Ecological dynamics of parasite infections in reptiles. Australian ecosystems are threatened by new epidemics of diseases and parasites, some local, others from overseas. Examples include the facial tumours of Tasmanian devils and the fungus that threatens many native frog species. To manage these epidemics effectively, we must understand how they spread through animal populations. With better knowledge of how diseases of wildlife spread, we can develop more effective control of those diseases t ....Ecological dynamics of parasite infections in reptiles. Australian ecosystems are threatened by new epidemics of diseases and parasites, some local, others from overseas. Examples include the facial tumours of Tasmanian devils and the fungus that threatens many native frog species. To manage these epidemics effectively, we must understand how they spread through animal populations. With better knowledge of how diseases of wildlife spread, we can develop more effective control of those diseases thereby protecting wildlife species, animal populations and, ultimately, Australian ecology. This project will help to protect our fauna from invasive diseases and contribute to sustaining the biodiversity of the country. Read moreRead less
LIZARD SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR AND THE INFLUENCE OF PARASITES. We ask why stable social group living in animals, with well documented benefits, is relatively rare. One cost is the enhanced opportunity for parasite and disease transmission among group members. We will explore, for a lizard, the impact of group living on parasite infections, and the costs of infection. We expect to produce observational and experimental results with an unusual level of detail, and with a fresh taxonomic perspective to in ....LIZARD SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR AND THE INFLUENCE OF PARASITES. We ask why stable social group living in animals, with well documented benefits, is relatively rare. One cost is the enhanced opportunity for parasite and disease transmission among group members. We will explore, for a lizard, the impact of group living on parasite infections, and the costs of infection. We expect to produce observational and experimental results with an unusual level of detail, and with a fresh taxonomic perspective to influence debate in this central area of behavioural ecology. We will also produce new information on behavioural ecology of Australian fauna, important for conservation management and ecotourism.Read moreRead less
The evolution of egg retention and sex allocation: a phylogenetic contrasts study using facultatively ovoviviparous thrips. Australian idolothripine thrips provide an unparalleled opportunity for investigating the evolution of reproduction. They constitute the only group to contain many species in which the females choose among live birth, egg laying or both. They also choose the sex of each offspring. We will use phylogenetics and experimentation to understand the evolutionary pressures that le ....The evolution of egg retention and sex allocation: a phylogenetic contrasts study using facultatively ovoviviparous thrips. Australian idolothripine thrips provide an unparalleled opportunity for investigating the evolution of reproduction. They constitute the only group to contain many species in which the females choose among live birth, egg laying or both. They also choose the sex of each offspring. We will use phylogenetics and experimentation to understand the evolutionary pressures that led to and maintain live birth and the allocation of sex. This will produce new insights into fundamental questions about the evolution of animal reproduction. Our collaborative approach will make Australian thrips and research an international cornerstone in the biology of reproductive evolution.Read moreRead less
Behavioural syndromes and social networks in sleepy lizards. Fauna in Australian ecosystems are threatened by habitat fragmentation, changing environments and the spread of exotic pathogens. To manage these threats we need to understand the behavioural flexibility of wildlife populations. This project focuses on how individual behavioural differences can influence social networks and consequently pathogen transmission. It will help to protect our fauna from invasive diseases and contribute to su ....Behavioural syndromes and social networks in sleepy lizards. Fauna in Australian ecosystems are threatened by habitat fragmentation, changing environments and the spread of exotic pathogens. To manage these threats we need to understand the behavioural flexibility of wildlife populations. This project focuses on how individual behavioural differences can influence social networks and consequently pathogen transmission. It will help to protect our fauna from invasive diseases and contribute to sustaining biodiversity. With better knowledge of how diseases spread we can develop more effective controls of those diseases, thereby protecting wildlife species, animal populations and Australian ecosystems. Read moreRead less
Pair bonding: is it all in the brain? This project aims to understand the interaction between classic pair bonding neural circuits, parasites, and the immune system in sleepy lizards. Social bonds are a cornerstone of human societies, especially true of the pair bond and this project expects to generate knowledge to help understand why healthy adult pair bonds are the single best predictor of longevity in humans. The expected outcomes of this project are to reveal the mechanistic basis of pair b ....Pair bonding: is it all in the brain? This project aims to understand the interaction between classic pair bonding neural circuits, parasites, and the immune system in sleepy lizards. Social bonds are a cornerstone of human societies, especially true of the pair bond and this project expects to generate knowledge to help understand why healthy adult pair bonds are the single best predictor of longevity in humans. The expected outcomes of this project are to reveal the mechanistic basis of pair bonding by identifying the brain regions, cell types and neurochemicals that promote pair bonding behaviour — for the first time in a wild animal. This project should provide significant benefits by increasing our knowledge of how pair bonds promote wellness.Read moreRead less
