ORCID Profile
0000-0001-6854-8003
Current Organisations
Queensland University of Technology
,
Université de Sherbrooke
,
University of Montreal
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Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2000
DOI: 10.1046/J.1365-2540.2000.00733.X
Abstract: Territorial group size in Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) ranges from monogamous pairs to groups of more than 20 in iduals. It has been hypothesized that large territorial groups result from the retention of juveniles after a breeding effort. If this is true, local populations consisting of large groups are likely to exhibit the most genetic structure, because over time similar genotypes will tend to be confined to limited areas if juveniles are predominantly philopatric. The objective of the present study was to test this hypothesis using allozyme and mitochondrial DNA data to provide indirect estimates of regional gene flow (derived from hierarchical population sub ision analyses). These data were used in combination with estimates of group size to infer patterns of dispersal among magpie populations across mainland Australia. Territorial groups were significantly larger in the south-west compared to three eastern regions. Although inferred levels of gene flow were substantial for all four regions, a striking pattern emerged from both sets of genetic data: more differentiation was evident among populations in the south-western region than in any eastern region. We conclude that levels of juvenile dispersal influence group size in G. tibicen, because in the south-western region where groups were largest, populations were most genetically differentiated. Our results suggest that contrasting population genetic structures may develop within a single species as a result of differences in social system.
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 14-05-2013
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-2020
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 12-2012
DOI: 10.1899/12-044.1
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-03-2005
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 13-07-2012
DOI: 10.1017/S0007485311000319
Abstract: To date, a molecular phylogenetic approach has not been used to investigate the evolutionary structure of Trogoderma and closely related genera. Using two mitochondrial genes, Cytochrome Oxidase I and Cytochrome B, and the nuclear gene, 18S , the reported polyphyletic positioning of Trogoderma was examined. Paraphyly in Trogoderma was observed, with one Australian Trogoderma species reconciled as sister to all Dermestidae and the Anthrenocerus genus deeply nested within the Australian Trogoderma clade. In addition, time to most recent common ancestor for a number of Dermestidae was calculated. Based on these estimations, the Dermestidae origin exceeded 175 million years, placing the origins of this family in Pangaea.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-12-2017
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 09-08-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2011.03.003
Abstract: Restrictions to effective dispersal and gene flow caused by the fragmentation of ancient supercontinents are considered to have driven ersification and speciation on disjunct landmasses globally. Investigating the role that these processes have played in the development of ersity within and among taxa is crucial to understanding the origins and evolution of regional biotas. Within the chironomid (non-biting midge) subfamily Orthocladiinae (Diptera: Chironomidae), a group of genera that are distributed across the austral continents (Australia, New Zealand, South America) have been proposed to represent a relict Gondwanan clade. We used a molecular approach to resolve relationships among taxa with the aim to determine the relative roles that vicariance and dispersal may have played in the evolution of this group. Continental biotas did not form monophyletic groups, in accordance with expectations given existing morphological evidence. Patterns of phylogenetic relationships among taxa did not accord with expected patterns based on the geological sequence of break-up of the Gondwanan supercontinent. Likewise, ergence time estimates, particularly for New Zealand taxa, largely post-dated continental fragmentation and implied instead that several transoceanic dispersal events may have occurred post-vicariance. Passive dispersal of gravid female chironomid adults is the most likely mechanism for transoceanic movement, potentially facilitated by West Wind Drift or anti-cyclone fronts. Estimated timings of ergence among Australian and South American Botryocladius, on the other hand, were congruent with the proposed ages of separation of the two continents from Antarctica. Taken together, these data suggest that a complex relationship between both vicariance and dispersal may explain the evolution of this group. The s ling regime we implemented here was the most intensive yet performed for austral members of the Orthocladiinae and unsurprisingly revealed several novel taxa that will require formal description.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-07-2017
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2018
Abstract: Most living carnivorous marsupials lead a secretive and solitary existence. From tiny insect eaters to the formidable Tasmanian Devil, Secret Lives of Carnivorous Marsupials offers rare insight into the history and habits of these creatures – from their discovery by intrepid explorers and scientists to their unique life cycles and incredible ways of hunting prey. Secret Lives of Carnivorous Marsupials provides a guide to the world’s 136 living species of carnivorous marsupials and is packed with never-before-seen photos. Biogeography, relationships and conservation are also covered in detail. Readers are taken on a journey through remote Australia, the Americas and dark, mysterious New Guinea – some of the last truly wild places on Earth. The book describes frenzied mating sessions, minuscule mammals that catch prey far larger than themselves, and extinct predators including marsupial lions, wolves and even sabre-toothed kangaroos.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-03-2006
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 11-2021
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 10-08-2017
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1071/ZO14019
