Evolution of the dermomyotome in vertebrates. The project seeks to understand how different muscle populations within the embryo form and have evolved within the vertebrate phylogeny. All amniote muscles, except that of the head, derive from a transient embryonic structure termed the dermomyotome. The formation of muscle from the dermomyotome of amniotes uses a highly conserved mechanism that is distinct from that deployed by bony fish and amphibians. How the dermomyotome evolved to generate th ....Evolution of the dermomyotome in vertebrates. The project seeks to understand how different muscle populations within the embryo form and have evolved within the vertebrate phylogeny. All amniote muscles, except that of the head, derive from a transient embryonic structure termed the dermomyotome. The formation of muscle from the dermomyotome of amniotes uses a highly conserved mechanism that is distinct from that deployed by bony fish and amphibians. How the dermomyotome evolved to generate the distinct types of locomotor systems we see deployed throughout the vertebrate phylogeny remains unresolved. This project aims to contribute to an understanding of how different locomotor strategies deployed at important evolutionary transitions were generated.Read moreRead less
How limbs evolved from fins: the role of somite cells. This project aims to investigate the developmental basis of vertebrate appendage diversity and how during evolution limbs became fins. The project expects to determine how specific populations of cells that regulate fin formation arise during development, the genetic basis of their function, and how their role in development has evolved in lineages with divergent appendage anatomy. Expected outcomes include understanding the molecular basis ....How limbs evolved from fins: the role of somite cells. This project aims to investigate the developmental basis of vertebrate appendage diversity and how during evolution limbs became fins. The project expects to determine how specific populations of cells that regulate fin formation arise during development, the genetic basis of their function, and how their role in development has evolved in lineages with divergent appendage anatomy. Expected outcomes include understanding the molecular basis of the fin-limb transition and the origin of divergent appendage patterning systems. This should provide significant benefits by advancing our knowledge of the relationship between evolution and development, and understanding limb defects, which are amongst the most common of human congenital malformations.Read moreRead less
Multiple stressors and vulnerability to global change. This project aims to develop a framework for accurately predicting species responses to environmental change. Future environments will involve shifts in many environmental factors, and species will evolve. Yet we lack understanding of how multiple environmental factors affect the ability of species to evolve and adapt to environmental change. The intended outcome is a tool for predicting the impact of environmental change on the distribution ....Multiple stressors and vulnerability to global change. This project aims to develop a framework for accurately predicting species responses to environmental change. Future environments will involve shifts in many environmental factors, and species will evolve. Yet we lack understanding of how multiple environmental factors affect the ability of species to evolve and adapt to environmental change. The intended outcome is a tool for predicting the impact of environmental change on the distribution and abundance of organisms. The benefits include improved conservation outcomes and better pest/disease vector control.Read moreRead less
Frayed at the edges? Integrating evolutionary genetics into the study of species distributional limits. Restricted species, like those in rainforests, represent the vast majority of biodiversity, but they face high risks of extinction due to climate change unless they can adapt. Using butterflies as a model, this project will examine whether rainforest restricted species are able to adapt to future climate change and provide insight into their extinction risk.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100507
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$352,454.00
Summary
Is adaptation to climate change really constrained in niche specialists? Accurately predicting the vulnerability of species to climate change is of paramount importance for managing biodiversity for conservation, agricultural and human health-related purposes. Mounting evidence indicates that adaptive responses to climate changes may be highly constrained, particularly in the biodiverse tropics. However, this is based on studies that do not reflect projected climatic variations. This project aim ....Is adaptation to climate change really constrained in niche specialists? Accurately predicting the vulnerability of species to climate change is of paramount importance for managing biodiversity for conservation, agricultural and human health-related purposes. Mounting evidence indicates that adaptive responses to climate changes may be highly constrained, particularly in the biodiverse tropics. However, this is based on studies that do not reflect projected climatic variations. This project aims to provide the first assessment of the capacity to adapt to climate change in widespread and tropical species using ecologically realistic conditions that reflect projected changes. The data will be used to develop accurate models predicting species vulnerability and serve to better guide conservation strategies.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100141
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$380,219.00
Summary
