Does mother know best? Unifying proximate causation and ultimate explanation in mammalian sex allocation. The study of parental effects is a fundamental area in evolutionary ecology, but is characterised by poor integration of theory (ultimate causation) and physiology (proximate causation). This is true in sex allocation research that focuses almost exclusively on ultimate causation without integrating the physiological mechanisms for sex ratio adjustment. Using a combination of experiments and ....Does mother know best? Unifying proximate causation and ultimate explanation in mammalian sex allocation. The study of parental effects is a fundamental area in evolutionary ecology, but is characterised by poor integration of theory (ultimate causation) and physiology (proximate causation). This is true in sex allocation research that focuses almost exclusively on ultimate causation without integrating the physiological mechanisms for sex ratio adjustment. Using a combination of experiments and modelling, the project addresses this gap in understanding mammalian sex allocation, specifically: the lack of known mechanism; the connection between proximate mechanistic explanation and adaptive fitness explanations; and, knowledge on constraints. This project argues that one mechanism, pre-implantation glucose levels, links adaptive hypotheses with proximate causation. Read moreRead less
Unlocking telomere effects on life, death and fitness in a warming world. Few things in biology provoke such a strong desire for understanding as when adult death and fatal disease can be predicted early in life. A common factor linking early life stress, disease, ageing and time of death are telomeres, the protective regions at the end of each chromosome. This project aims to explicitly link telomere dynamics in free-living ectotherm populations with experimental approaches to advance our under ....Unlocking telomere effects on life, death and fitness in a warming world. Few things in biology provoke such a strong desire for understanding as when adult death and fatal disease can be predicted early in life. A common factor linking early life stress, disease, ageing and time of death are telomeres, the protective regions at the end of each chromosome. This project aims to explicitly link telomere dynamics in free-living ectotherm populations with experimental approaches to advance our understanding of parental and environmental effects on offspring telomeres and their effects later in life. This project will take advantage of one of the world’s longest datasets on ectotherm responses to climate to provide new knowledge of how telomeres affect fitness and the role that the environment plays.Read moreRead less
Senescence, sociality and sex. As individuals age, their body functions and survival prospects decline. Why some individuals deteriorate slower and later in life, is a critical question we cannot adequately answer, although the social environment has been suggested to be important. Using a recently established molecular biomarker of aging, this project aims to experimentally investigate in a wild bird if age-related decline is faster when individuals lack social support or face sexual competitio ....Senescence, sociality and sex. As individuals age, their body functions and survival prospects decline. Why some individuals deteriorate slower and later in life, is a critical question we cannot adequately answer, although the social environment has been suggested to be important. Using a recently established molecular biomarker of aging, this project aims to experimentally investigate in a wild bird if age-related decline is faster when individuals lack social support or face sexual competition. Expected outcomes are insights into key determinants of delayed aging and longer lifespan. Potential benefits include improved understanding of drivers of healthy aging, and improved ability to predict population persistence and identify conservation priorities. Read moreRead less
Physiological effects of extreme hot weather on animals’ metabolism, development, body size and cell lifespan. This project aims to determine the physiological effects of extreme hot weather on animals’ metabolism, development, body size and cell lifespan. Body size in animals is negatively related to latitude; individuals are relatively small in hot climates. The project will test the idea that the adverse effects of heat during development constrain body size. The project will draw on physiolo ....Physiological effects of extreme hot weather on animals’ metabolism, development, body size and cell lifespan. This project aims to determine the physiological effects of extreme hot weather on animals’ metabolism, development, body size and cell lifespan. Body size in animals is negatively related to latitude; individuals are relatively small in hot climates. The project will test the idea that the adverse effects of heat during development constrain body size. The project will draw on physiology, endocrinology, behaviour and cell biology and study birds across Australian climates and in a temperature-controlled laboratory. The outcomes of the project will provide insight into regional variation in species vulnerabilities to climate variation and inform biodiversity management.Read moreRead less
Computing the climate-life history nexus for Australia's fauna. Life histories are the trajectories organisms follow as they develop, grow, reproduce and age; they are shaped by evolution and limited by the physical and biological environment. Recent breakthroughs by the CI allow the computation of life histories in any sequence of climatic environments, with demonstrated potential to gain new insights into the past, present and future responses of species to climate variability and change. This ....Computing the climate-life history nexus for Australia's fauna. Life histories are the trajectories organisms follow as they develop, grow, reproduce and age; they are shaped by evolution and limited by the physical and biological environment. Recent breakthroughs by the CI allow the computation of life histories in any sequence of climatic environments, with demonstrated potential to gain new insights into the past, present and future responses of species to climate variability and change. This project aims to apply the new methods to understand how species' life histories have adapted to Australia's unique physical conditions and predict how they will respond to future conditions. It will simultaneously lay the foundations for a long-term, open-access research program on species' climate responses.Read moreRead less
Combining evolutionary, physiological and molecular approaches to understand ageing and performance. How organisms grow, behave and perform is a result of environmentally triggered molecular, physiological and biochemical reactions. Little is known about how these different levels of organisation interact to create the infinite morphological and behavioural complexities seen in adults. This project aims to integrate the fields of developmental, physiological and evolutionary biology to elucidate ....Combining evolutionary, physiological and molecular approaches to understand ageing and performance. How organisms grow, behave and perform is a result of environmentally triggered molecular, physiological and biochemical reactions. Little is known about how these different levels of organisation interact to create the infinite morphological and behavioural complexities seen in adults. This project aims to integrate the fields of developmental, physiological and evolutionary biology to elucidate how the environment moderates cell and tissue development through gene expression. This will highlight how early developmental decisions affect lifetime energetic trade-offs and efficiency, and how underlying biology manifests into emergent phenomena such as performance, behaviour, ageing and lifespan.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120100836
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Oxidative stress as a physiological constraint on the pace of life histories. The project will draw on several areas of biology to answer a fundamental question: which mechanisms underlie the link between vital processes, like growth and reproduction, and rates of biological ageing? This research is needed to understand the basis of trade-offs that cause some individuals or species to age faster than others.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101410
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,080.00
Summary
To die or not to die: understanding the energetics of death in nature. By better understanding how and why organisms die, we can improve treatment and prevention of age-related diseases such as cancer. This study will use the northern quoll as a model to examine the environmental, behavioural and physiological mechanisms associated with shortened or extended lifespan in nature.