Abstract: The water mouse, Xeromys myoides, is currently recognised as a vulnerable species in Australia, inhabiting a small number of distinct and isolated coastal regions of Queensland and the Northern Territory. An examination of the evolutionary history and contemporary influences shaping the genetic structure of this species is required to make informed conservation management decisions. Here, we report the first analysis undertaken on the phylogeography and population genetics of the water mouse across its mainland Australian distribution. Genetic ersity was assessed at two mitochondrial DNA (Cytochrome b, 1000 bp D-loop, 400 bp) and eight microsatellite DNA loci. Very low genetic ersity was found, indicating that water mice underwent a recent expansion throughout their Australian range and constitute a single evolutionarily significant unit. Microsatellite analyses revealed that the highest genetic ersity was found in the Mackay region of central Queensland population substructure was also identified, suggesting that local populations may be isolated in this region. Conversely, genetic ersity in the Coomera region of south-east Queensland was very low and the population in this region has experienced a significant genetic bottleneck. These results have significant implications for future management, particularly in terms of augmenting populations through translocations or reintroducing water mice in areas where they have gone extinct.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 22-10-2020
DOI: 10.1093/ZOOLINNEAN/ZLZ055
Abstract: Although mammalian tail length relative to body length is considered indicative of locomotor mode, this association has been difficult to quantify. This could be because the counterweight function of the tail might associate it more with body weight than body length. Alternatively, relative tail length might not be evolutionarily flexible owing to its integration with the remaining skeleton, particularly the spine. Using comparative analyses of morphological means and ranges in Australian marsupials, including the first co-assessment with body weight, our study supports the second hypothesis, i.e. tail length ranges within species, and tail lengths among species are explained better by body length than by body weight. However, all three variables do not differ in phylogenetic signal or rates of evolution. Associations of tail lengths with locomotion are limited, but suggest that scaling slopes, rather than intercepts, are responsible for limited ergence between relative tail lengths at different locomotor modes. This complicates (palaeo-)ecological interpretations of tail length further. We conclude that relative tail length is not a strong predictor of locomotor mode, probably owing to strong integration of tail and body length. The many well-documented bony and soft-tissue adaptations of tails are likely to be better suited to interpretations of locomotor adaptations.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2007
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1071/AM14036
Abstract: The silver-headed antechinus (Antechinus argentus) is one of Australia’s most recently described mammals, and the single known population at Kroombit Tops in south-east Queensland is threatened. Nothing is known of the species’ ecology, so during 2014 we collected faecal pellets each month (March–September) from a population at the type locality to gather baseline data on diet composition. A total of 38 faecal pellets were collected from 12 in iduals (eight females, four males) and microscopic analysis of pellets identified seven invertebrate orders, with 70% combined mean composition of beetles (Coleoptera: 38%) and cockroaches (Blattodea: 32%). Other orders that featured as prey were ants, crickets/grasshoppers, butterflies/moths, spiders, and true bugs. Given that faecal pellets could only be collected from a single habitat type (Eucalyptus montivaga high-altitude open forest) and location, this is best described as a generalist insectivorous diet that is characteristic of other previously studied congeners.
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 24-03-2021
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.4949.1.1
Abstract: The ersity and endemism of Australian Tanypodinae (Diptera: Chironomidae) has been unclear from morphological comparisons with well-grounded northern hemisphere taxonomy. As part of a comprehensive study, here we focus on one of the few described endemic genera, Yarrhpelopia Cranston. Extensive and intensive new s ling and newly-acquired molecular data provides clarity for the type species, Yarrhpelopia norrisi Cranston and allows recognition of congeners and potential sister group(s). We describe Yarrhpelopia acorona Cranston & Krosch sp. n., and we recognise a third species from Western Australia, retaining an informal code ‘V20’ due to inadequate reared / associated material for formal description. We recognise a robust clade Coronapelopia Cranston & Krosch gen. n., treated as a genus new to science for two new species, Coronapelopia valedon Cranston & Krosch sp. n. and Coronapelopia quadridentata Cranston & Krosch sp. n., from eastern Australia, each described in their larval and pupal stages and partial imaginal stages. Interleaved between the independent new Australian clades Yarrhpelopia and Coronapelopia are New World Pentaneura and relatives, that allow a tentative inference of a dated gondwanan (austral) connection. Expanded s ling indicates that Y. norrisi, although near predictably present in mine-polluted waters, is not obligate but generally indicates acidic waters, including natural sw s and Sphagnum bogs. The inferred acidophily, including in drainages of mine adits, applies to many taxa under consideration here.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2004
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 11-12-2013
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.3746.2.1