Buffering climate change - Predicting the evolution of phenotypic plasticity. Environmental change is one of the biggest threats to biodiversity and may ultimately drive many species to extinction. Limiting biodiversity losses will require an understanding of species climate change responses. Phenotypic plasticity will be central to these responses, yet assessments of risk ignore the potential for phenotypic plasticity to buffer species from negative effects of environmental change. This project ....Buffering climate change - Predicting the evolution of phenotypic plasticity. Environmental change is one of the biggest threats to biodiversity and may ultimately drive many species to extinction. Limiting biodiversity losses will require an understanding of species climate change responses. Phenotypic plasticity will be central to these responses, yet assessments of risk ignore the potential for phenotypic plasticity to buffer species from negative effects of environmental change. This project will investigate the extent to which phenotypic plasticity mediates responses across species and environments. The outcome will be a better understanding of species’ responses to climate change, more accurate risk predictions and more effective protection of vulnerable environments.Read moreRead less
Will life be tougher in the tropics? The evidence for latitudinal variation in vulnerability to climate change. There is an urgent need to accurately assess the vulnerability of species to climate change. Tropical species, which make up the vast majority of the world’s biodiversity, are predicted to be most at risk from climate change. These predictions of risk and vulnerability ignore the ameliorating factors of evolutionary adaptation and phenotypic plasticity, making them inherently uncertai ....Will life be tougher in the tropics? The evidence for latitudinal variation in vulnerability to climate change. There is an urgent need to accurately assess the vulnerability of species to climate change. Tropical species, which make up the vast majority of the world’s biodiversity, are predicted to be most at risk from climate change. These predictions of risk and vulnerability ignore the ameliorating factors of evolutionary adaptation and phenotypic plasticity, making them inherently uncertain. This project will address this uncertainty by assessing the importance of evolutionary adaptation and phenotypic plasticity for responses to climate change in tropical and temperature species. This will provide a spatially explicit framework for the accurate assessment of risk and vulnerability to climate change.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101773
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$369,536.00
Summary
Bayesian Hierarchical Model for Biogeography. Species Distribution Models (SDMs) are crucial tools for conservation and planning, but they assume that environmental variables (e.g. temperature) are the only controls on distributions, when historical factors, like dispersal limitation and phylogenetic niche conservatism, are also important. A Bayesian Hierarchical Model (BHM) will be constructed to jointly estimate dispersal history, niche evolution, and present-day SDMs for each species in a cla ....Bayesian Hierarchical Model for Biogeography. Species Distribution Models (SDMs) are crucial tools for conservation and planning, but they assume that environmental variables (e.g. temperature) are the only controls on distributions, when historical factors, like dispersal limitation and phylogenetic niche conservatism, are also important. A Bayesian Hierarchical Model (BHM) will be constructed to jointly estimate dispersal history, niche evolution, and present-day SDMs for each species in a clade. BHMs will be tested against traditional SDMs using Australian clades (e.g. frogs) and simulations. BHMs will advance scientific understanding of how species and biogeography coevolve and provide practical improvements in predictions for species that are rare, data-poor, or in changed climates.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101954
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Discovering Trans-New Guinea: revealing the prehistory of New Guinea. The third largest language family in the world is Trans-New Guinea spoken throughout New Guinea. The origins of this family are unknown. This project will uncover the history of these peoples by applying computational phylogenetic methods to data from these languages, leading to a deeper understanding of human prehistory in the Pacific.
Continuous tooth replacement in mammals: revealing the fundamental processes in tooth generation and movement. This project will investigate how molar teeth are made in mammals by examining the nabarlek, or little rock-wallaby, which is one of a handful of mammals that is able to regenerate new molars throughout its life. These new teeth migrate through the bone in order to move into the correct position in the mouth. By investigating two well-studied organisms, the mouse and the tammar wallaby, ....Continuous tooth replacement in mammals: revealing the fundamental processes in tooth generation and movement. This project will investigate how molar teeth are made in mammals by examining the nabarlek, or little rock-wallaby, which is one of a handful of mammals that is able to regenerate new molars throughout its life. These new teeth migrate through the bone in order to move into the correct position in the mouth. By investigating two well-studied organisms, the mouse and the tammar wallaby, as well as the nabarlek itself, the developmental processes and genes involved in molar generation and movement will be revealed. This project will integrate findings in regenerative medicine, evolutionary biology, materials engineering and palaeontology to reveal the mechanisms and origins of this astounding capability.Read moreRead less