Revisiting the ontogeny of vocal learning in birds: from neuron to fitness. This project aims to test the hypothesis that acoustic exposure prior to hatching directly affects gene expression, neural development, behaviour and consequently fitness, in wild populations of songbirds. Recent research suggests that animals are receptive to acoustic parental signals long before birth and may use such previously unrecognised signals to make adaptive developmental decisions. This project will quantify t ....Revisiting the ontogeny of vocal learning in birds: from neuron to fitness. This project aims to test the hypothesis that acoustic exposure prior to hatching directly affects gene expression, neural development, behaviour and consequently fitness, in wild populations of songbirds. Recent research suggests that animals are receptive to acoustic parental signals long before birth and may use such previously unrecognised signals to make adaptive developmental decisions. This project will quantify the effect on neural development and vocal learning in embryonic birds, employing a model songbird species. The outcomes of this study will transform our understanding of the adaptive potential of prenatal vocal learning, which will have significant benefits for human speech and language development.Read moreRead less
Avian embryonic perception: what role for good vibrations? It has long been recognised that animals perceive environmental information before they are born. This project will test for the first time whether such avian communication systems rely on vibrations. We will test the hypothesis that cryptic communication using rhythmic vibration, is essential for embryonic birds to sense parental cues regarding rising temperatures, by measuring neural control in adults, as well as embryonic perception a ....Avian embryonic perception: what role for good vibrations? It has long been recognised that animals perceive environmental information before they are born. This project will test for the first time whether such avian communication systems rely on vibrations. We will test the hypothesis that cryptic communication using rhythmic vibration, is essential for embryonic birds to sense parental cues regarding rising temperatures, by measuring neural control in adults, as well as embryonic perception and response. By experimentally manipulating family communication we will demonstrate the potential for prenatal vibrations to alter developmental outcomes, enriching our understanding of avian sensory development.These data are important for the commercial poultry industry and for captive breeding programs. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100824
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,000.00
Summary
Pre-natal communication in adaptation to hot climate. This project aims to reveal how birds programme their offspring for a warming world, by communicating acoustically with their embryos. Most animals, including humans, can hear external sounds before birth, but it is not known what function this plays. An Australian bird calls to its eggs at high ambient temperatures, which alters nestling growth and survival. This project will show the physiological effects involved and the consequences for a ....Pre-natal communication in adaptation to hot climate. This project aims to reveal how birds programme their offspring for a warming world, by communicating acoustically with their embryos. Most animals, including humans, can hear external sounds before birth, but it is not known what function this plays. An Australian bird calls to its eggs at high ambient temperatures, which alters nestling growth and survival. This project will show the physiological effects involved and the consequences for adaptation to heat in wild birds. This project will elucidate whether the global reduction in animal body size is an adaptive response to rising temperatures, and research the therapeutic benefits of pre-natal sounds.Read moreRead less
Adapting to climate change: does enhanced metabolism provide heritable protection against ocean acidification and increasing temperature in oysters? By the end of this century, our oceans will have much higher concentrations of carbon dioxide and will be several degrees warmer. We have developed a population of oysters that can survive in these conditions, and the project will examine these oysters at the molecular level to determine whether increased metabolism is responsible for their survival ....Adapting to climate change: does enhanced metabolism provide heritable protection against ocean acidification and increasing temperature in oysters? By the end of this century, our oceans will have much higher concentrations of carbon dioxide and will be several degrees warmer. We have developed a population of oysters that can survive in these conditions, and the project will examine these oysters at the molecular level to determine whether increased metabolism is responsible for their survival.Read moreRead less
How does the interaction between environmental drivers determine the impact of global change on animals? There is an urgent need to determine how vulnerable natural populations are to simultaneous changes in more than one environmental driver. This project will take an integrative approach, using molecular, physiological and ecological tools, to determine whether cellular responses to the interaction between UV-B radiation and temperature vary between populations, and within individuals over tim ....How does the interaction between environmental drivers determine the impact of global change on animals? There is an urgent need to determine how vulnerable natural populations are to simultaneous changes in more than one environmental driver. This project will take an integrative approach, using molecular, physiological and ecological tools, to determine whether cellular responses to the interaction between UV-B radiation and temperature vary between populations, and within individuals over time. This project will bridge the gap between physiology and ecology by testing whether molecular responses translate into fitness benefits for the organism to gain an understanding at a level that is relevant for conservation. Read moreRead less
Understanding specificity and flexibility in coral symbioses. This project aims to understand why some corals can switch algal partners while others remain faithful to a single strain. This is important because corals depend on their symbiotic algal partners for survival and because some algae provide greater resilience to environmental stress than others. This project will greatly enhance our understanding of the molecular and physiological factors governing flexibility and specificity in coral ....Understanding specificity and flexibility in coral symbioses. This project aims to understand why some corals can switch algal partners while others remain faithful to a single strain. This is important because corals depend on their symbiotic algal partners for survival and because some algae provide greater resilience to environmental stress than others. This project will greatly enhance our understanding of the molecular and physiological factors governing flexibility and specificity in coral-algal symbioses. It will provide much-needed knowledge required to identify associations most appropriate for specific conditions, prioritise populations for conservation, and assess the feasibility of new approaches to managing and restoring coral reefs.