Abstract: Antechinus argentus sp. nov. is currently only known from the plateau at the eastern escarpment of Kroombit Tops National Park, about 400km NNW of Brisbane and 60km SSW of Gladstone, south-east Queensland, Australia. Antechinus flavipes (Waterhouse) is also known from Kroombit Tops NP, 4.5km W of the nearest known population of A. argentus A. mysticus Baker, Mutton and Van Dyck has yet to be found within Kroombit Tops, but is known from museum specimens taken at Bulburin NP, just 40km ESE, as well as extant populations about 400km to both the south-east and north-west of Kroombit NP. A. argentus can be easily distinguished in the field, having an overall silvery/grey appearance with much paler silver feet and drabber deep greyish-olive rump than A. flavipes, which has distinctive yellow-orange toned feet, rump and tail-base A. argentus fur is also less coarse than that of A. flavipes. A. argentus has a striking silver-grey head, neck and shoulders, with pale, slightly broken eye-rings, which distinguish it from A. mysticus which has a more subtle greyish-brown head, pale buff dabs of eyeliner and more colourful brownish-yellow rump. Features of the dentary can also be used for identification: A. argentus differs from A. flavipes in having smaller molar teeth, as well as a narrower and smaller skull and from A. mysticus in having on average a narrower snout, smaller skull and dentary lengths and smaller posterior palatal vacuities in the skull. A. argentus is strongly ergent genetically (at mtDNA) from both A. flavipes (9.0-11.2%) and A. mysticus (7.2-7.5%), and forms a very strongly supported clade to the exclusion of all other antechinus species, in both mtDNA and combined (mtDNA and nDNA) phylogenies inferred here. We are yet to make detailed surveys in search of A. argentus from forested areas to the immediate east and north of Kroombit Tops. However, A. mysticus has only been found at these sites in low densities in decades past and not at all in several recent trapping expeditions conducted by the authors. With similar habitat types in close geographic proximity, it is plausible that A. argentus may be found outside Kroombit. Nevertheless, it is striking that from a range of surveys conducted at Kroombit Tops in the last 15 years and intensive surveys by the authors in the last 3 years, totalling more than 5 080 trap nights, just 13 A. argentus have been captured from two sites less than 6 km apart. If this is even close to the true geographic extent of the species, it would possess one of the smallest distributions of an Australian mammal species. With several threats identified, we tentatively recommend that A. argentus be listed as Endangered, pending an exhaustive trapping survey of Kroombit and surrounds.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1071/ZO16044
Abstract: The endangered black-tailed dusky antechinus (Antechinus arktos) was described in 2014, so most aspects of its ecology are unknown. We examined diet composition and prey selection of A. arktos and a sympatric congener, the northern form of A. stuartii, at two sites in Springbrook National Park. Overall, taxa from 25 invertebrate orders were identified in the diets from 252 scat s les. Dietary components were similar for each species, but A. arktos consumed a higher frequency and volume of dipteran larvae and Diplopoda, while A. stuartii consumed more Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera and Isopoda. Both species of Antechinus had a higher percentage of ‘empty’ scats (devoid of any identifiable invertebrate material) in 2014 compared with 2015. The former was a drier year overall. Lower rainfall may have reduced abundance and ersity of arthropod prey, causing both species to supplement their diet with soft-bodied prey items such as earthworms, which are rarely detected in scats. Comparison of prey in scats with invertebrate captures from pitfall traps showed both species to be dietary generalists, despite exhibiting distinct preference and avoidance of certain prey categories. The ability of an endangered generalist marsupial to switch prey may be particularly advantageous considering the anticipated effects of climate change on Gondwanan rainforests during the mid-late 21st century.
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 12-10-2012
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.3515.1.1
Abstract: Antechinus mysticus sp. nov. occurs in coastal Australia, ranging from just north of the Queensland (Qld)/New SouthWales (NSW) border to Mackay (mid-east Qld), and is sympatric with A. flavipes (Waterhouse) and A. subtropicus VanDyck & Crowther in south-east Qld. The new species can be distinguished in the field, having paler feet and tail base thanA. flavipes and a greyish head that merges to buff-yellow on the rump and flanks, compared with the more uniform brownhead and body of A. subtropicus and A. stuartii Macleay. Features of the dentary can also be used for identification: A.mysticus differs from A. flavipes in having smaller molar teeth, from A. subtropicus in having a larger gap between frontand rear palatal vacuities, and from A. stuartii in having a generally broader snout. Here, we present a morphologicalanalysis of the new species in comparison with every member of the genus, including a discussion of genetic structure andbroader evolutionary trends, as well as an identification key to species based on dental characters. It seems likely that theknown geographic range of A. mysticus will expand as taxonomic focus on the genus is concentrated in south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-02-2011
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-2007
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 14-06-2013
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.3670.4.1
Abstract: We provide a taxonomic redescription of the dasyurid marsupial Atherton Antechinus, Antechinus godmani (Thomas). A. godmani is only rarely encountered and limited to wet tropical rainforests of north-east Queensland, Australia, between the towns of Cardwell and Cairns (a distribution spanning 135 kilometres from north to south). The distinctive species occurs at altitudes of over 600 meters asl, in all major rainforest types, and can be found with both the northern subspecies of the Yellow-footed Antechinus, A. flavipes rubeculus Van Dyck and the Rusty Antechinus, A. adustus (Thomas). A. godmani is clearly separated from all congeners on the basis of both morphometrics and genetics. A. godmani can be distinguished from all extant congeners based on external morphology by a combination of large size, naked-looking tail and reddish fur on the face and head. A. godmani skulls are characteristically large, with a suite of long features: basicranium, palate, upper premolar tooth row, inter-palatal vacuity distance and dentary. Phylogenies generated from mt- and nDNA data position Antechinus godmani as monophyletic with respect to other members of the genus A. godmani is strongly supported as the sister-group to a clade containing all other antechinus, but excluding the south-east Australian Dusky Antechinus, A. swainsonii (Waterhouse) and Sw Antechinus, A. minimus (Geoffroy). Antechinus godmani are genetically very ergent compared to all congeners (mtDNA: range 12.9-16.3%).
