Sperm competition, sexual conflict, and gamete evolution in mice. The innovative experiments of this project will yield results that are at the forefront of research in evolutionary biology. This project will generate publications in high profile journals, and will foster collaborations between Australian and European researchers, creating a significant international impact and promoting excellence in Australian research. Since European settlement of Australia, sixty percent of the native rodent ....Sperm competition, sexual conflict, and gamete evolution in mice. The innovative experiments of this project will yield results that are at the forefront of research in evolutionary biology. This project will generate publications in high profile journals, and will foster collaborations between Australian and European researchers, creating a significant international impact and promoting excellence in Australian research. Since European settlement of Australia, sixty percent of the native rodent species have become extinct or are threatened with extinction. As there is a significant lack of research on the mating systems of Australian rodents, our investigations on a native mouse will generate information that will be extremely valuable to the national conservation efforts of threatened rodent species.Read moreRead less
Sex in the city: social harmony and conflict resolution in insect societies. Explaining the organization of cooperative societies is a significant challenge to the field of evolutionary biology. Insect societies play a pivotal role in achieving this aim, as colonies of many species persist with apparent harmony despite the presence of numerous queens competing for reproductive dominance. This study evaluates alternative hypotheses for the resolution of reproductive conflict and the maintenance a ....Sex in the city: social harmony and conflict resolution in insect societies. Explaining the organization of cooperative societies is a significant challenge to the field of evolutionary biology. Insect societies play a pivotal role in achieving this aim, as colonies of many species persist with apparent harmony despite the presence of numerous queens competing for reproductive dominance. This study evaluates alternative hypotheses for the resolution of reproductive conflict and the maintenance and evolution of cooperative societies, by examining colonies of the Australian multi-queened social wasp genus Ropalidia. Outcomes include robust tests of prominent hypotheses, explanations for cooperation's diversity and persistence, and the development of powerful molecular and behavioral techniques within Australia.
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Diversity of Salinispora actinobacteria producing pharmaceutically relevant natural products from Australian marine sponges. By investigating the distribution of marine microbial resources relevant to drug discovery, we will directly contribute to ARC's Research Priority I - An Environmentally Sustainable Australia Priority Goal and the Priority Goal 'Sustainable use of Australia's biodiversity'. We will determine sources of marine bacteria and their genes useful for discovery of new natural pro ....Diversity of Salinispora actinobacteria producing pharmaceutically relevant natural products from Australian marine sponges. By investigating the distribution of marine microbial resources relevant to drug discovery, we will directly contribute to ARC's Research Priority I - An Environmentally Sustainable Australia Priority Goal and the Priority Goal 'Sustainable use of Australia's biodiversity'. We will determine sources of marine bacteria and their genes useful for discovery of new natural products for treatment of human diseases. We will do this by understanding where new strains of Salinispora bacteria may be isolated and how they are distributed in association with Australian marine sponge fauna, and by determining the distribution and chemical and genetic diversity of novel marine Salinispora bacteria.Read moreRead less
The intensity of sexual selection with density and age and its importance in the evolution of animal populations. Australia is internationally highly regarded for the quality of its research into the basic biology of its fauna. This study will provide information on the breeding biology of an endemic marine species distributed across the Northern tropics of Australia. It addresses a pure research question of great theoretical interest. However, it also provides valuable training opportunities fo ....The intensity of sexual selection with density and age and its importance in the evolution of animal populations. Australia is internationally highly regarded for the quality of its research into the basic biology of its fauna. This study will provide information on the breeding biology of an endemic marine species distributed across the Northern tropics of Australia. It addresses a pure research question of great theoretical interest. However, it also provides valuable training opportunities for postgraduate students in the practicalities of conducting tropical field biology and the execution of field experiments. These are essential skills that can readily be transferred to applied biological problems. Maintaining a pool of skilled field biologists is essential for the on-going success of programmes in conservation and ecosystem management. Read moreRead less
Why aren't all species everywhere? The evolution of species' borders in tropical reef fishes. Virtually nothing is known about how geographic range limits evolve in the wild in the absence of barriers to dispersal and habitat discontinuities. This project will investigate the evolution of range limits of fishes on the Great Barrier Reef using combinations of mathematical modelling and field- and laboratory-based analyses of evolutionary patterns and processes. By advancing understanding of the ....Why aren't all species everywhere? The evolution of species' borders in tropical reef fishes. Virtually nothing is known about how geographic range limits evolve in the wild in the absence of barriers to dispersal and habitat discontinuities. This project will investigate the evolution of range limits of fishes on the Great Barrier Reef using combinations of mathematical modelling and field- and laboratory-based analyses of evolutionary patterns and processes. By advancing understanding of the fundamental causes of species' range limits, this research will provide new options for the management and conservation of this very valuable resource, and other complex biological systems, under increasing pressures of exploitation, habitat degradation and climate change.Read moreRead less
From developmental stability to organismic senility: Hox genes and telomere impact on life history evolution. Australia benefits from training researchers and technicians in new, break-through biotechnology and from applying this knowledge to relevant, cutting-edge questions in highly publicized research fields. This project contains both these ingredients. Our model species (a lizard) has a relatively high level of offspring malformations (ca 15%), which makes it much more likely to detect thei ....From developmental stability to organismic senility: Hox genes and telomere impact on life history evolution. Australia benefits from training researchers and technicians in new, break-through biotechnology and from applying this knowledge to relevant, cutting-edge questions in highly publicized research fields. This project contains both these ingredients. Our model species (a lizard) has a relatively high level of offspring malformations (ca 15%), which makes it much more likely to detect their underlying genetic mechanism. Furthermore, we can also assess how these animals survive and reproduce in relation to how quickly they age, which can be measured by assessing the shortening of telomeres per unit time. Thus, this collaboration provides an opportunity to train Australian researchers and in that process generate very high profile research.Read moreRead less
The evolution of elaborate antennae in insects. This project will address several neglected but fundamental issues in the field of chemical communication and insect diversity. These include the evolutionary importance of receptor structures in a communication system, and the basis of diversity in one of the most defining characteristics of insects: antennae. The moth species in the proposed experiments are commercial pests of crops and therefore understanding of the evolutionary processes shapin ....The evolution of elaborate antennae in insects. This project will address several neglected but fundamental issues in the field of chemical communication and insect diversity. These include the evolutionary importance of receptor structures in a communication system, and the basis of diversity in one of the most defining characteristics of insects: antennae. The moth species in the proposed experiments are commercial pests of crops and therefore understanding of the evolutionary processes shaping their communication systems and mating behaviour will contribute to better predictive knowledge of the effects of control measures used against them. The project will also involve international collaboration to learn and develop new a technique in the analysis of pheromone communication. Read moreRead less
Form, Function and Fitness: Multidisciplinary Evolutionary Biology Using Lizards as Models. What explains variation in reproductive success and its evolutionary consequences, within and among populations and species? Addressing this fundamental question in evolutionary biology requires a multidisciplinary approach, integrating ecology, genetics, behaviour and biochemistry. Using lizards as models, I will test (i) the degree to which variation in male signals reflects differences in immunogenotyp ....Form, Function and Fitness: Multidisciplinary Evolutionary Biology Using Lizards as Models. What explains variation in reproductive success and its evolutionary consequences, within and among populations and species? Addressing this fundamental question in evolutionary biology requires a multidisciplinary approach, integrating ecology, genetics, behaviour and biochemistry. Using lizards as models, I will test (i) the degree to which variation in male signals reflects differences in immunogenotype and stress tolerance, (ii) the degree to which paternity is determined by male genes, or male-female genetic similarity, (iii) whether offspring survival depends mostly on genes or on maternal investments, and (iv) how the relative importance of these factors vary among populations and species.Read moreRead less
Alternative reproductive tactics and threshold evolution. This research is focussed at the highest level in the field of evolutionary biology; testing recent theory for the evolution of alternative reproductive tactics and using these species to test hypotheses about adaptation. The proposal involves collaborations with high-profile researchers from three European countries and will increase Australia's standing as a world-leader in evolutionary biology. Australian students will benefit from exp ....Alternative reproductive tactics and threshold evolution. This research is focussed at the highest level in the field of evolutionary biology; testing recent theory for the evolution of alternative reproductive tactics and using these species to test hypotheses about adaptation. The proposal involves collaborations with high-profile researchers from three European countries and will increase Australia's standing as a world-leader in evolutionary biology. Australian students will benefit from exposure to high quality international collaborators. We will also increase our understanding of the biology of the European earwig, a pest species in Australia. Reproductive tactics are exciting topics for media attention and this research will reach a wide and interested Australian and world audience.Read moreRead less
Phylogeny and radiation of flatworm ectoparasites from marine fish using morphology and genetics, with novel approaches to identify pathogenic species. Fish flukes (flatworm parasites) with direct lifecycles can weaken and kill captive fish and threaten lucrative industries like finfish aquaculture and public aquaria in Australia and globally. Traditional approaches and molecular techniques will identify monogenean flukes in a family containing known pathogenic species distributed worldwide. K ....Phylogeny and radiation of flatworm ectoparasites from marine fish using morphology and genetics, with novel approaches to identify pathogenic species. Fish flukes (flatworm parasites) with direct lifecycles can weaken and kill captive fish and threaten lucrative industries like finfish aquaculture and public aquaria in Australia and globally. Traditional approaches and molecular techniques will identify monogenean flukes in a family containing known pathogenic species distributed worldwide. Knowledge of fish disease is paramount for quarantine, risk assessments for import/export and for managing pathogen outbreaks in aquaculture. Benefits include: economic/social improvements in regional/rural Australia where fish farms are expanding; international excellence and core research training in fish parasitology; profitable, exportable expertise; knowledge of endemic and shared pathogens.Read moreRead less