It aims to test the hypothesis that mitochondrial DNA haplotypes have the potential to be under nutritionally induced balancing selection as a consequence of cellular signalling and/or Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production by mitochondria. Diet can vary both seasonally and geographically and is a key environmental param ....Diet influences the selective advantage of mitochondrial DNA mutations. This project aims to examine critical mechanisms that affect mitochondrial DNA variation within species. It aims to test the hypothesis that mitochondrial DNA haplotypes have the potential to be under nutritionally induced balancing selection as a consequence of cellular signalling and/or Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production by mitochondria. Diet can vary both seasonally and geographically and is a key environmental parameter that influences the ability of a species to colonise new habitats. The project plans to characterise the functional links between specific mitochondrial DNA haplotypes, mitochondrial functions and organismal traits. The expected outcome is a more precise grasp of the processes influencing genetic variation within and among species, which would inform current issues in ecology and genetics.Read moreRead less
Why do only some exotics become invasive? Combining ecological and genomic approaches to address alternative hypotheses in a recent Australian weed. This project will specifically test alternative hypotheses about how weeds become invasive. As invasive weeds affect both agricultural and native ecosystems equally, research on understanding the mechanisms of weed invasion is critical. Outcomes will benefit Australia by allowing better prioritisation of management against exotic plants already i ....Why do only some exotics become invasive? Combining ecological and genomic approaches to address alternative hypotheses in a recent Australian weed. This project will specifically test alternative hypotheses about how weeds become invasive. As invasive weeds affect both agricultural and native ecosystems equally, research on understanding the mechanisms of weed invasion is critical. Outcomes will benefit Australia by allowing better prioritisation of management against exotic plants already in the country by providing predictive tools to estimate likelihood of spread. For formal Pest Risk Analysis by regulators (eg Biosecurity Australia), our project will provide genomic tools by which the potential weediness of a regulated plant can be assessed through genetic screening, and forms part of an international effort to identify 'weedy genes'. Read moreRead less
LIZARD SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR AND THE INFLUENCE OF PARASITES. We ask why stable social group living in animals, with well documented benefits, is relatively rare. One cost is the enhanced opportunity for parasite and disease transmission among group members. We will explore, for a lizard, the impact of group living on parasite infections, and the costs of infection. We expect to produce observational and experimental results with an unusual level of detail, and with a fresh taxonomic perspective to in ....LIZARD SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR AND THE INFLUENCE OF PARASITES. We ask why stable social group living in animals, with well documented benefits, is relatively rare. One cost is the enhanced opportunity for parasite and disease transmission among group members. We will explore, for a lizard, the impact of group living on parasite infections, and the costs of infection. We expect to produce observational and experimental results with an unusual level of detail, and with a fresh taxonomic perspective to influence debate in this central area of behavioural ecology. We will also produce new information on behavioural ecology of Australian fauna, important for conservation management and ecotourism.Read moreRead less
Saddlepoint approximation, likelihood analysis and ancestral graphs for strong and weak natural selection, genetic drift and population subdivision. Building new research strength in theoretical population genetics and related statistical techniques will enhance Australia's capability in harnessing the power of post-genomic information. Sophisticated statistical techniques that make smart use of genetic data are being developed in this project. The extent to which natural selection and migrati ....Saddlepoint approximation, likelihood analysis and ancestral graphs for strong and weak natural selection, genetic drift and population subdivision. Building new research strength in theoretical population genetics and related statistical techniques will enhance Australia's capability in harnessing the power of post-genomic information. Sophisticated statistical techniques that make smart use of genetic data are being developed in this project. The extent to which natural selection and migration affect current genetic polymorphism on a population level can be quantified using these new methods. New modeling provides a rigorous foundation with which to construct inference techniques currently beyond computational approaches to the data. Assessing selective effects on genetic mutations associated with human disease will be a consequence of this new statistical methodology.Read moreRead less
Evolutionary genetics of bovid genomes over 60,000 years. This project will provide data critical for understanding the genetic background of modern cattle and bison, and how humans have shaped factors such as milk yield, growth rates and muscle mass. It will also reveal genes and genomic regions that were favoured in the domestication process, including those potentially linked to genes of commercial interest for future research. This pioneering ancient DNA approach will also be applicable to a ....Evolutionary genetics of bovid genomes over 60,000 years. This project will provide data critical for understanding the genetic background of modern cattle and bison, and how humans have shaped factors such as milk yield, growth rates and muscle mass. It will also reveal genes and genomic regions that were favoured in the domestication process, including those potentially linked to genes of commercial interest for future research. This pioneering ancient DNA approach will also be applicable to a variety of other domestic crops and animals. The unique temporal analysis of microevolution will provide crucial data for genetic research, and groundproof our attempts to analyse the timing and nature of human evolutionary history, major domestication events and inform conservation management.Read moreRead less
Is regressive evolution associated with loss of gene function in subterranean animals? This project aims to investigate a fundamental biological process: the evolutionary basis for how non-functional characters, such as eyes in subterranean animals, are lost. It will use a unique model system based on eyeless water beetles, and utilise novel new genomic tools to test whether loss of characters results from gene inactivation.