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 03-2008
Abstract: The Reflective Online Searching Skills (ROSS) Environment is an e-learning tool that fosters the development of student skill and knowledge in online searching. It was developed with the support of Faculty of Information Technology and the Teaching and Learning Support Services at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). In 2007 ROSS is being developed for use within the first year curriculum of other faculties within QUT. This paper will provide a demonstration of the ROSS environment and how it was embedded within the curriculum of two contrasting disciplines: IT and Science. Many online information literacy tools are static, modular, linear and heavily text based, and have failed to incorporate an interactive approach to the learning process. This paper will demonstrate that ROSS pushes the boundary of online information literacy programs by guiding learners to know, reflect, and practice information literacy concepts through the use of case studies or problem based learning.
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 11-02-2013
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.3613.3.1
Abstract: We provide a taxonomic redescription of the Fawn Antechinus, Antechinus bellus (Thomas). A. bellus is the only member of its genus to occur in Australia’s Northern Territory, where it can be found in savannah woodlands of the Top End. It is perhaps the most distinctive antechinus, and clearly distinguishable from the other 10 extant species of antechinus found in Australia: externally, A. bellus has pale body fur, white feet and large ears A. bellus skulls have large auditory bullae and narrow interorbital width, while broadening abruptly at the molar row mitochondrial and nuclear genes clearly dis-tinguish A. bellus from all congeners, phylogenetically positioning the Fawn Antechinus as sister to Queensland’s A. leo Van Dyck, 1980, with which it shares a curled supratragus of the external ear and a similar tropical latitudinal range.
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 14-08-2023
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.5330.1.1
Abstract: Many of Australia’s smaller marsupial species have been taxonomically described in just the past 50 years, and the Dasyuridae, a speciose family of carnivores, is known to harbour many cryptic taxa. Evidence from molecular studies is being increasingly utilised to help revise species boundaries and focus taxonomic efforts, and research over the past two decades has identified several undescribed genetic lineages within the dasyurid genus Planigale. Here, we describe two new species, Planigale kendricki sp. nov. (formerly known as ‘Planigale 1’) and P. tealei sp. nov. (formerly known as ‘Planigale sp. Mt Tom Price’). The two new species have broadly overlapping distributions in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The new species are genetically distinct from each other and from all other members of the genus, at both mitochondrial and nuclear loci, and morphologically, in both external and craniodental characters. The new species are found in regional sympatry within the Pilbara but occupy different habitat types at local scales. This work makes a start at resolving the cryptic ersity within Planigale at a time when small mammals are continuing to decline throughout Australia.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2004
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-07-2019
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1177/117693430600200007
Abstract: Bio ersity conservation addresses information challenges through estimations encapsulated in measures of ersity. A quantitative measure of phylogenetic ersity, “PD”, has been defined as the minimum total length of all the phylogenetic branches required to span a given set of taxa on the phylogenetic tree (Faith 1992a). While a recent paper incorrectly characterizes PD as not including information about deeper phylogenetic branches, PD applications over the past decade document the proper incorporation of shared deep branches when assessing the total PD of a set of taxa. Current PD applications to macroinvertebrate taxa in streams of New South Wales, Australia illustrate the practical importance of this definition. Phylogenetic lineages, often corresponding to new, “cryptic”, taxa, are restricted to a small number of stream localities. A recent case of human impact causing loss of taxa in one locality implies a higher PD value for another locality, because it now uniquely represents a deeper branch. This molecular-based phylogenetic pattern supports the use of DNA barcoding programs for bio ersity conservation planning. Here, PD assessments side-step the contentious use of barcoding-based “species” designations. Bioinformatics challenges include combining different phylogenetic evidence, optimization problems for conservation planning, and effective integration of phylogenetic information with environmental and socioeconomic data.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-03-2008
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 29-04-2020
DOI: 10.1071/AM20003
Abstract: The eastern barn owl (Tyto delicatula) is a significant native predator of small mammals in Australia. Regurgitated pellets can provide important data on species presence, current or historical changes in mammal fauna over time, or data on cryptic or threatened species. We collected 125 pellets from Cravens Peak reserve, Simpson Desert, Queensland, and examined the contents, including changes in diet over time (using age of pellet as a proxy) and the relative importance of different prey. In total, 642 unique prey items were recorded, 92% of which were mammals. Small rodents were the dominant prey – Mus musculus and Pseudomys hermannsburgensis, and the presence of Notomys cf. fuscus, Pseudantechinus cf. mimulus and Dasycercus blythi were all significant, being range extensions. Such data add to more traditional or novel techniques to record community changes over time.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-09-2003
DOI: 10.1046/J.1365-294X.2003.01941.X
Abstract: Molecular (mitochondrial DNA, isozyme) and morphological ersity of freshwater mussels (Family Hyriidae) was examined at 21 sites encompassing four large river systems, across southwest Queensland, Australia. Evidence was found for two major morphological groups. One group, which occurred in every river system, closely matched a recognized species (Velesunio ambiguus) both morphologically and in a well-supported lineage within a mitochondrial phylogeny generated from partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences. The second group most closely matched Velesunio wilsonii in shell morphology but formed three deeply ergent mitochondrial DNA lineages. All four lineages occurred sympatrically in some areas and displayed corresponding fixed differences at nuclear allozyme loci, which suggests an absence of recent hybridization and the presence of separate species.
