ORCID Profile
0000-0003-4828-9977
Current Organisation
Australian National University
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Evolutionary biology | Biogeography and phylogeography | Phylogeny and comparative analysis |
Publisher: Western Australian Museum
Date: 2018
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 11-11-2013
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-07-2018
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.13385
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 16-07-2015
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.3986.2.2
Abstract: We describe a new species of flat lizard (Platysaurus attenboroughi sp. nov.) from the Richtersveld of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa and the Fish River Canyon region of southern Namibia. This species was formerly confused with P. capensis from the Kamiesberg region of Namaqualand, South Africa. Genetic analysis based on one mtDNA and two nDNA loci found Platysaurus attenboroughi sp. nov. to be genetically ergent from P. capensis and these species can also be differentiated by a number of scalation characters, coloration and their allopatric distributions. To stabilize the taxonomy the type locality of Platysaurus capensis A. Smith 1844 is restricted to the Kamiesberg region, Namaqualand, Northern Cape Province, South Africa.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1071/ZO14092
Abstract: The Pygopodidae comprise an enigmatic group of legless lizards endemic to the Australo-Papuan region. Here we present the first complete mitochondrial genome for a member of this family, Aprasia parapulchella, from Australia. The mitochondrial genome of A. parapulchella is 16 528 base pairs long and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes and the control region, conforming to the typical vertebrate gene order. The overall mitochondrial nucleotide composition is 31.7% A, 24.5% T, 30.5% C and 13.2% G. This corresponds to a total A+T content of 56.3%, which is similar to that of other squamate lizard genomes.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 1990
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 1990
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 09-03-2010
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.2393.1.3
Abstract: The gecko Diplodactylus savagei is restricted to the rocky Pilbara and Ashburton regions of Western Australia. Recent collections have enabled a reappraisal of morphological and genetic ersity within the taxon. Analysis of 1200 base pairs of the mtDNA gene ND2 and surrounding tRNA found strong support for three lineages within D. savagei: an eastern clade (which includes the type location of D. savagei from Marble Bar), a southern clade and a north-central clade. The eastern and southern clades did not differ in morphology or dorsal pattern. Although there are several subtle differences in morphological characters between the eastern and southern clades compared to the north-central form, there were clear differences in dorsal pattern with the north-central forms having finer, widely-scattered spots, a pale dorsal border to the loreal stripe and a gradual transition between the dorsal and ventral colouration. We describe the north-central form as a new species, D. galaxias sp. nov., based on the distinctiveness of its colour pattern, subtle morphological differences, mtDNA ergence and maintenance of these differences at the edge of the western Hamersley Range where the north-central and southern clades come into contact.
Publisher: Western Australian Museum
Date: 2020
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 06-2021
DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PBIO.3001210
Abstract: Global bio ersity loss is a profound consequence of human activity. Disturbingly, bio ersity loss is greater than realized because of the unknown number of undocumented species. Conservation fundamentally relies on taxonomic recognition of species, but only a fraction of bio ersity is described. Here, we provide a new quantitative approach for prioritizing rigorous taxonomic research for conservation. We implement this approach in a highly erse vertebrate group—Australian lizards and snakes. Of 870 species assessed, we identified 282 (32.4%) with taxonomic uncertainty, of which 17.6% likely comprise undescribed species of conservation concern. We identify 24 species in need of immediate taxonomic attention to facilitate conservation. Using a broadly applicable return-on-investment framework, we demonstrate the importance of prioritizing the fundamental work of identifying species before they are lost.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2006
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2006.05.028
Abstract: There is a paucity of research on intra-specific morphological and genetic ersity in Australian arid-zone reptiles, and a number of Australian reptile species have for many years been regarded as "species complexes" that classical morphological analyses could not resolve. We conducted a phylogenetic and phylogeographic study of a widespread species group of Australian geckonid lizards to address two main aims. First, based on a large mitochondrial and nuclear gene data set, we have generated the first molecular phylogeny for the Diplodactylus stenodactylus species group (D. alboguttatus, D. damaeus, D. maini, and D. squarrosus, D. stenodactylus) and multiple outgroups to examine the evolutionary relationships among these arid-zone species and phylogenetic patterns within some species. The edited alignment of 41 in iduals comprises 2485 characters (1163 ND2+tRNAs 490 16s 832 RAG-1), and of these 717 (29%) were variable and parsimony informative (568 ND2+tRNAs 89 16s 60 RAG-1). This broad-scale, multi-gene phylogeny has supported previous conjectures on the higher-level phylogenetic relationships among members of the D. stenodactylus species-group based