Sexual selection and the accumulation of deleterious mutations. Mutation is the ultimate source of all genetic variation. Understanding the nature of mutation, its frequency, the distribution of effects, and the forces of selection that remove mutational load from populations is therefore a central concern of genetics. The accumulation of mutational load in endangered species and in human populations, where the forces of selection tend not to operate, has the potential to create serious proble ....Sexual selection and the accumulation of deleterious mutations. Mutation is the ultimate source of all genetic variation. Understanding the nature of mutation, its frequency, the distribution of effects, and the forces of selection that remove mutational load from populations is therefore a central concern of genetics. The accumulation of mutational load in endangered species and in human populations, where the forces of selection tend not to operate, has the potential to create serious problems. We will determine the efficacy of sexual selection in preventing deleterious mutations from accumulating in populations. This project will provide research training opportunities in quantitative genetics, an enabling discipline in Biology.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
Putting sexual selection in a life-history context: What is meant by genetic quality? Theories of sexual signalling have been developed largely without reference to life-history theory and quantitative genetics. We will test recent theory that shows the costs of signals are best measured in units of future survival and reproduction. In a series of field and laboratory experiments on the cricket Teleogryllus commodus, we will test the idea that the "male genetic quality" referred to by good-genes ....Putting sexual selection in a life-history context: What is meant by genetic quality? Theories of sexual signalling have been developed largely without reference to life-history theory and quantitative genetics. We will test recent theory that shows the costs of signals are best measured in units of future survival and reproduction. In a series of field and laboratory experiments on the cricket Teleogryllus commodus, we will test the idea that the "male genetic quality" referred to by good-genes models of sexual selection is quality in the general ability to acquire resources, rather than in how resources are allocated among fitness components.Read moreRead less
Sex and mutations - testing the genic capture hypothesis. The proposed project will use a novel method to test a major outstanding theoretical problem in evolutionary biology and behavioural ecology. This will strengthen Australian research in this field and contribute to the growing international recognition it currently receives. The new methods developed will be useful to other researchers interested in mutation, sexual selection and the evolution and maintenance of sex. Part of the project w ....Sex and mutations - testing the genic capture hypothesis. The proposed project will use a novel method to test a major outstanding theoretical problem in evolutionary biology and behavioural ecology. This will strengthen Australian research in this field and contribute to the growing international recognition it currently receives. The new methods developed will be useful to other researchers interested in mutation, sexual selection and the evolution and maintenance of sex. Part of the project will be conducted in collaboration with a leading researcher in the UK. This will strengthen the links between institution in Australia and the UK.Read moreRead less
To be cooperative or selfish: individual decisions in a model society. Understanding the basis of cooperative behaviour is a major challenge to biological and social science. Our ability to deal with problems such as global warming and the rapid loss of biodiversity, will depend upon an unprecedented level of cooperation between individuals and countries. Our work will use an animal model that shares a number of key characteristics with the societies of our early human ancestors to explore, thro ....To be cooperative or selfish: individual decisions in a model society. Understanding the basis of cooperative behaviour is a major challenge to biological and social science. Our ability to deal with problems such as global warming and the rapid loss of biodiversity, will depend upon an unprecedented level of cooperation between individuals and countries. Our work will use an animal model that shares a number of key characteristics with the societies of our early human ancestors to explore, through experiments and detailed molecular analysis, the basis of cooperative interactions between individuals. This work will uncover the key principles that drive the evolution of cooperation in society and will help us to understand the basis of one the most important components of human nature.Read moreRead less
The Geometry of Genetic Limits to Evolutionary Change. Genetic limits to evolutionary change are a fundamental issue for plant and animal improvement, as well as understanding how natural populations may respond to human-induced changes such as habitat degradation and climate change. Because we still know very little about how genetic variation is distributed among the multiple traits that are likely to respond to selection in such circumstances, we have no way of directly measuring the evoluti ....The Geometry of Genetic Limits to Evolutionary Change. Genetic limits to evolutionary change are a fundamental issue for plant and animal improvement, as well as understanding how natural populations may respond to human-induced changes such as habitat degradation and climate change. Because we still know very little about how genetic variation is distributed among the multiple traits that are likely to respond to selection in such circumstances, we have no way of directly measuring the evolutionary potential of any natural population. In this proposal, we develop the theory, statistical tools, and experimental designs to investigate the nature and prevalence of these multivariate genetic constraints.Read moreRead less