Female multiple mating and the evolutionary origins of complex societies. This project plans to connect micro-evolutionary processes with macro-evolutionary change to provide a unified understanding of why animals live together. Evolutionary transitions to and from complex social behaviour appear linked to female multiple mating (polyandry). However, the causal pathway by which variation in polyandry results in the emergence and diversification of sociality is yet to be established. Using a vert ....Female multiple mating and the evolutionary origins of complex societies. This project plans to connect micro-evolutionary processes with macro-evolutionary change to provide a unified understanding of why animals live together. Evolutionary transitions to and from complex social behaviour appear linked to female multiple mating (polyandry). However, the causal pathway by which variation in polyandry results in the emergence and diversification of sociality is yet to be established. Using a vertebrate system we aim to integrate empirical, theoretical and comparative approaches to show: the ecological causes of individual variation in female polyandry; its effect on social behaviours that promote social complexity at the population level; and how this corresponds to divergence in social complexity across species.Read moreRead less
Co-evolution of sociality and sex allocation: phylogenetic comparative approaches using insects. This project investigates the coevolution of sex allocation and sociality. Although linkage between these two traits has long been conjectured in evolutionary ecology, and numerous studies have investigated species-specific relationships, the question of how these two features interact over evolutionary time has not been examined. Here, we apply phylogenetic comparative approaches to determine wh ....Co-evolution of sociality and sex allocation: phylogenetic comparative approaches using insects. This project investigates the coevolution of sex allocation and sociality. Although linkage between these two traits has long been conjectured in evolutionary ecology, and numerous studies have investigated species-specific relationships, the question of how these two features interact over evolutionary time has not been examined. Here, we apply phylogenetic comparative approaches to determine whether sex allocation strategies have influenced subsequent social evolution. In particular, we extend the notion of parental manipulation to ask whether mothers have been able to use sex allocation to influence alloparental behaviour in their offspring, leading to greater levels of altruism.Read moreRead less
Origin of social parasites via sympatric speciation: testing the theory using allodapine bees as a model system. This project addresses a contentious evolutionary conjecture regarding the origin of some species and will help maintain Australia's position in the forefront of evolutionary biology and behavioural ecology. Benefits derive from developing and maintaining world class research excellence, with consequences for scientific competitiveness and training the next generation of young researc ....Origin of social parasites via sympatric speciation: testing the theory using allodapine bees as a model system. This project addresses a contentious evolutionary conjecture regarding the origin of some species and will help maintain Australia's position in the forefront of evolutionary biology and behavioural ecology. Benefits derive from developing and maintaining world class research excellence, with consequences for scientific competitiveness and training the next generation of young researchers in cutting-edge techniques. The project fosters international collaboration, important for maintaining links with the broader scientific community and fostering breadth in postgraduate training. The project will also train 3 PhD students and 1-2 honours students per year, with strong expertise in evolutionary, genetic and ecological research techniques.Read moreRead less
Lizard social networks and the spread of parasites. Australian ecosystems are continually threatened by new epidemics of diseases and parasites, some local, others from overseas. Examples include the facial tumours of Tasmanian devils and the fungus that threatens many native frog species. To manage these epidemics effectively, we must understand how they spread through animal populations. This project will help to protect our fauna from invasive diseases. It contributes to sustaining the biodiv ....Lizard social networks and the spread of parasites. Australian ecosystems are continually threatened by new epidemics of diseases and parasites, some local, others from overseas. Examples include the facial tumours of Tasmanian devils and the fungus that threatens many native frog species. To manage these epidemics effectively, we must understand how they spread through animal populations. This project will help to protect our fauna from invasive diseases. It contributes to sustaining the biodiversity of the country. With better knowledge of how diseases of wildlife spread, we can develop more effective control of those diseases thereby protecting wildlife species, animal populations and, ultimately, Australian ecosystems.Read moreRead less
What drives parasite spread through social networks: lessons from lizards. Australia's biodiversity is continually threatened by new epidemics of local and foreign diseases and parasites. This project will enhance our understanding of how these diseases spread, allowing more effective controls to be developed to protect wildlife species, animal populations and, ultimately, Australian ecosystems.