Escalation of a coevolutionary arms race between cuckoos and their hosts: cognitive causes and evolutionary consequences. Cuckoos lay their eggs in the nests of other species, provoking an evolutionary arms race in which hosts evolve defences against parasitism and cuckoos evolve ever more cunning tricks to gain reproductive success. In principle, the degree of specialization required to defeat host defences could cause cuckoo speciation. Our previous research has revealed that the arms race bet ....Escalation of a coevolutionary arms race between cuckoos and their hosts: cognitive causes and evolutionary consequences. Cuckoos lay their eggs in the nests of other species, provoking an evolutionary arms race in which hosts evolve defences against parasitism and cuckoos evolve ever more cunning tricks to gain reproductive success. In principle, the degree of specialization required to defeat host defences could cause cuckoo speciation. Our previous research has revealed that the arms race between the Horsfield's bronze-cuckoo and its superb fairy-wren host has reached a uniquely advanced stage, hitherto undescribed, and previously thought imposssible to attain. We aim to investigate the mechanisms underlying this specialization and investigate whether it is driving speciation of the Chrysococcyx cuckoos.Read moreRead less
Alternative reproductive tactics and threshold evolution. This research is focussed at the highest level in the field of evolutionary biology; testing recent theory for the evolution of alternative reproductive tactics and using these species to test hypotheses about adaptation. The proposal involves collaborations with high-profile researchers from three European countries and will increase Australia's standing as a world-leader in evolutionary biology. Australian students will benefit from exp ....Alternative reproductive tactics and threshold evolution. This research is focussed at the highest level in the field of evolutionary biology; testing recent theory for the evolution of alternative reproductive tactics and using these species to test hypotheses about adaptation. The proposal involves collaborations with high-profile researchers from three European countries and will increase Australia's standing as a world-leader in evolutionary biology. Australian students will benefit from exposure to high quality international collaborators. We will also increase our understanding of the biology of the European earwig, a pest species in Australia. Reproductive tactics are exciting topics for media attention and this research will reach a wide and interested Australian and world audience.Read moreRead less
The evolution of parental care in leeches: costs and benefits in a clade of hermaphroditic, invertebrate ectotherms. Parental care is a basic element of reproduction in many species. Nearly everything we know about parental care comes from study of vertebrates, especially birds and mammals. Leech is synonymous with exploitation, but many of these annelid worms are devoted parents. Because they differ dramatically from most vertebrates, leeches present an excellent, but as yet unused, opportunity ....The evolution of parental care in leeches: costs and benefits in a clade of hermaphroditic, invertebrate ectotherms. Parental care is a basic element of reproduction in many species. Nearly everything we know about parental care comes from study of vertebrates, especially birds and mammals. Leech is synonymous with exploitation, but many of these annelid worms are devoted parents. Because they differ dramatically from most vertebrates, leeches present an excellent, but as yet unused, opportunity to test our theories and understanding of the evoluton of parental care. We will examine the evolution of degrees of care and sibling competition in leech families, and use molecular markers to better understand the genetic structure of populations of these invertebrates.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170101193
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,000.00
Summary
Testing models for sex evolution and maintenance. This project aims to study the evolution of sex. The short-term costs of sexual reproduction seem to outweigh its benefits, making its widespread success an evolutionary conundrum. The project will test high-profile models which predict higher rates of sex in individuals poorly adapted to their environment than in well adapted individuals. This process allows sex genes to escape from unfavourable genetic backgrounds and hastens local adaptation o ....Testing models for sex evolution and maintenance. This project aims to study the evolution of sex. The short-term costs of sexual reproduction seem to outweigh its benefits, making its widespread success an evolutionary conundrum. The project will test high-profile models which predict higher rates of sex in individuals poorly adapted to their environment than in well adapted individuals. This process allows sex genes to escape from unfavourable genetic backgrounds and hastens local adaptation of populations to their environment. This work is expected to discover the link between reproductive mode and adaptation, strengthen research into consequences of environmental change, and solve a long-standing puzzle of evolutionary biology.Read moreRead less
Lamarckian lizards: novel integration of telomere epigenetics, free radicals and innate antioxidants in condition-dependant sexual signal evolution. In 2009, the Nobel Prize in physiology was awarded Drs. Blackburn, Greider and Szostak for discoveries on telomeres. This project will investigate how telomeres not only cap chromosomes from destruction by free radicals, but also have a key role in life itself, in their influence on ageing, longevity, ornaments and lifetime reproductive success.
