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
Testing Theories of Historical Divergence using South Eastern Australian Reptiles. The processes that serve to create species diversity must also be preserved in order to allow evolution to continue. My study will clarify the number and distribution of water skink species in south eastern Australia, a biologically diverse, yet under studied area of Australia. I will also be looking at processes, such as dispersal, that determine patterns of species distribution over time. These lizards are also ....Testing Theories of Historical Divergence using South Eastern Australian Reptiles. The processes that serve to create species diversity must also be preserved in order to allow evolution to continue. My study will clarify the number and distribution of water skink species in south eastern Australia, a biologically diverse, yet under studied area of Australia. I will also be looking at processes, such as dispersal, that determine patterns of species distribution over time. These lizards are also found on mountain tops and may be affected by global warming. Understanding how climate change has affected these lizards in the past may help us to predict how climate changes will affect them in the future and better enable us to conserve these and other species in the future.Read moreRead less
Quantifying Uncertainty in Predictions of Global Change. This project will develop and apply quantitative risk management models to assess whether data sources used in the predictions of global changes, in: (i) land use and land cover; (ii) biodiversity; and (iii) carbon emissions, are adequate. It will focus on the issues of data accuracy, scale and temporal resolution in order to assess whether spatial data sources meet environmental decision-making needs. The research has the potential to ( ....Quantifying Uncertainty in Predictions of Global Change. This project will develop and apply quantitative risk management models to assess whether data sources used in the predictions of global changes, in: (i) land use and land cover; (ii) biodiversity; and (iii) carbon emissions, are adequate. It will focus on the issues of data accuracy, scale and temporal resolution in order to assess whether spatial data sources meet environmental decision-making needs. The research has the potential to (a) aid the federal and state government(s), and international agencies, in making informed policy / management decisions and to increase their effectiveness in implementing international treaties and protocols; and (b) help ensure the future capacity of terrestrial ecosystems to provide resources for the world's growing population and their ability to absorb the associated carbon emissions.Read moreRead less
Evolution of the unique fauna of the Great Artesian Basin mound springs: the impact of aridification and climate change. The mound springs of the Great Artesian Basin represent one of Australia's most unique environments and are of national biodiversity, cultural and economic significance. Their conservation is a major issue following listing of the springs as a threatened ecological community. As economic productivity in the GAB intensifies, the mound springs are under increasing threat from es ....Evolution of the unique fauna of the Great Artesian Basin mound springs: the impact of aridification and climate change. The mound springs of the Great Artesian Basin represent one of Australia's most unique environments and are of national biodiversity, cultural and economic significance. Their conservation is a major issue following listing of the springs as a threatened ecological community. As economic productivity in the GAB intensifies, the mound springs are under increasing threat from escalating groundwater use. The results of this study on the evolution of two crustacean groups will provide significant biological information for management plans, facilitating conservation of mound springs communities, and helping to understand the impacts of water extraction and climate change on this unique habitat.Read moreRead less
The enigma of arrival: Movements of the mimosa bush and the baobab across the Indian Ocean into pre-British Australia. This project will provide new insights into northern Australia's historical place in Indian Ocean networks of trade, cultural, and biological exchanges. By seeking to solve the enigmas of arrival of the mimosa bush and baobab our project will create new knowledge about the pre-British environmental history of Australia. Its integrative approach will generate significant public ....The enigma of arrival: Movements of the mimosa bush and the baobab across the Indian Ocean into pre-British Australia. This project will provide new insights into northern Australia's historical place in Indian Ocean networks of trade, cultural, and biological exchanges. By seeking to solve the enigmas of arrival of the mimosa bush and baobab our project will create new knowledge about the pre-British environmental history of Australia. Its integrative approach will generate significant public interest and richer discussion on the question of native versus introduced plants, helping environmental practitioners make informed decisions about alien plants and develop a more balanced perspective on biodiversity management. Finally, it will increase international collaboration across the Indian Ocean and train two postgraduate students. Read moreRead less
The bipolarity of Late Palaeozoic marine faunal distributions: origin, processes and implications for modern global marine biogeography. The fossil record of 'deep-time' ecological processes provides the only tangible tool and material to probe into the dynamics of past biotic responses to global environmental perturbations at a temporal scale extending well beyond the human impact. It is in this context that the project is linked to the National Research Priority Goal 1.5 (Australia's biodivers ....The bipolarity of Late Palaeozoic marine faunal distributions: origin, processes and implications for modern global marine biogeography. The fossil record of 'deep-time' ecological processes provides the only tangible tool and material to probe into the dynamics of past biotic responses to global environmental perturbations at a temporal scale extending well beyond the human impact. It is in this context that the project is linked to the National Research Priority Goal 1.5 (Australia's biodiversity), Goal 1.7 (climate change and variability) and Goal 3.1 (breakthrough new knowledge). In addition, the project will enhance Australia's global research profile through multinational and multidisciplinary research collaborations, and, importantly, also provide a crucial training opportunity for the next generation of Australian palaeobiologists.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