on morphology, but also has uncovered hidden ersity within the group with two new species identified. Analysis at this broad level has identified patterns associated with the distribution of the D. stenodactylus species group that appear to be influenced by environmental processes operating at large geographic scales. Two major clades within the species group were associated with broad differences in habitat types, with one group largely restricted to the temperate zone of the Southwest Province and another largely restricted to central and northern Western Australia north of Kalgoorlie, in line with the Eremaean Province of the Eremaean Zone and the Northern Province of the Tropical Zone. Second, we have assembled phylogeographic data based on a mitochondrial gene (ND2+tRNAs) for five species (Rhynchoedura ornata, Diplodactylus maini, D. pulcher, D. squarrosus, D. stenodactylus) where larger s ling is available, with particular focus on D. stenodactylus, which is distributed both in the iconic but little-known Pilbara area of endemism in north-western Australia as well as in other parts of the Australian arid zone. The edited alignment of 95 in iduals comprises 1142 characters and of these 601 (53%) are variable and parsimony informative. We found significant intra-specific genetic variation in all five species, highlighting the need for large-scale screening of cryptic species, with s ling specifically targeted at determining the geographic limits of such taxa. In particular, within D. stenodactylus, a deep and ancient phylogenetic split distinguishes populations in the Pilbara region from non-Pilbara populations. This split may be the result of broad differences in underlying geological substrate, with the Pilbara clade generally preferring harder soils and the non-Pilbara clade adapted to sand.
Publisher: PeerJ
Date: 19-07-2018
DOI: 10.7717/PEERJ.5334
Abstract: The methods used to detect and describe morphologically cryptic species have advanced in recent years, owing to the integrative nature of molecular and morphological techniques required to elucidate them. Here we integrate recent phylogenomic work that sequenced many genes but few in iduals, with new data from mtDNA and morphology from hundreds of gecko specimens of the Gehyra variegata group from the Australian arid zone. To better understand morphological and geographical boundaries among cryptic forms, we generated new sequences from 656 Gehyra in iduals, largely assigned to G. variegata group members over a wide area in Western Australia, with especially dense s ling in the Pilbara region, and combined them with 566 Gehyra sequences from GenBank, resulting in a dataset of 1,222 specimens. Results indicated the existence of several cryptic species, from new species with diagnostic morphological characters, to cases when there were no useful characters to discriminate among genetically distinctive species. In addition, the cryptic species often showed counter-intuitive distributions, including broad sympatry among some forms and short range endemism in other cases. Two new species were on long branches in the phylogram and restricted to the northern Pilbara region: most records of the moderately sized G. incognita sp. nov. are near the coast with isolated inland records, whereas the small-bodied saxicoline G. unguiculata sp. nov. is only known from a small area in the extreme north of the Pilbara. Three new species were on shorter branches in the phylogram and allied to G. montium . The moderately sized G. crypta sp. nov. occurs in the western and southern Pilbara and extends south through the Murchison region this species was distinctive genetically, but with wide overlap of characters with its sister species, G. montium . Accordingly, we provide a table of diagnostic nucleotides for this species as well as for all other species treated here. Two small-bodied species occur in isolated coastal regions: G. capensis sp. nov. is restricted to the North West Cape and G. ocellata sp. nov. occurs on Barrow Island and other neighbouring islands. The latter species showed evidence of introgression with the mtDNA of G. crypta sp. nov., possibly due to recent connectivity with the mainland owing to fluctuating sea levels. However, G. ocellata sp. nov. was more closely related to G. capensis sp. nov. in the phylogenomic data and in morphology. Our study illustrates the benefits of combining phylogenomic data with extensive screens of mtDNA to identify large numbers of in iduals to the correct cryptic species. This approach was able to provide sufficient s les with which to assess morphological variation. Furthermore, determination of geographic distributions of the new cryptic species should greatly assist with identification in the field, demonstrating the utility of s ling large numbers of specimens across wide areas.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 10-12-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2016.09.002
Abstract: The spectacular threat display of the savannah specialist Australo-Papuan frilled lizards has made them one of the world's most iconic reptiles. They are increasingly used as a model system for research in evolutionary biology and ecology but little is known of their population structure. Their distribution across northern Australia and southern New Guinea also provides an opportunity to examine biogeographic patterns as they relate to the large-scale movement of savannah habitat during the Plio/Pleistocene and the associated increase in aridity. We generated sequence data for one mitochondrial and four nuclear DNA loci (5052 base pairs) for 83 frilled lizards s led throughout their range. We also quantified body proportion variation for 279 in iduals. Phylogenetic analyses based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian species-tree methods revealed three shallow clades that replace each other across the monsoon tropics. We found the expected