Epigenetic effects of environmental thyroid disruption. Anthropogenic impacts increasingly disrupt hormone-mediated responses to environmental change. The project aims to determine the interactive effects of climate warming, light-at-night, and plastic pollution on thyroid hormone signalling, and test whether these effects are passed between generations epigenetically. Epigenetic effects of endocrine disruption are one of the most important emerging conservation threats. Mathematical modelling o ....Epigenetic effects of environmental thyroid disruption. Anthropogenic impacts increasingly disrupt hormone-mediated responses to environmental change. The project aims to determine the interactive effects of climate warming, light-at-night, and plastic pollution on thyroid hormone signalling, and test whether these effects are passed between generations epigenetically. Epigenetic effects of endocrine disruption are one of the most important emerging conservation threats. Mathematical modelling of experimental data will help to predict how animals respond to anthropogenic impacts, and to acquire the tools necessary to maintain ecosystem function and services. The project will therefore have environmental benefits, as well as social benefits stemming from international collaborations and training.Read moreRead less
How does the interaction between environmental drivers determine the impact of global change on animals? There is an urgent need to determine how vulnerable natural populations are to simultaneous changes in more than one environmental driver. This project will take an integrative approach, using molecular, physiological and ecological tools, to determine whether cellular responses to the interaction between UV-B radiation and temperature vary between populations, and within individuals over tim ....How does the interaction between environmental drivers determine the impact of global change on animals? There is an urgent need to determine how vulnerable natural populations are to simultaneous changes in more than one environmental driver. This project will take an integrative approach, using molecular, physiological and ecological tools, to determine whether cellular responses to the interaction between UV-B radiation and temperature vary between populations, and within individuals over time. This project will bridge the gap between physiology and ecology by testing whether molecular responses translate into fitness benefits for the organism to gain an understanding at a level that is relevant for conservation. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101408
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,000.00
Summary
Key mammalian survival strategies in a rapidly changing environment. The aim of this project is to quantify behavioural and physiological traits in mammals that are crucial for survival in a changing environment. It aspires to identify the most influential habitat and climatic factors that determine the relationship between individual foraging effort and energy-saving mechanisms. Understanding how individuals manage their daily energy needs – a crucial aspect of an animal’s life history – may pr ....Key mammalian survival strategies in a rapidly changing environment. The aim of this project is to quantify behavioural and physiological traits in mammals that are crucial for survival in a changing environment. It aspires to identify the most influential habitat and climatic factors that determine the relationship between individual foraging effort and energy-saving mechanisms. Understanding how individuals manage their daily energy needs – a crucial aspect of an animal’s life history – may provide significant understanding of how individuals survive to reproduce and ultimately sustain thriving populations. This novel scientific knowledge may enable managers of protected areas and threatened species in Australia and worldwide to develop informed policies to ensure positive interactions between natural and human systems and to sustain biodiversity.Read moreRead less
Coping with forest fires: is mammalian torpor a crucial survival strategy? Forest fires result in habitat degradation and can kill native mammals. Currently little is known about the behaviour of individual mammals during and after fires. This project will generate the first quantitative information worldwide about behavioural and physiological responses of small mammals to fire, and test whether use of torpor increases survival.