Can inbreeding avoidance cause the evolution of sex-biased dispersal? This project aims to combine unique long-term data with a novel Citizen Science approach to seek to provide the first complete test of the hypothesis that inbreeding avoidance can cause one of the best known patterns in mammal and bird societies - sex differences in when and how far juveniles disperse. Dispersal is a critically important ecological and evolutionary process, as it influences the fate of populations, and also de ....Can inbreeding avoidance cause the evolution of sex-biased dispersal? This project aims to combine unique long-term data with a novel Citizen Science approach to seek to provide the first complete test of the hypothesis that inbreeding avoidance can cause one of the best known patterns in mammal and bird societies - sex differences in when and how far juveniles disperse. Dispersal is a critically important ecological and evolutionary process, as it influences the fate of populations, and also determines the individuals with which a disperser will spend the remainder of its life. It therefore shapes the likelihood that kin will interact to cooperate or compete, and determines the pool of individuals with which the disperser can mate.Read moreRead less
Australian alpine seed ecology: Plant conservation and adaptation to climate change. The Australian alpine region is critically vulnerable to climate change. Many alpine plant species are already threatened. Our project facilitates effective management of Australian alpine flora, enabling us to preserve alpine biodiversity and improve ecosystem resilience to climate change. Seed banking provides conservation of nationally vulnerable and threatened flora, providing insurance against extinction. O ....Australian alpine seed ecology: Plant conservation and adaptation to climate change. The Australian alpine region is critically vulnerable to climate change. Many alpine plant species are already threatened. Our project facilitates effective management of Australian alpine flora, enabling us to preserve alpine biodiversity and improve ecosystem resilience to climate change. Seed banking provides conservation of nationally vulnerable and threatened flora, providing insurance against extinction. Our exemplary contribution to global seed conservation provides a national resource of alpine seeds for revegetation and research and interpretive resources at the Australian National Botanic Gardens facilitate public awareness of the ecological significance and fragility of Australian alpine ecology in response to climate change.Read moreRead less
Ecology and phylogeography of bird migration between Australia and New Guinea: paradise kingfishers as a model species. This project examines the evolutionary causes and ecological consequences of intra-tropical bird migration between north Australia and New Guinea, one of the major migration systems of the southern hemisphere. I will use the buff-breasted paradise kingfisher as a model species, exploiting two features of its biology (an aerodynamically costly tail and a breeding distribution wi ....Ecology and phylogeography of bird migration between Australia and New Guinea: paradise kingfishers as a model species. This project examines the evolutionary causes and ecological consequences of intra-tropical bird migration between north Australia and New Guinea, one of the major migration systems of the southern hemisphere. I will use the buff-breasted paradise kingfisher as a model species, exploiting two features of its biology (an aerodynamically costly tail and a breeding distribution with a large latitudinal range) to shed light on the costs, benefits, and ecological correlates of intra-tropical migration. Molecular markers will be used to identify non-breeding distributions, migratory patterns, and the biogeographic histories of the different breeding populations within Australia.Read moreRead less
Evolution of cooperative breeding in birds. The incidence of cooperative breeding in birds varies from 0 to 100% between families of birds, and from <1 to >25% among birds from different regions. However, there has been no theory that successfully predicts these differences. Recent comparative analysis shows the differences result largely from the early evolution of obligate cooperative breeding in some groups, and their subsequent slow rates of speciation. I will use model systems to investiga ....Evolution of cooperative breeding in birds. The incidence of cooperative breeding in birds varies from 0 to 100% between families of birds, and from <1 to >25% among birds from different regions. However, there has been no theory that successfully predicts these differences. Recent comparative analysis shows the differences result largely from the early evolution of obligate cooperative breeding in some groups, and their subsequent slow rates of speciation. I will use model systems to investigate how birds can become committed to cooperative breeding despite the inevitable conflicts, and how one group of birds have been freed from the general rules governing the evolution of sociality.Read moreRead less
Why do females mate with multiple partners? Tests of key hypotheses in the wild. Female animals commonly mate with several males at each reproductive cycle, but we do not know why. Six plausible, testable hypotheses have been proposed to explain how females could benefit directly, or by obtaining advantageous genes for their offspring. The few empirical investigations so far carried out have been in captivity and have not considered all alternative explanations. I propose to experimentally test ....Why do females mate with multiple partners? Tests of key hypotheses in the wild. Female animals commonly mate with several males at each reproductive cycle, but we do not know why. Six plausible, testable hypotheses have been proposed to explain how females could benefit directly, or by obtaining advantageous genes for their offspring. The few empirical investigations so far carried out have been in captivity and have not considered all alternative explanations. I propose to experimentally test the key hypotheses in the wild, using a small mammal uniquely-suited to this purpose because of its unusual, but well-known reproductive strategy. The results will improve our understanding of the role of female behaviour in evolutionary processes.Read moreRead less