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2023
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2004
DOI: 10.1071/MF04050
Abstract: Freshwater catchments of south-east Australia possess generally rich and erse macroinvertebrate faunas, although the genetic structuring of these assemblages is poorly known. In this study, we assessed mitochondrial phylogenetic structure within four genera of macroinvertebrates from the Sydney Water Supply Catchment, south-east Australia: Euastacus (parastacid crayfish), Cheumatopsyche (hydropsychid caddisflies), Atalophlebia (leptophlebiid mayflies) and Paratya (atyid shrimp), with a view to prioritising areas of high ersity for future conservation efforts. We found extremely ergent (≈4–19%) cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) lineages within all surveyed groups, many of which corresponded to recognised taxa, although there was also evidence of cryptic species within three genera Euastacus, Atalophlebia and Paratya. Distributions of these three genera were associated with high altitude streams, above dam impoundments. Our results have important implications for management of the Sydney Water Supply Catchment. Future disturbance in this region is likely to be high and priority should be directed towards preserving the ersity of fauna in these upland areas. This comparative phylogenetic approach may have value as a means to focus and direct conservation efforts in other areas supporting high bio ersity.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2009
DOI: 10.1111/J.1095-8649.2009.02369.X
Abstract: A molecular approach was employed to investigate stock structure in Siamese mud carp Henicorhynchus siamensis populations collected from 14 sites across mainland south-east Asia, with the major focus being the lower Mekong River basin. Spatial analysis of a mitochondrial DNA fragment (ATPase 6 and 8) identified four stocks in the Mekong River basin that were all significantly differentiated from a population in the nearby Khlong River, Thailand. In the Mekong River basin, populations in northern Lao People's Democratic Republic and northern Thailand represent two independent stocks, and s les from Thai tributaries group with those from adjacent Mekong sites above the Khone Falls to form a third stock. All sites below the Khone Falls constituted a single vast stock that includes Cambodia and the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. While H. siamensis is considered currently to undertake extensive annual migrations across the Mekong River basin, the data presented here suggest that natural gene flow may occur over much more restricted geographical scales within the basin, and hence populations may need to be managed at finer spatial scales than at the whole-of-drainage-basin level.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 31-10-2018
Abstract: Variation in life-history strategies has usually been characterized as a single fast–slow continuum of life-history variation, in which mean lifespan increases with age at maturity as reproductive output at each breeding event declines. Analyses of plants and animals suggest that strategies of reproductive timing can vary on an independent axis, with iteroparous species at one extreme and semelparous species at the other. Insectivorous marsupials in the Family Dasyuridae have an unusually wide range of life-history strategies on both purported axes. We test and confirm that reproductive output and degree of iteroparity are independent in females across species. Variation in reproductive output per episode is associated with mean annual rainfall, which predicts food availability. Position on the iteroparity-semelparity axis is not associated with annual rainfall, but species in regions of unpredictable rainfall have longer maximum lifespans, more potential reproductive events per year, and longer breeding seasons. We suggest that these two axes of life-history variation arise because reproductive output is limited by overall food availability, and selection for high offspring survival favours concentrated breeding in seasonal environments. Longer lifespans are favoured when reproductive opportunities are dispersed over longer periods in environments with less predictable food schedules.