pattern of male biased sexual size dimorphism in both maximum body size and head size but there was no sexual dimorphism in overall body shape or in frill size, relative to head size, supporting the hypothesis that the frill is used primarily as a threat display rather than a sexual display. The genetic clades are broadly consistent with known clinal variation in frill color that gradually shifts from west to east (red, orange, yellow/white) but otherwise show little morphological differentiation in body proportion measures. The biogeographic breaks between clades occur at the Carpentaria Gap and the lowlands surrounding the Ord River, and our ecological niche modeling predicts lower habitat suitability for C. kingii in these regions. While this biogeographic pattern is consistent with numerous other taxonomic groups in northern Australia, the overall low genetic ersity in frilled lizards across the entire monsoon tropics and southern New Guinea contrasts starkly to patterns seen in other terrestrial vertebrates. Extremely low intra-clade genetic ersity over vast geographic areas is indicative of recent gene flow that would likely have been facilitated by widespread savannah during interglacials, or alternatively may reflect population bottlenecks induced by extreme aridity during Pleistocene glacials. The shallow ergence between Australian and New Guinean s les is consistent with recent connectivity between Australia and New Guinea that would have been possible via a savannah corridor across the Torres Strait. Based on our molecular and morphological data, we do not support taxonomic recognition of any of the frilled lizard clades and instead consider C. kingii a single species with shallow phylogeographic structure and clinal variation in frill color.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2013.11.012
Abstract: Jacky dragons (Amphibolurus muricatus) are ubiquitous in south-eastern Australia and were one of the first Australian reptiles to be formally described. Because they are so common, Jacky dragons are widely used as a model system for research in evolutionary biology and ecology. In addition, their distribution along the Great Dividing Range of eastern Australia provides an opportunity to examine the influence of past biogeographical processes, particularly the expansion and contraction of forest habitats, on the ersification of this iconic agamid lizard. We generated sequence data for two mitochondrial and three nuclear DNA loci (4251base pairs) for 62 Jacky dragons s led from throughout their distribution. Phylogenetic analyses based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian species-tree methods revealed five geographically structured clades separated by up to 6% mitochondrial and 0.7% nuclear sequence ergence. We also quantified body proportion variation within and between these genetic clades for more than 500 specimens and found no evidence of any significant differentiation in body proportions across their range. Based on body proportion homogeneity and lack of resolution in the nuclear loci, we do not support taxonomic recognition of any of the mitochondrial clades. Instead, A. muricatus is best thought of as a single species with phylogeographic structure. The genetic patterns observed in the Jacky dragon are consistent with fragmented populations reduced to multiple refugia during cold, arid phases when forested habitats were greatly restricted. Consequently, the inferred biogeographic barriers for this taxon appear to be in line with lowland breaks in the mountain ranges. Our results are congruent with studies of other reptiles, frogs, mammals, birds and invertebrates, and together highlight the overarching effects of widespread climatic and habitat fluctuations along the Great Dividing Range since the Pliocene.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2011.08.012
Abstract: Deserts and other arid zones remain among the least studied biomes on Earth. Emerging genetic patterns of arid-distributed biota suggest a strong link between ersification history and both the onset of aridification and more recent cycles of severe aridification. A previous study based on 1 kb of mtDNA of the monotypic gecko genus Rhynchoedura identified five allopatric clades across the vast Australian arid zone. We supplemented this data with 2.2kb from three nuclear loci and additional mtDNA sequences. Phylogenetic relationships estimated from the mtDNA data with ML and Bayesian methods were largely concordant with relationships estimated with the nDNA data only, and mtDNA and nDNA data combined. These analyses, and coalescent-based species-tree inference methods implemented with (∗)BEAST, largely resolve the relationships among them. We also carried out an examination of 19 morphological characters for 268 museum specimens from across Australia, including all 197 animals for which we sequenced mtDNA. The mtDNA clades differ subtly in a number of morphological features, and we describe three of them as new species, raise a fourth from synonymy, and redescribe it and the type species, Rhynchoedura ornata. We also describe a morphologically distinctive new species from Queensland based on very few specimens. The distribution of arid zone clades across what is now relatively homogeneous sand deserts seems to be related to a topographic ide between the western uplands and eastern lowlands, with species' distributions correlated with dryland rivers and major drainage ides. The existence of five cryptic species within the formerly monotypic Rhynchoedura points to ancient ergences within the arid zone that likely were driven by wet phases as well as dry ones.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-05-2008
