New Molecular Approaches to Comparative Phylogeography. Funds are requested to gather data to test new molecular and analytical approaches in the field of molecular phylogeography. We will generate phylogeographic hypotheses from mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA for six species and evaluate the utility of microsatellite data for the reconstruction of phylogeographic history. We will borrow powerful analytical techniques from the field of evolutionary ecology and use them in a completely nove ....New Molecular Approaches to Comparative Phylogeography. Funds are requested to gather data to test new molecular and analytical approaches in the field of molecular phylogeography. We will generate phylogeographic hypotheses from mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA for six species and evaluate the utility of microsatellite data for the reconstruction of phylogeographic history. We will borrow powerful analytical techniques from the field of evolutionary ecology and use them in a completely novel way to test hypotheses of microsatellite diversity. Our research is inter-disciplinary in that we will bridge the gap between molecular phylogenetics and molecular evolution and in so doing make a major advancement in this emerging field.Read moreRead less
Evolutionary, macroecological and phylogenetic patterns in Australasian freshwater crayfish. This project connects Australian systematists to a worldwide project that involves all of the world's living experts on freshwater crayfish evolution in a coordinated effort to answer some very important evolutionary questions. It involves a group of invertebrate animals that are not only readily recognisable, but which in Australia includes the world's largest and the world's most terrestrial crayfish s ....Evolutionary, macroecological and phylogenetic patterns in Australasian freshwater crayfish. This project connects Australian systematists to a worldwide project that involves all of the world's living experts on freshwater crayfish evolution in a coordinated effort to answer some very important evolutionary questions. It involves a group of invertebrate animals that are not only readily recognisable, but which in Australia includes the world's largest and the world's most terrestrial crayfish species. Information gained from the project will contribute to the management of crayfish biodiversity, identification of threatened species and tools to identify these prominent and important members of Australian freshwater ecosystems.Read moreRead less
Developing biogeographic know-how: Improving species divergence and dispersal estimations to examine geological and climatic evolutionary drivers. Anthropogenic activity over the last 150 years is now dramatically changing our global climate and ecosystems. The impact on biodiversity is already evident, and large-scale floral and faunal extinctions are predicted. This study unites a cohort of international experts in an interdisciplinary team to develop new molecular and mathematical methods to ....Developing biogeographic know-how: Improving species divergence and dispersal estimations to examine geological and climatic evolutionary drivers. Anthropogenic activity over the last 150 years is now dramatically changing our global climate and ecosystems. The impact on biodiversity is already evident, and large-scale floral and faunal extinctions are predicted. This study unites a cohort of international experts in an interdisciplinary team to develop new molecular and mathematical methods to expand our fundamental knowledge on how geological and global climate change have affected our world's species components and ecosystems in the past. This research is of environmental significance and global importance as it will improve our ability to predict how species behave under future predicted climate scenarios.Read moreRead less
Was there an unusual environment with equally remarkable inhabitants in Early Cretaceous southeast Australia? After more than two decades of effort, there is strong evidence that Early Cretaceous southeastern Australia was inhabited by a remarkably diverse polar terrestrial vertebrate fauna adapted to the coldest environment known to have existed anywhere in the late Mesozoic. In this unusual terrestrial habitat for that time, temnospondyl amphibians and allosaurid dinosaurs survived long ....Was there an unusual environment with equally remarkable inhabitants in Early Cretaceous southeast Australia? After more than two decades of effort, there is strong evidence that Early Cretaceous southeastern Australia was inhabited by a remarkably diverse polar terrestrial vertebrate fauna adapted to the coldest environment known to have existed anywhere in the late Mesozoic. In this unusual terrestrial habitat for that time, temnospondyl amphibians and allosaurid dinosaurs survived long after becoming extinct elsewhere. Here, too, are found what may be the oldest known and yet remarkably advanced placental mammals, the group to which we belong. To further corroborate or refute these hypotheses, some of which are highly contentious, is the aim of this project.Read moreRead less
Australia's oldest jawed fishes: evolution, biostratigraphy and biogeography. The research focusses on a collection of disarticulated remains of placoderms, a group of extinct armoured fishes which dominated Devonian waters (410-354 Mya). The oldest Australian placoderm macroremains so far described are of late Pragian age (400 Mya), and recognized as a highly endemic fauna. An older limestone from New South Wales has yielded new material which includes sclerotic capsules and dermal plates of ....Australia's oldest jawed fishes: evolution, biostratigraphy and biogeography. The research focusses on a collection of disarticulated remains of placoderms, a group of extinct armoured fishes which dominated Devonian waters (410-354 Mya). The oldest Australian placoderm macroremains so far described are of late Pragian age (400 Mya), and recognized as a highly endemic fauna. An older limestone from New South Wales has yielded new material which includes sclerotic capsules and dermal plates of small placoderms. Earliest Devonian (Lochkovian) acanthodians and the new placoderms, unlike the younger taxa, seem closely related to coeval faunas from the circum-Arctic region. The material will help resolve relationships and distribution of these early jawed vertebrates.Read moreRead less
