Understanding marine life-history patterns: an eco-energetics approach. This project aims to determine how temperature affects the energetics of development in marine invertebrates and explain why global distributions of marine organisms show the patterns they do. This project will provide new insights into whether Australia's temperate marine fauna are uniquely vulnerable to future change. Leveraging a new framework, eco-energetics, the project will determine the relative performance of differe ....Understanding marine life-history patterns: an eco-energetics approach. This project aims to determine how temperature affects the energetics of development in marine invertebrates and explain why global distributions of marine organisms show the patterns they do. This project will provide new insights into whether Australia's temperate marine fauna are uniquely vulnerable to future change. Leveraging a new framework, eco-energetics, the project will determine the relative performance of different larval types across every stage of the life history. The project will provide significant benefits such as a new powerful and comprehensive framework for understanding current and predicting future patterns in marine life, providing inferences that extend beyond the species studied in this project.Read moreRead less
Unifying the mechanisms that drive spatial patterns in biological traits. The project aims to resolve the mechanisms that generate spatial variation in biological traits. This project expects to overcome several significant shortcomings of previous investigations by using mechanistic modelling, field-based ecophysiological studies, and macroecological analyses to develop a single, integrated approach to investigating geographic variation in size, colour, life history and reproduction. The expect ....Unifying the mechanisms that drive spatial patterns in biological traits. The project aims to resolve the mechanisms that generate spatial variation in biological traits. This project expects to overcome several significant shortcomings of previous investigations by using mechanistic modelling, field-based ecophysiological studies, and macroecological analyses to develop a single, integrated approach to investigating geographic variation in size, colour, life history and reproduction. The expected outcomes are a comprehensive empirical test of a unified mechanism for spatial trait variation, using a diverse terrestrial vertebrate lineage as a model system. The results of this study should provide a powerful framework for predicting future patterns of biological trait variation under anthropogenic climate change.Read moreRead less
Ecology, morphology and the diversification of Australian lizards. This project aims to determine the factors driving the spectacular radiation of lizards in Australia. To date, most investigations of lizard anatomy have focused exclusively on external characteristics. This project will examine the underlying internal anatomy to investigate whether morphological innovation is associated with enhanced rates of ecological, life-history and species diversification. The project expects to shed light ....Ecology, morphology and the diversification of Australian lizards. This project aims to determine the factors driving the spectacular radiation of lizards in Australia. To date, most investigations of lizard anatomy have focused exclusively on external characteristics. This project will examine the underlying internal anatomy to investigate whether morphological innovation is associated with enhanced rates of ecological, life-history and species diversification. The project expects to shed light on the evolution of Australia’s most diverse vertebrate lineage, and provide comparative data with which to interpret the lizard fossil record in Australia, and the range declines and relative extinction risks of native lizard species.Read moreRead less
Estimating evolutionary time-scales using genomic sequence data: exploiting opportunities and meeting challenges. Genomic data are being produced at a phenomenal rate, enabling detailed investigations of various biological questions. This project will exploit the new opportunities for improving the estimation of evolutionary time-scales, and develop methods and software to address the new challenges that have surfaced.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100014
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$432,469.00
Summary
Comparative genomics to improve conservation planning in Australian deserts. This project aims to locate hotspots of diversity in Australia’s vast, flat deserts and to quantify how well these areas are captured under the National Reserve System. I will establish a network of international and national collaborators and improve knowledge on how animals responded to past environmental change. The anticipated outcome of this project is to improve our ability to understand, measure and preserve our ....Comparative genomics to improve conservation planning in Australian deserts. This project aims to locate hotspots of diversity in Australia’s vast, flat deserts and to quantify how well these areas are captured under the National Reserve System. I will establish a network of international and national collaborators and improve knowledge on how animals responded to past environmental change. The anticipated outcome of this project is to improve our ability to understand, measure and preserve our unique desert biodiversity and the evolutionary processes that sustain it, using our remarkably diverse reptile fauna as a model system. In the face of current, rapid environmental change, this has never been more important, and will provide a tool for biodiversity survival.Read moreRead less
Characterising rates of molecular evolution across the Tree of Life. This project aims to characterise the variation in molecular evolutionary rates across the Tree of Life. Despite advances in genetic methods and genomic data, a critical gap remains in knowledge of evolutionary rates across species. The project will evaluate and refine methods for estimating rates, develop genomic data for molecular clocks, create an online database of rate estimates, and reconstruct ecological communities’ res ....Characterising rates of molecular evolution across the Tree of Life. This project aims to characterise the variation in molecular evolutionary rates across the Tree of Life. Despite advances in genetic methods and genomic data, a critical gap remains in knowledge of evolutionary rates across species. The project will evaluate and refine methods for estimating rates, develop genomic data for molecular clocks, create an online database of rate estimates, and reconstruct ecological communities’ responses to past environmental and climatic factors. The project’s database of evolutionary rates in different species is expected to increase understanding of evolutionary and demographic events across species, including the Australian biota, and improve conservation efforts.Read moreRead less
Turning Selaginella into a model of plant reproductive evolution and ecology. The ancient genus Selaginella can reveal how natural selection shaped fundamental traits of plant reproduction like morphological differentiation of spores (a prerequisite for the evolution of seeds) and sexual division of reproductive investment. However, almost nothing is known of the ‘ecological theatre’ in which Selaginella evolves. This project will examine the worldwide phylogenetic pattern of reproductive traits ....Turning Selaginella into a model of plant reproductive evolution and ecology. The ancient genus Selaginella can reveal how natural selection shaped fundamental traits of plant reproduction like morphological differentiation of spores (a prerequisite for the evolution of seeds) and sexual division of reproductive investment. However, almost nothing is known of the ‘ecological theatre’ in which Selaginella evolves. This project will examine the worldwide phylogenetic pattern of reproductive traits in the genus, and combine field and greenhouse studies of Australian and Malaysian species in order to test fundamental ideas in evolutionary ecology such as the theory of sex allocation, and begin to establish the ecological and adaptive counterpart to Selaginella’s emerging role as a genomic model organism.Read moreRead less
Why are Australian cycads endangered: pollinators, climate or humans? The project aims to determine whether Australian cycads were threatened by historical processes, such as ancient climate change, megafaunal extinction, increased fire regimes and pollinator disruption, or by post-European changes to their environment. Globally, and in Australia, a majority of cycad species are currently listed as vulnerable or endangered. Land-clearing post-European settlement is thought to be the major threat ....Why are Australian cycads endangered: pollinators, climate or humans? The project aims to determine whether Australian cycads were threatened by historical processes, such as ancient climate change, megafaunal extinction, increased fire regimes and pollinator disruption, or by post-European changes to their environment. Globally, and in Australia, a majority of cycad species are currently listed as vulnerable or endangered. Land-clearing post-European settlement is thought to be the major threat, but Australian cycads might already have been restricted to refugia following the aridification of Australia or landscape changes induced by the arrival of the first humans. Project findings should inform management of a group of vulnerable plants, and contribute to our understanding of the maintenance of biodiversity in general.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL190100062
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,130,000.00
Summary
A new functional approach to coral reefs. This project aims to identify the key ecosystem functions that are needed to sustain coral reefs and determine their susceptibility to disturbance. Around the world coral reefs are changing fast, challenging traditional scientific, management, and governance approaches. This project plans to address this challenge by implementing a new, functional, approach exploiting a unique combination of evolutionary and ecological methodologies. Expected outcomes in ....A new functional approach to coral reefs. This project aims to identify the key ecosystem functions that are needed to sustain coral reefs and determine their susceptibility to disturbance. Around the world coral reefs are changing fast, challenging traditional scientific, management, and governance approaches. This project plans to address this challenge by implementing a new, functional, approach exploiting a unique combination of evolutionary and ecological methodologies. Expected outcomes include a global overview of ecosystem function and an in-depth understanding of how ecosystems change over time. This is likely to result in specific, and practical, management objectives by identifying crucial ecosystem functions that support reefs and the people who rely on them. Read moreRead less