Nanotechnology in nature: the evolutionary significance of iridescent ultraviolet colouration in butterflies. Nanostructural colour is a novel and interesting biological phenomenon that has potential application in textile and paint industries. This research has the potential to uncover knowledge relevant to future genetic manipulation and/or artificial synthesis of this trait for industry. Fundamental benefits will include a contribution to our understanding of evolution and biological diversit ....Nanotechnology in nature: the evolutionary significance of iridescent ultraviolet colouration in butterflies. Nanostructural colour is a novel and interesting biological phenomenon that has potential application in textile and paint industries. This research has the potential to uncover knowledge relevant to future genetic manipulation and/or artificial synthesis of this trait for industry. Fundamental benefits will include a contribution to our understanding of evolution and biological diversity, enhancement of Australia's research profile, and the cultivation of new scientific expertise. This proposal also promises to benefit the Australian scientific community through the establishment of collaborative links with universities in the USA and UK, and to increase mainstream awareness of Australia's stunning natural resources.Read moreRead less
Solving Darwin's dilemma: Molecular analysis of worker sterility in social insects. One of Darwin's greatest puzzles was how natural selection resulted in worker sterility in social insects. We now know from mathematical modelling that a gene that causes sterility in workers can be at a selective advantage if it increases the reproductive success of queens. This project will take the only known gene that causes sterility, 'Anarchy' from honey bees, and determine how this gene evolved. We will de ....Solving Darwin's dilemma: Molecular analysis of worker sterility in social insects. One of Darwin's greatest puzzles was how natural selection resulted in worker sterility in social insects. We now know from mathematical modelling that a gene that causes sterility in workers can be at a selective advantage if it increases the reproductive success of queens. This project will take the only known gene that causes sterility, 'Anarchy' from honey bees, and determine how this gene evolved. We will determine if Anarchy is the same gene that causes sterility in all social insects, or only in honey bees. The project will be at the forefront of international research by providing a molecular perspective to Darwin's greatest dilemma.
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Epigenetic integration of genomic and environmental information in honey bees. Environmental factors such as nutrition, drugs or childhood neglect alter gene activity without a change to the DNA code and may result in a range of conditions such as cancer, obesity and mental illness. Such epigenetic phenomena are driven by subtle and poorly understood modifications of the genome known as DNA methylation. Our aim is to study the link between DNA methylation and environmental influences. We aspire ....Epigenetic integration of genomic and environmental information in honey bees. Environmental factors such as nutrition, drugs or childhood neglect alter gene activity without a change to the DNA code and may result in a range of conditions such as cancer, obesity and mental illness. Such epigenetic phenomena are driven by subtle and poorly understood modifications of the genome known as DNA methylation. Our aim is to study the link between DNA methylation and environmental influences. We aspire to understand how environmental signals trigger the reprogramming of transcriptional control of genetic networks that lead to contrasting phenotypic and behavioural outcomes using the honey bee modelRead moreRead less
Discovery and characterization of new classes of small regulatory RNAs in mammals. The project will reaffirm and enhance Australian leadership in the most rapidly developing area of molecular biological and genetic research, by the application of ultra high-throughput sequencing technologies to discovery of regulatory RNAs, thereby to identify the characteristics of important regulatory pathways that underpin mammalian development, brain function and species diversity. The results of this resear ....Discovery and characterization of new classes of small regulatory RNAs in mammals. The project will reaffirm and enhance Australian leadership in the most rapidly developing area of molecular biological and genetic research, by the application of ultra high-throughput sequencing technologies to discovery of regulatory RNAs, thereby to identify the characteristics of important regulatory pathways that underpin mammalian development, brain function and species diversity. The results of this research will have wide implications and applications in biotechnology, genetic engineering, animal breeding, medical science and advanced informatics.Read moreRead less