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 17-02-2014
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.3765.2.1
Abstract: We describe a new species of dasyurid marsupial within the genus Antechinus that was previously known as a northern outlier of Dusky Antechinus (A. swainsonii). The Black-tailed Antechinus, Antechinus arktos sp. nov., is known only from areas of high altitude and high rainfall on the Tweed Volcano caldera of far south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales, Australia. Antechinus arktos formerly sheltered under the taxonomic umbrella of A. swainsonii mimetes, the widespread mainland form of Dusky Antechinus. With the benefit of genetic hindsight, some striking morphological differences are herein resolved: A. s. mimetes is more uniformly deep brown-black to grizzled grey-brown from head to rump, with brownish (clove brown-raw umber) hair on the upper surface of the hindfoot and tail, whereas A. arktos is more vibrantly coloured, with a marked change from greyish-brown head to orange-brown rump, fuscous black on the upper surface of the hindfoot and dense, short fur on the evenly black tail. Further, A. arktos has marked orange-brown fur on the upper and lower eyelid, cheek and in front of the ear and very long guard hairs all over the body these characters are more subtle in A. s. mimetes. There are striking genetic differences between the two species: at mtDNA, A. s. mimetes from north-east New South Wales is 10% ergent to A. arktos from its type locality at Springbrook NP, Queensland. In contrast, the Ebor A. s. mimetes clades closely with conspecifics from ACT and Victoria. A. arktos skulls are strikingly different to all subspecies of A. swainsonii. A. arktos are markedly larger than A. s. mimetes and A. s. swainsonii (Tasmania) for a range of craniodental measures. Antechinus arktos were historically found at a few proximate mountainous sites in south-east Queensland, and have only recently been recorded from or near the type locality. Even there, the species is likely in low abundance. The Black-tailed Antechinus has plausibly been detrimentally affected by climate change in recent decades, and will be at further risk with increasing warming trends.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.5972
Abstract: Metal box (e.g., Elliott, Sherman) traps and remote cameras are two of the most commonly employed methods presently used to survey terrestrial mammals. However, their relative efficacy at accurately detecting cryptic small mammals has not been adequately assessed. The present study therefore compared the effectiveness of metal box (Elliott) traps and vertically oriented, close range, white flash camera traps in detecting small mammals occurring in the Scenic Rim of eastern Australia. We also conducted a preliminary survey to determine effectiveness of a conservation detection dog (CDD) for identifying presence of a threatened carnivorous marsupial, Antechinus arktos , in present‐day and historical locations, using camera traps to corroborate detections. 200 Elliott traps and 20 white flash camera traps were set for four deployments per method, across a site where the target small mammals, including A. arktos , are known to occur. Camera traps produced higher detection probabilities than Elliott traps for all four species. Thus, vertically mounted white flash cameras were preferable for detecting the presence of cryptic small mammals in our survey. The CDD, which had been trained to detect A. arktos scat, indicated in total 31 times when deployed in the field survey area, with subsequent camera trap deployments specifically corroborating A. arktos presence at 100% (3) indication locations. Importantly, the dog indicated twice within Border Ranges National Park, where historical (1980s–1990s) specimen‐based records indicate the species was present, but extensive Elliott and camera trapping over the last 5–10 years have resulted in zero A. arktos captures. Camera traps subsequently corroborated A. arktos presence at these sites. This demonstrates that detection dogs can be a highly effective means of locating threatened, cryptic species, especially when traditional methods are unable to detect low‐density mammal populations.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-03-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41586-022-04661-W
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus remains a global public health crisis. Although widespread vaccination c aigns are underway, their efficacy is reduced owing to emerging variants of concern 1,2 . Development of host-directed therapeutics and prophylactics could limit such resistance and offer urgently needed protection against variants of concern 3,4 . Attractive pharmacological targets to impede viral entry include type-II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs) such as TMPRSS2 these proteases cleave the viral spike protein to expose the fusion peptide for cell entry, and thus have an essential role in the virus lifecycle 5,6 . Here we identify and characterize a small-molecule compound, N-0385, which exhibits low nanomolar potency and a selectivity index of higher than 10 6 in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection in human lung cells and in donor-derived colonoids 7 . In Calu-3 cells it inhibits the entry of the SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), P.1 (Gamma) and B.1.617.2 (Delta). Notably, in the K18-human ACE2 transgenic mouse model of severe COVID-19, we found that N-0385 affords a high level of prophylactic and therapeutic benefit after multiple administrations or even after a single administration. Together, our findings show that TTSP-mediated proteolytic maturation of the spike protein is critical for SARS-CoV-2 infection in vivo, and suggest that N-0385 provides an effective early treatment option against COVID-19 and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 27-04-2019
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 09-2001
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2021.107324