Refining the timescale of human evolution and dispersal using ancient DNA. Understanding the timescale of human evolution and migration is a key goal of genetic analysis. It provides the foundation for studying our evolutionary and demographic history, our relationships to other hominids and our impact on the natural world. This project aims to use ancient DNA data to improve estimates of our evolutionary timescale.
Temporary Migration To and From Australia: Changing Patterns, Causes and Implications. As is the case in other traditional migration countries, Australian international migration is undergoing a paradigmatic shift whereby temporary migrations are assuming unprecedented scale and diversity. However the bulk of immigration research in Australia remains locked in to an earlier paradigm in which permanent settlement was dominant. This study analyses the nature of the temporary flows and the forces ....Temporary Migration To and From Australia: Changing Patterns, Causes and Implications. As is the case in other traditional migration countries, Australian international migration is undergoing a paradigmatic shift whereby temporary migrations are assuming unprecedented scale and diversity. However the bulk of immigration research in Australia remains locked in to an earlier paradigm in which permanent settlement was dominant. This study analyses the nature of the temporary flows and the forces driving them with a view to developing more contemporarily relevant theory to explain them. It assesses the demographic, social and economic impacts of temporary migration and draws out the policy implications in the Australian context.Read moreRead less
Circular Migration in Asia, the Pacific and Australia: Empirical, Theoretical and Policy Dimensions. Few issues have been more significant in contemporary Australia than international migration. It is of fundamental importance to Australia's future as it faces the global economic downturn, ageing, climate change and an ever-changing relationship with its Asia-Pacific neighbours. In the past Australia's migration relationship with its region has been almost totally seen as a source of skilled s ....Circular Migration in Asia, the Pacific and Australia: Empirical, Theoretical and Policy Dimensions. Few issues have been more significant in contemporary Australia than international migration. It is of fundamental importance to Australia's future as it faces the global economic downturn, ageing, climate change and an ever-changing relationship with its Asia-Pacific neighbours. In the past Australia's migration relationship with its region has been almost totally seen as a source of skilled settlers. However this relationship is increasingly a more complex one. Migration will continue to be fundamental to the nation's economy, society and security and this study seeks to provide an evidence base for better policy and practice in immigration and development.Read moreRead less
Linkages Between Temporary and Permanent Migration in Australia. Australia's economy and society has benefited from immigration more than any OECD country during the postwar era. Moreover it will continue to be of great significance to national prosperity, productivity and sustainability. However paradigmatic changes are occurring in global international migration systems and if Australia is to continue to maximise benefits from immigration it must continually modify its policies to accommodat ....Linkages Between Temporary and Permanent Migration in Australia. Australia's economy and society has benefited from immigration more than any OECD country during the postwar era. Moreover it will continue to be of great significance to national prosperity, productivity and sustainability. However paradigmatic changes are occurring in global international migration systems and if Australia is to continue to maximise benefits from immigration it must continually modify its policies to accommodate those changes. The present project seeks to contribute to this effort by providing a better understanding of the contemporary migration system. Such understanding is a necessary pre-requisite for the timely formulation of effective immigration and settlement policies and programs.Read moreRead less