Integrating sexual selection and the allocation of sex in the zebra finch: back to the outback. The Australian zebra finch has become the primary avian model species in evolutionary biology studies in Europe and North America as the focus of classic laboratory-based studies of sexual selection, and sex allocation. Surprisingly, these studies have focused on populations of birds maintained in an unnatural environment and in captivity for decades that have been through tens of generations of artif ....Integrating sexual selection and the allocation of sex in the zebra finch: back to the outback. The Australian zebra finch has become the primary avian model species in evolutionary biology studies in Europe and North America as the focus of classic laboratory-based studies of sexual selection, and sex allocation. Surprisingly, these studies have focused on populations of birds maintained in an unnatural environment and in captivity for decades that have been through tens of generations of artificial selection, the effects of which are unknown - not a trivial issue for students of evolution. Using experimental manipulations I will study these high profile research areas in wild populations, focusing international attention on this internationally recognised Australian species and raising the profile of Australian research. Read moreRead less
Alternative life-history strategies in the evolution of colour polymorphism. Theoreticians have long recognised the value of colour polymorphic systems for providing a window into the evolution of genetic diversity, adaptations and even speciation. However, few species display appropriate discrete polymorphisms, and as such, there is little empirical evidence to support these ideas. Using a series of innovative experiments and a unique bird displaying three discrete head colours, I will test the ....Alternative life-history strategies in the evolution of colour polymorphism. Theoreticians have long recognised the value of colour polymorphic systems for providing a window into the evolution of genetic diversity, adaptations and even speciation. However, few species display appropriate discrete polymorphisms, and as such, there is little empirical evidence to support these ideas. Using a series of innovative experiments and a unique bird displaying three discrete head colours, I will test these theories, producing results which will have a major international impact. Understanding the interaction of environmental and genetic diversity in the highly endangered Gouldian finch also offers an opportunity to provide insight into how declining wild populations can be effectively managed.Read moreRead less
Maternal effects and sex allocation: an integrated approach. This project will produce research of a high international standard combining a number of key fields in evolution and ecology. The team we have assembled provides a link between Australian-based researchers and leading overseas theoreticians facilitating integration between evolutionary theory and empirical research on the unique Australian fauna. Furthermore, while climate change is identified as a priority area for research, Australi ....Maternal effects and sex allocation: an integrated approach. This project will produce research of a high international standard combining a number of key fields in evolution and ecology. The team we have assembled provides a link between Australian-based researchers and leading overseas theoreticians facilitating integration between evolutionary theory and empirical research on the unique Australian fauna. Furthermore, while climate change is identified as a priority area for research, Australia typically lacks the history of long-term phenological monitoring that is required to understand climate change impacts. This project takes an important step towards addressing this shortcoming.Read moreRead less
Colour polymorphisms and speciation: linking macroevolutionary patterns with microevolutionary processes. Polymorphic species with many different colour forms have inspired biological inquiry since Aristotle. This project takes advantage of remarkable variation in male throat coloration in the South Australian tawny dragon lizard to contribute to a fundamental, yet unresolved, question in biology: what are the evolutionary processes generating biodiversity? This research will reinforce Australia ....Colour polymorphisms and speciation: linking macroevolutionary patterns with microevolutionary processes. Polymorphic species with many different colour forms have inspired biological inquiry since Aristotle. This project takes advantage of remarkable variation in male throat coloration in the South Australian tawny dragon lizard to contribute to a fundamental, yet unresolved, question in biology: what are the evolutionary processes generating biodiversity? This research will reinforce Australia's outstanding reputation in the fields of Ecology and Evolution and contribute to the training of internationally competitive postgraduate students. It will also improve our understanding of the biology and genetic diversity of a fascinating Australian reptile and its habitat, within a region of national biodiversity significance.Read moreRead less
How males alter their mates' ageing rates and lifespans. The proposed project investigates how males affect the lifespan, ageing and subsequent reproduction of their mates. It seeks to draw on and adapt tools and approaches used in molecular genetics and physiology to test predictions from evolutionary theories of sexual conflict, life-histories and ageing in an organism of biomedical and ecological significance, the house mouse. It is expected that this approach will allow the study, in unsurpa ....How males alter their mates' ageing rates and lifespans. The proposed project investigates how males affect the lifespan, ageing and subsequent reproduction of their mates. It seeks to draw on and adapt tools and approaches used in molecular genetics and physiology to test predictions from evolutionary theories of sexual conflict, life-histories and ageing in an organism of biomedical and ecological significance, the house mouse. It is expected that this approach will allow the study, in unsurpassed detail, of the costs males impose on females via mating, insemination, territoriality and via conflict over how many offspring to have and how to invest in their care.Read moreRead less