Fitness in free-living populations in a changing world. We understand very little about the evolutionary and ecological response of populations to periods of rapid environmental change or volatility. New methods raise the possibility dissecting the various causes of change, and their demographic consequences. However, these methods depend on long-term studies of the genealogy, survival and reproductive success of individuals. Data on the iconic superb fairy-wren will be used to establish this ....Fitness in free-living populations in a changing world. We understand very little about the evolutionary and ecological response of populations to periods of rapid environmental change or volatility. New methods raise the possibility dissecting the various causes of change, and their demographic consequences. However, these methods depend on long-term studies of the genealogy, survival and reproductive success of individuals. Data on the iconic superb fairy-wren will be used to establish this species as a model for the study of climate change, and the extent to which living in social groups helps or hinders evolutionary response to such change.Read moreRead less
The Maintenance of Genetic Variation by Antagonistic Sexual Selection. The principle outcomes of my proposed research are fundamental knowledge, training of young scientists and the improvement of Australia's research capacity and profile. My research will have a major impact on two major branches of evolutionary biology that are seldom integrated - sexual selection and quantitative genetics. My research will enable me to establish myself as an independent researcher. Moreover, my collaborations ....The Maintenance of Genetic Variation by Antagonistic Sexual Selection. The principle outcomes of my proposed research are fundamental knowledge, training of young scientists and the improvement of Australia's research capacity and profile. My research will have a major impact on two major branches of evolutionary biology that are seldom integrated - sexual selection and quantitative genetics. My research will enable me to establish myself as an independent researcher. Moreover, my collaborations with one of the leading research laboratories in the UK, will teach me several modern techniques that I can disseminate to Australian students participating on the proposed project.Read moreRead less
The evolution of egg retention and sex allocation: a phylogenetic contrasts study using facultatively ovoviviparous thrips. Australian idolothripine thrips provide an unparalleled opportunity for investigating the evolution of reproduction. They constitute the only group to contain many species in which the females choose among live birth, egg laying or both. They also choose the sex of each offspring. We will use phylogenetics and experimentation to understand the evolutionary pressures that le ....The evolution of egg retention and sex allocation: a phylogenetic contrasts study using facultatively ovoviviparous thrips. Australian idolothripine thrips provide an unparalleled opportunity for investigating the evolution of reproduction. They constitute the only group to contain many species in which the females choose among live birth, egg laying or both. They also choose the sex of each offspring. We will use phylogenetics and experimentation to understand the evolutionary pressures that led to and maintain live birth and the allocation of sex. This will produce new insights into fundamental questions about the evolution of animal reproduction. Our collaborative approach will make Australian thrips and research an international cornerstone in the biology of reproductive evolution.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100174
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Family matters: kin selection and competition in cooperative breeders. In the absence of dispersal of one or both sexes kin competition and inbreeding are expected to increase. This project will study group living fairy-wrens, which vary in whether or not one sex disperses. The results will shed new light on how species overcome the negative aspects of this behaviour and inform us about the consequences for populations and habitat management.
Food and sex: ecological and sexual roles of a functional ornament, the red bill of the sooty oystercatcher. Little is understood about the significance of ornaments in species where both sexes are equally ornamented. Using sooty oystercatchers as a model, in a novel integrative approach I will investigate the role of their bright red bill as a signal of mate qualities, as well as the consequences of sex differences in bill and diet. Although sexual diet specialisation is common, few studies hav ....Food and sex: ecological and sexual roles of a functional ornament, the red bill of the sooty oystercatcher. Little is understood about the significance of ornaments in species where both sexes are equally ornamented. Using sooty oystercatchers as a model, in a novel integrative approach I will investigate the role of their bright red bill as a signal of mate qualities, as well as the consequences of sex differences in bill and diet. Although sexual diet specialisation is common, few studies have examined its function. Sooty oystercatchers are one of only seven waders to breed in Australia and one of our most visible coastal birds. Since their life history is largely unknown, aside from the academic benefits, this project will also yield valuable information on breeding and foraging requirements of this locally common but declining species.Read moreRead less