Abstract: The non-biting midge subfamily Tanypodinae (Diptera: Chironomidae) is species-rich, ecologically erse, and near-globally distributed. Within the subfamily, aspects of generic and species-level taxonomy remain poorly understood, in particular the validity of assignment of Australian and New Zealand taxa to genera erected for northern hemisphere (Holarctic) fauna. Here, we place the austral ersity within this global context by extensive geographical and taxonomic s ling in concert with a multilocus phylogenetic approach. We incorporated sequence data for mitochondrial COI, and nuclear 28S and CAD, and conducted Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenetic inferences and Bayesian ergence time estimation. The resolved phylogeny supported many associations of Australian taxa with their proposed Holarctic congeners, with the exception of Apsectrotanypus Fittkau, and validates several taxa as endemic. Three of four New Zealand s led taxa had their sister groups in Australia New Zealand Monopelopia Fittkau was sister to a German congener. This included the first record of Procladius Kieffer from New Zealand. Most nodes connecting austral and Holarctic taxa clustered around the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (60-80 mya), whereas New Zealand-Australia nodes were generally slightly younger (53-57 mya). Together, these data contribute substantially to our understanding of the taxonomy, systematics and biogeography of the Australian Tanypodinae and more broadly to knowledge of Australia's aquatic insect bio ersity.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 13-07-2020
DOI: 10.1093/ZOOLINNEAN/ZLAA060
Abstract: The Australian sugar glider, Petaurus breviceps s.l., is widely distributed across eastern and northern Australia. Examination of historical and contemporary collections of Petaurus specimens and phylogenetic analyses have revealed considerable taxonomic ersity within the genus. We aimed to utilize an integrative taxonomic approach, combining genetic and morphological evidence, to resolve the taxonomy of Australian gliders currently recognized as Petaurus breviceps. Herein, we confirm the existence of three distinct species: P. breviceps, P. notatus comb. nov. and P. ariel comb. nov.. Petaurus breviceps and P. notatus are each represented by major mtDNA lineages in P. breviceps, while P. ariel forms a sister-lineage to P. norfolcensis and P. gracilis. Subtle morphological differences distinguish P. breviceps from the closely related P. notatus, while the morphological distinctions between P. ariel and its genetically similar sister-taxa, P. norfolcensis and P. gracilis, are more obvious. Given the purported broad geographic distribution of the taxon, P. breviceps s.l. was not listed as threatened, but iding this taxon into three species has important conservation implications for all taxa in the group, particularly given the lamentable record for mammal extinctions in Australia. Concerted and targeted conservation efforts are necessary to preserve these distinct, newly described species.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 22-05-2015
DOI: 10.1111/ZOJ.12284
Publisher: Queensland Museum
Date: 2015
Publisher: Queensland Museum
Date: 31-07-2015
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 24-02-2006
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-2020
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.6045
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 29-12-2023
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 12-10-2022
DOI: 10.1071/AM22016
Abstract: The use of correct taxonomy to describe and name the earth’s bio ersity is fundamental to conservation and management. However, there are issues that need to be overcome to ensure that the described taxa and their scientific names are both appropriate and widely adopted. Obstacles to this include the use of different species definitions, taxonomic instability due to accumulation of additional specimens in analyses and the progression of science that allows better resolution of species boundaries, and the inappropriate description and naming of new taxa without adequate scientific basis in self-published journals (known as ‘taxonomic vandalism’). In an effort to manage taxonomic instability, the Australasian Mammal Taxonomy Consortium (AMTC), an affiliated body of the Australian Mammal Society, has developed several tools that include: (1) a standardised list of Australian mammal common and scientific names (2) recommendations for information that should be included in published species descriptions and (3) support for the publication of aspidonyms (i.e. a scientifically acceptable name proposed to overwrite a pre-existing unscientific name). This review discusses these issues, reaffirms the foundations for appropriate taxonomic research, and provides guidelines for those publishing taxonomic research on Australian mammals.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1071/ZO16028
Abstract: The buff-footed antechinus (Antechinus mysticus) is a newly described carnivorous marsupial from eastern Australia. We examined the diet composition and prey preference of this little known dasyurid in the southernmost (Brisbane) and northernmost (Eungella) populations. Animals were captured over three months (July–September) during 2014 encompassing the breeding period (late July and August) of the species. Seasonal s ling carried over into a second year which followed the succeeding cohort of juveniles as they dispersed from their maternal nest (summer), through their maturation (autumn), to the beginning of breeding (winter), s ling across one complete generation. The diet of A. mysticus consisted predominantly of invertebrates, with 16 prey orders identified (11 Insecta, two Arachnida, two Myriapoda, one Crustacea). Vertebrate (Family Scincidae) consumption was recorded in low abundance at both sites. The diet of A. mysticus was dominated by Araneae (spiders), Blattodea (cockroaches) and Coleoptera (beetles). Comparison of identified prey consumption in scats with prey availability in pitfall traps showed A. mysticus to be a dietary generalist, opportunistically consuming mostly invertebrate prey with supplementary predation on small vertebrates. Juvenile A. mysticus preyed predominantly on Blattodea (33.4% mean percentage volume) and Coleoptera (31.6% mean percentage volume), potentially suggesting a preference for larger, easier to catch, prey items. Further exploration into the relationship between prey and body size is required to determine this.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-06-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-09-2021
Abstract: The 15 species of small carnivorous marsupials that comprise the genus Antechinus exhibit semelparity, a rare life‐history strategy in mammals where synchronized death occurs after one breeding season. Antechinus males, but not females, age rapidly (demonstrate organismal senescence) during the breeding season and show promise as new animal models of ageing. Some antechinus species are also threatened or endangered. Here, we report a chromosome‐level genome of a male yellow‐footed antechinus Antechinus flavipes . The genome assembly has a total length of 3.2 Gb with a contig N50 of 51.8 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 636.7 Mb. We anchored and oriented 99.7% of the assembly on seven pseudochromosomes and found that repetitive DNA sequences occupy 51.8% of the genome. Draft genome assemblies of three related species in the subfamily Phascogalinae, two additional antechinus species ( Antechinus argentus and A . arktos ) and the iteroparous sister species Murexia melanurus , were also generated. Preliminary demographic analysis supports the hypothesis that climate change during the Pleistocene isolated species in Phascogalinae and shaped their population size. A transcriptomic profile across the A . flavipes breeding season allowed us to identify genes associated with aspects of the male die‐off. The chromosome‐level A . flavipes genome provides a steppingstone to understanding an enigmatic life‐history strategy and a resource to assist the conservation of antechinuses.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 23-08-2023