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The impact of environmental change on larval energetics of molluscs on the southeast coast of Australia. This project will investigate the impact of environmental change on larval energetics of molluscs on the southeast (SE) coast of Australia. The SE coast of Australia is a climate hotspot characterised by rising ocean temperatures, fluctuations in salinity and we expect in the near future ocean acidification (OA). Mollusc larvae show extreme sensitivity to OA, but the impacts of other stressor ....The impact of environmental change on larval energetics of molluscs on the southeast coast of Australia. This project will investigate the impact of environmental change on larval energetics of molluscs on the southeast (SE) coast of Australia. The SE coast of Australia is a climate hotspot characterised by rising ocean temperatures, fluctuations in salinity and we expect in the near future ocean acidification (OA). Mollusc larvae show extreme sensitivity to OA, but the impacts of other stressors remains unknown. It is predicted that OA will reduce the capacity of larvae to cope with temperature and salinity, particularly when food supply is low and in populations which have had no previous exposure to OA. Understanding the response of mollusc larvae to environmental change will support ecologically and economically significant mollusc populations over this century.Read moreRead less
Future Keepers: impacts of climate change on ecosystem function providers. The aim of this project is to predict how key ecosystem service providers may change under resource limitation and thermal stress. The project seeks to assess how common species respond to climatic fluctuations and resource limitations when competing for resources in familiar and novel environments along six biogeographic transects throughout Australia. In combination with hypothesis-driven field, laboratory and transplan ....Future Keepers: impacts of climate change on ecosystem function providers. The aim of this project is to predict how key ecosystem service providers may change under resource limitation and thermal stress. The project seeks to assess how common species respond to climatic fluctuations and resource limitations when competing for resources in familiar and novel environments along six biogeographic transects throughout Australia. In combination with hypothesis-driven field, laboratory and transplant experiments, citizen science will be used to create a longitudinal data set of the constraints put on dominant and functionally important species. The project also seeks to enable more robust forecasting of biological responses to environmental change by integrating both empirical and theoretical capabilities.Read moreRead less
Temperature-dependent toxicity of plant secondary compounds to mammalian herbivores. Changes in the toxicity of plant secondary compounds is an unexplored consequence of rises in ambient temperatures. Evidence from agricultural and laboratory studies suggests that temperature dependent toxicity can have major effects on the intake and metabolism of plant secondary metabolites by mammals. These effects are mediated by a decrease in liver metabolism and by the effects of plant secondary metabolite ....Temperature-dependent toxicity of plant secondary compounds to mammalian herbivores. Changes in the toxicity of plant secondary compounds is an unexplored consequence of rises in ambient temperatures. Evidence from agricultural and laboratory studies suggests that temperature dependent toxicity can have major effects on the intake and metabolism of plant secondary metabolites by mammals. These effects are mediated by a decrease in liver metabolism and by the effects of plant secondary metabolites on mitochondrial function which leads to greater heat production. The project will quantify the importance of temperature dependent toxicity and measures the changes in the cost of detoxification to better model the effects of climate change on marsupial herbivores.Read moreRead less
The role of epigenetic modifications in bovid adaptation to environmental change. This project will explore the role of epigenetic change, where gene expression is regulated without changing the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence, in how animals adapt to rapid climate change. This project will trace epigenetic markers in ancient bison and cows through 30,000 years of climate change, and identify key adaptive genes for the cattle industry.