Origins of invertebrate fauna in Australia since the Cretaceous: a molecular approach using bees as a model taxon. Australia's unique biota is vital for ecological, recreational, and economic reasons, and is a major resource that we need to understand and manage. This project is aimed at understanding the genesis of this biota, and will help us anticipate what lies ahead, in terms of the impact of exotic species and climate change. Benefits also include developing world class scientific profiles ....Origins of invertebrate fauna in Australia since the Cretaceous: a molecular approach using bees as a model taxon. Australia's unique biota is vital for ecological, recreational, and economic reasons, and is a major resource that we need to understand and manage. This project is aimed at understanding the genesis of this biota, and will help us anticipate what lies ahead, in terms of the impact of exotic species and climate change. Benefits also include developing world class scientific profiles with consequent flow-on effects, including international collaboration, and enhanced teaching and awareness of native biota. The project will maintain our already strong track record for training a large number of postgraduate and honours students in benchmark evolutionary research techniques. Read moreRead less
Co-evolution of sociality and sex allocation: phylogenetic comparative approaches using insects. This project investigates the coevolution of sex allocation and sociality. Although linkage between these two traits has long been conjectured in evolutionary ecology, and numerous studies have investigated species-specific relationships, the question of how these two features interact over evolutionary time has not been examined. Here, we apply phylogenetic comparative approaches to determine wh ....Co-evolution of sociality and sex allocation: phylogenetic comparative approaches using insects. This project investigates the coevolution of sex allocation and sociality. Although linkage between these two traits has long been conjectured in evolutionary ecology, and numerous studies have investigated species-specific relationships, the question of how these two features interact over evolutionary time has not been examined. Here, we apply phylogenetic comparative approaches to determine whether sex allocation strategies have influenced subsequent social evolution. In particular, we extend the notion of parental manipulation to ask whether mothers have been able to use sex allocation to influence alloparental behaviour in their offspring, leading to greater levels of altruism.Read moreRead less
Origin of social parasites via sympatric speciation: testing the theory using allodapine bees as a model system. This project addresses a contentious evolutionary conjecture regarding the origin of some species and will help maintain Australia's position in the forefront of evolutionary biology and behavioural ecology. Benefits derive from developing and maintaining world class research excellence, with consequences for scientific competitiveness and training the next generation of young researc ....Origin of social parasites via sympatric speciation: testing the theory using allodapine bees as a model system. This project addresses a contentious evolutionary conjecture regarding the origin of some species and will help maintain Australia's position in the forefront of evolutionary biology and behavioural ecology. Benefits derive from developing and maintaining world class research excellence, with consequences for scientific competitiveness and training the next generation of young researchers in cutting-edge techniques. The project fosters international collaboration, important for maintaining links with the broader scientific community and fostering breadth in postgraduate training. The project will also train 3 PhD students and 1-2 honours students per year, with strong expertise in evolutionary, genetic and ecological research techniques.Read moreRead less
Old brains, new data - early evolution of structural complexity in the vertebrate head. Of the all the complex structures biology has provided, the evolution of the vertebrate brain and its sensory organs is perhaps the most enigmatic. The fossil record occasionally provides a chance to trace this evolution, but only with the use of novel X-ray scanning techniques can these secrets be detailed in three dimensions. Exploiting the exceptional fossil record from Australia and China, this team will ....Old brains, new data - early evolution of structural complexity in the vertebrate head. Of the all the complex structures biology has provided, the evolution of the vertebrate brain and its sensory organs is perhaps the most enigmatic. The fossil record occasionally provides a chance to trace this evolution, but only with the use of novel X-ray scanning techniques can these secrets be detailed in three dimensions. Exploiting the exceptional fossil record from Australia and China, this team will for the first time collect a vast comparative data base which will yield clues on the early evolution of the ear, eye and brain. Read moreRead less
Australia's monsoon tropical flora: invader or relict? The monsoonal tropics is a large region with unique yet poorly understood biodiversity. It is undergoing rapid agricultural, urban and tourist development, all of which threaten the sustainability of that biodiversity. The region includes three World Heritage areas, all with flora in their listed values: Kakadu National Park, Purnulu NP (Bungle Bungles) and Riversleigh. Additionally, the Kimberley is considered one of the last great wilderne ....Australia's monsoon tropical flora: invader or relict? The monsoonal tropics is a large region with unique yet poorly understood biodiversity. It is undergoing rapid agricultural, urban and tourist development, all of which threaten the sustainability of that biodiversity. The region includes three World Heritage areas, all with flora in their listed values: Kakadu National Park, Purnulu NP (Bungle Bungles) and Riversleigh. Additionally, the Kimberley is considered one of the last great wilderness areas in the world. This project will help us understand the evolutionary and geographic origins of the biodiversity of the monsoonal tropics, including the World Heritage areas, and it will identify those components that are uniquely Australian and therefore have the greatest heritage values.Read moreRead less