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2011
DOI: 10.1111/J.1095-8649.2011.03088.X
Abstract: The contemporary and historical colonization capacity of an Australian freshwater fish, north-west glassfish Ambassis sp., was tested using mtDNA sequence data and six newly developed microsatellite loci in an endoreic basin in central Australia. Overall, Ambassis sp. exhibited weak genetic structure within catchments, suggesting some capacity to recolonize extirpated waterholes after disturbance. Genetic structure revealed that the historical pattern of connectivity among catchments in the Lake Eyre Basin was dramatically different from other species studied in this region. Two highly ergent clades were detected in separate catchments in the basin. mtDNA from in iduals s led in catchments north of the Lake Eyre Basin suggest that Ambassis sp. has colonized on two separate occasions from catchments in northern Australia, subsequently generating two highly ergent lineages.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-04-2009
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-07-2019
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 09-2010
DOI: 10.1899/09-093.1
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-08-2018
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.4376
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 13-01-2011
DOI: 10.1017/S0007485310000544
Abstract: The Warehouse beetle, Trogoderma variabile (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), is an internationally significant invasive pest of packed goods and stored grain. When it was first documented in Australia at Griffith, New South Wales, in 1977, an eradication c aign was initiated. After several years and considerable effort, the eradication c aign was abandoned. To monitor the presence and spread of T. variabile , surveys were carried out by government agencies in 1992 and 2002. When survey data was compared, it was concluded that the distribution of morphologically identified T. variabile had doubled in most Australian states. Here, we used s les from the 2002 survey to conduct a phylogenetic study using partial sequences of mitochondrial genes Cytochrome oxidase I and Cytochrome B, and the nuclear gene 18S, to examine the distribution and dispersal of T. variabile and detect the presence of misidentified species. Based on our molecular results, we show that only 47% of the s les analysed were T. variabile , and the remaining were a mixture of six putative species. In addition, T. variabile was found in only 78% of the trapping sites. We discuss the importance of correct diagnosis in relation to the eradication c aign.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-06-2004
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-2003
DOI: 10.1071/MU02032
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 31-10-2003
DOI: 10.1046/J.1365-294X.2003.02011.X
Abstract: We assessed levels of mitochondrial genetic spatial structuring in the hydropsychid caddisfly Cheumatopsyche sp. AV1 in southeastern New South Wales, Australia. No significant spatial structuring was detected within or between catchments using analysis of molecular variance, and nested clade contingency analysis suggested no strong relationship between haplotypes and geographical location, at any clade level. However, tests for association among haplotypes incorporating geographical distance in the nested clade analysis, revealed patterns of historical range expansion and recent restricted gene flow. Most likely, population fragmentation preceded range expansion, although subsequent recontact and gene flow among the previously sundered populations has apparently obscured the geographical signature of the former fragmentation. Taken together, our analyses suggest that a number of populations fragmented during the Pleistocene evolved in isolation for a time and subsequently expanded into secondary contact. Since expansion, there has apparently been substantial (albeit somewhat restricted) dispersal and gene flow of adult female Cheumatopsyche sp. AV1, throughout the study area.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 04-05-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.05.03.442520
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus remains a global public health crisis. Although widespread vaccination c aigns are underway, their efficacy is reduced against emerging variants of concern (VOCs) 1,2 . Development of host-directed therapeutics and prophylactics could limit such resistance and offer urgently needed protection against VOCs 3,4 . Attractive pharmacological targets to impede viral entry include type-II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs), such as TMPRSS2, whose essential role in the virus lifecycle is responsible for the cleavage and priming of the viral spike protein 5–7 . Here, we identify and characterize a small-molecule compound, N-0385, as the most potent inhibitor of TMPRSS2 reported to date. N-0385 exhibited low nanomolar potency and a selectivity index of 6 at inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection in human lung cells and in donor-derived colonoids 8 . Importantly, N-0385 acted as a broad-spectrum coronavirus inhibitor of two SARS-CoV-2 VOCs, B.1.1.7 and B.1.351. Strikingly, single daily intranasal administration of N-0385 early in infection significantly improved weight loss and clinical outcomes, and yielded 100% survival in the severe K18-human ACE2 transgenic mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 disease. This demonstrates that TTSP-mediated proteolytic maturation of spike is critical for SARS-CoV-2 infection in vivo and suggests that N-0385 provides a novel effective early treatment option against COVID-19 and emerging SARS-CoV-2 VOCs.
Start Date: 2016
End Date: 2019
Funder: NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 2015
End Date: 2016
Funder: Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 2018
End Date: 2022
Funder: Australian Biological Resources Study
View Funded Activity