Abstract: The iconic Pilbara in northwestern Australia is an ancient geological and biophysical region that is an important zone of bio ersity, endemism and refugia. It also is overlain by some of the oldest erosion surfaces on Earth, but very little is known about the patterns of biotic ersity within the Pilbara or how they relate to the landscape. We combined phylogenetic and spatial-autocorrelation genetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA data on populations of the gekkotan lizard Lucasium stenodactylum within the Pilbara with geological, distributional and habitat data to test the hypothesis that ancient surface geology predicts current clade-habitat associations in saxicoline animals. This is the first detailed phylogenetic examination of a vertebrate organism across the Pilbara region. Our phylogeny provides strong support for a deep and ancient phylogenetic split within L. stenodactylum that distinguishes populations within the Pilbara region from those outside the Pilbara. Within the Pilbara region itself, our phylogeny has identified five major clades whose distribution closely matches different surface geologies of this ancient landscape. Each clade shows strong affinities with particular terrain types and topographic regions, which are directly related to different geological bedrock. Together our phylogenetic, distributional, geological and habitat data provide a clear ex le of ecological ersification across an ancient and heterogeneous landscape. Our favoured hypothesis is that ancestors of the Pilbara lineages radiated into the region at the onset of aridity in Australia approximately 5 mya and locally adapted to the various ancient and highly stable terrain types and the micro-habitats derived from them. In terms of specimen recovery and analysis, we are only beginning to reconstruct the biotic history of this ancient landscape. Our results show the geological history and the habitats derived from them will form an important part of this emerging story.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-05-2014
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.12324
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 02-1981
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-02-2013
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.12080
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 15-03-2017
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-1993
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-02-2021
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.14063
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-02-2016
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.13511
Abstract: Multilocus phylogeography can uncover taxonomically unrecognized lineage ersity across complex biomes. The Australian monsoonal tropics include vast, ecologically intact savanna-woodland plains interspersed with ancient sandstone uplands. Although recognized in general for its high species richness and endemism, the bio ersity of the region remains underexplored due to its remoteness. This is despite a high rate of ongoing species discovery, especially in wetter regions and for rock-restricted taxa. To provide a baseline for ongoing comparative analyses, we tested for phylogeographic structure in an ecologically generalized and widespread taxon, the gecko Heteronotia binoei. We apply coalescent analyses to multilocus sequence data (mitochondrial DNA and eight nuclear DNA introns) from in iduals s led extensively and at fine scale across the region. The results demonstrate surprisingly deep and geographically nested lineage ersity. Several intra-specific clades previously shown to be endemic to the region were themselves found to contain multiple, short-range lineages. To infer landscapes with concentrations of unique phylogeographic ersity, we probabilistically estimate the ranges of lineages from point data and then, combining these estimates with the nDNA species tree, estimate phyloendemism across the region. Highest levels of phyloendemism occur in northern Top End, especially on islands, across the topographically complex Arnhem escarpment, and across the sandstone ranges of the western Gulf region. These results drive home that deep phylogeographic structure is prevalent in tropical low-dispersal taxa, even ones that are ubiquitous across geography and habitats.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 05-1993
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-03-2011
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2011.08.009
Abstract: It is a widely held assumption that populations historically restricted to mountain refugia tend to exhibit high levels of genetic ersity and deep coalescent histories, whereas populations distributed in surrounding low-lying regions tend to be genetically depauperate following recent expansion from refugia. These predicted genetic patterns are based largely on our understanding of glaciation history in Northern Hemisphere systems, yet remain poorly tested in analogous Southern Hemisphere arid systems because few ex les in the literature allow the comparison of widespread taxa distributed across mountain and desert biomes. We demonstrate with multiple datasets from Australian geckos that topographically complex mountain regions harbor high nucleotide ersity, up to 18 times higher than that of the surrounding desert lowlands. We further demonstrate that taxa in topographically complex areas have older coalescent histories than those in the geologically younger deserts, and that both ancient and more recent aridification events have contributed to these patterns. Our results show that, despite differences in the details of climate and landscape changes that occurred in the Northern and Southern hemispheres (ice-sheets versus aridification), similar patterns emerge that illustrate the profound influence of the Pleistocene on contemporary genetic structure.
Start Date: 2020
End Date: 2023
Funder: Australian Government
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 08-2023
End Date: 08-2028
Amount: $432,469.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity