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
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
Sexual selection on female phenotypes and maternal effects as adaptations. Recent work has queried the paradigm that female ornamentation is the consequence of a genetic correlation and non-adaptive. Whilst the circumstances under which male choosiness is expected have widened, the benefits to females of investing in ornamentation, rather than offspring, remain prohibitively small. An alternative explanation may be that sexually antagonistic alleles or social competition amongst females maintain ....Sexual selection on female phenotypes and maternal effects as adaptations. Recent work has queried the paradigm that female ornamentation is the consequence of a genetic correlation and non-adaptive. Whilst the circumstances under which male choosiness is expected have widened, the benefits to females of investing in ornamentation, rather than offspring, remain prohibitively small. An alternative explanation may be that sexually antagonistic alleles or social competition amongst females maintain female ornamentation, however prudent males use this ornamentation for adaptive mating decisions. This proposal addresses the selection pressures on female phenotypes, trade-offs in offspring and ornamentation allocation, maternal effects and the extent to which sex determination mechanisms determine the expression of female ornamentation.Read moreRead less
Sperm Competition and Sexual Selection. Competition between the sperm of two males within a single female has had profound implications for the evolution of male reproductive biology and behaviour. However, the reasons why females should mate with more than one male and thus generate sperm competition remains an evolutionary puzzle. Few studies have examined sperm competition from the female perspective and indeed, female perspectives are currently the subject of considerable debate. Using in ....Sperm Competition and Sexual Selection. Competition between the sperm of two males within a single female has had profound implications for the evolution of male reproductive biology and behaviour. However, the reasons why females should mate with more than one male and thus generate sperm competition remains an evolutionary puzzle. Few studies have examined sperm competition from the female perspective and indeed, female perspectives are currently the subject of considerable debate. Using insects as models I will examine the benefits of sperm competition for females and thereby the selective pressures that favour multiple mating. Moreover, I will determine whether sexual selection can act after copulation.Read moreRead less
Quantifying condition-dependence in sexual selection. This research centres on testing evolutionary models of sexual selection. The project has relevance for understanding the role of mutations in reducing the fitness of populations and hence has implications for the conservation of endangered species and for human health. The research also investigates how investment in one trait, such as horns, will take resources away from another, like muscle. This has implications for animal production. The ....Quantifying condition-dependence in sexual selection. This research centres on testing evolutionary models of sexual selection. The project has relevance for understanding the role of mutations in reducing the fitness of populations and hence has implications for the conservation of endangered species and for human health. The research also investigates how investment in one trait, such as horns, will take resources away from another, like muscle. This has implications for animal production. The project utilises pest species as research models and will hence provide further understanding of pest life-history, knowledge critical to the success of control programmes. Australian science will further benefit through the research fellow's established collaborations with international scientists.Read moreRead less
Sperm Competition and Sexual Selection: answering fundamental questions in evolutionary biology. This research will yield results that are at the cutting-edge in evolutionary biology, that will have a significant international impact, promoting the international profile of Australian science. The award will build on an existing world-class centre of excellence for research, and will train internationally competitive research scientists, adding to Australia's scientific capabilities. The researc ....Sperm Competition and Sexual Selection: answering fundamental questions in evolutionary biology. This research will yield results that are at the cutting-edge in evolutionary biology, that will have a significant international impact, promoting the international profile of Australian science. The award will build on an existing world-class centre of excellence for research, and will train internationally competitive research scientists, adding to Australia's scientific capabilities. The research centre's connections with local fertility clinics, and their work on human sperm quality, has the potential to inform those studying human fertility.Read moreRead less
Inbreeding: what are the reproductive costs and how are they avoided? Inbreeding in animal populations will undoubtedly become more prevalent in the face of increased habitat fragmentation brought on by human activities and climate change. By increasing our understanding of how inbreeding influences reproductive traits, my research will be directly applicable to conservation programs, specifically by providing insights into how Australia's rich biodiversity will respond to climate change and var ....Inbreeding: what are the reproductive costs and how are they avoided? Inbreeding in animal populations will undoubtedly become more prevalent in the face of increased habitat fragmentation brought on by human activities and climate change. By increasing our understanding of how inbreeding influences reproductive traits, my research will be directly applicable to conservation programs, specifically by providing insights into how Australia's rich biodiversity will respond to climate change and variability. This project also addresses critical issues in evolutionary biology, thereby contributing towards Australia's reputation as a world leader in this field. Australian science will further benefit through international collaborations and from the training of young scientists.Read moreRead less
Sperm competition and the evolution of ejaculates. This research will yield results that are at the cutting-edge in evolutionary biology, that will have a significant international impact, promoting the international profile of Australian science. The award will foster a world-class centre for research, and will train internationally competitive research scientists, adding to Australia's scientific capabilities. Through the development of IVF techniques in frogs, the research has the potential ....Sperm competition and the evolution of ejaculates. This research will yield results that are at the cutting-edge in evolutionary biology, that will have a significant international impact, promoting the international profile of Australian science. The award will foster a world-class centre for research, and will train internationally competitive research scientists, adding to Australia's scientific capabilities. Through the development of IVF techniques in frogs, the research has the potential to contribute to conservation outcomes for Australia's native frog fauna via captive breeding programs. The research groups connections with local infertility clinics has the potential to inform those studying human sperm in a time of growing concern over rising human infertility. Read moreRead less
Sex, Sperm and Society. Insights into the evolutionary potential of sexual conflict in insects: a fundamental question in evolutionary biology. Social insects are biologically and economically important species. Honeybees or stingless bees are used for crop pollination and honey production and invasive ants or termites are severe pest species causing economic damage. Part of the biological success of social insects is based on the capability to produce colonies with many workers although colonie ....Sex, Sperm and Society. Insights into the evolutionary potential of sexual conflict in insects: a fundamental question in evolutionary biology. Social insects are biologically and economically important species. Honeybees or stingless bees are used for crop pollination and honey production and invasive ants or termites are severe pest species causing economic damage. Part of the biological success of social insects is based on the capability to produce colonies with many workers although colonies typically contain only one or very few reproductives. Consequently, colony success is bound to queen fertility and studying social insect reproduction can therefore optimize breeding regimes of species of interest or offer new possibilities to control pest species. Detailed information on sperm form and function will provide pioneering insights into the complexity of sexual reproduction.Read moreRead less
The evolution of female multiple mating: genetic benefits and indirect genetic effects. This work will yield results at the forefront of evolutionary biology, thereby contributing to Australia's reputation as a country where excellent and original research is conducted. A greater understanding of the processes determining offspring viability, paternity success, and the acquisition of genetic quality will also benefit animal breeding and conservation biology. My research will work towards a bette ....The evolution of female multiple mating: genetic benefits and indirect genetic effects. This work will yield results at the forefront of evolutionary biology, thereby contributing to Australia's reputation as a country where excellent and original research is conducted. A greater understanding of the processes determining offspring viability, paternity success, and the acquisition of genetic quality will also benefit animal breeding and conservation biology. My research will work towards a better understanding of an ecologically important Australian native coastal species which supports commercial fisheries. Australian science will further benefit from the training of young scientists and from collaborations with international researchers that will promote excellence in Australian research.Read moreRead less