Retracing the Early Evolution of Metazoa using Novel Methods and Strategies. Metazoa is one of the best-characterised groups of species in terms of its morphology, fossil record, development, and genetic make-up, but the phylogeny remains obscure because the fossil record is incomplete and because molecular phylogenetic methods have not yet been developed with the complexity of genomic data in mind. We will develop methods and strategies for the analysis of whole genomes, and use them in studies ....Retracing the Early Evolution of Metazoa using Novel Methods and Strategies. Metazoa is one of the best-characterised groups of species in terms of its morphology, fossil record, development, and genetic make-up, but the phylogeny remains obscure because the fossil record is incomplete and because molecular phylogenetic methods have not yet been developed with the complexity of genomic data in mind. We will develop methods and strategies for the analysis of whole genomes, and use them in studies of the mitochondrial genome. We will infer the animal phylogeny, and use it to chart the evolution of animal morphology and development, and the evolution of mitochondrial genetic codes, gene order, and nucleotide content.Read moreRead less
Social insect behaviour: the importance of individual-decision making and information transfer. Insect societies are complex systems. Understanding complex systems is often hampered by our inability to study the individual units that comprise the system without also disturbing the system. Insect societies are unique in that the individual insects can be studied within their natural setting. This project will study foraging behaviour of honey bees with respect to individual decision-making and in ....Social insect behaviour: the importance of individual-decision making and information transfer. Insect societies are complex systems. Understanding complex systems is often hampered by our inability to study the individual units that comprise the system without also disturbing the system. Insect societies are unique in that the individual insects can be studied within their natural setting. This project will study foraging behaviour of honey bees with respect to individual decision-making and information transfer. In doing so we will obtain insights in the working of other, less accessible, complex systems such as the mammalian brain or the Australian economy.Read moreRead less
The nutritional geometry of parental diet. This project aims to investigate the effects of ancestors’ diet on descendants’ development and performance. Recognition that an individual’s diet can affect its descendants’ features and health influences biology and medicine, but limitations of conventional research methodologies make understanding such effects incomplete. The Nutritional Geometry framework enables researchers to analyse effects of diet composition as complex response surfaces, and ha ....The nutritional geometry of parental diet. This project aims to investigate the effects of ancestors’ diet on descendants’ development and performance. Recognition that an individual’s diet can affect its descendants’ features and health influences biology and medicine, but limitations of conventional research methodologies make understanding such effects incomplete. The Nutritional Geometry framework enables researchers to analyse effects of diet composition as complex response surfaces, and has recently been used in research on parental diet effects. Building on this breakthrough, this project intends to analyse the effects of ancestors’ diet, and test hypotheses relevant to evolution, ecology and human health.Read moreRead less
Can sexual conflict contribute to a resolution of the paradox of sex? Despite over a century of research, it remains unclear why most animals can reproduce only via sex. An exciting new hypothesis proposes that sexual conflict can promote sexual reproduction and inhibit asexual strategies, suggesting a potential solution to this long-standing paradox. Building on my research expertise, and using a native Australian insect species in which the role of sexual conflict can be studied in natural pop ....Can sexual conflict contribute to a resolution of the paradox of sex? Despite over a century of research, it remains unclear why most animals can reproduce only via sex. An exciting new hypothesis proposes that sexual conflict can promote sexual reproduction and inhibit asexual strategies, suggesting a potential solution to this long-standing paradox. Building on my research expertise, and using a native Australian insect species in which the role of sexual conflict can be studied in natural populations, this ambitious project aims to test this hypothesis for the first time. This research will expand knowledge in the biological sciences by helping to answer one of the most challenging questions in evolutionary biology. This work will also contribute to efforts to monitor Australia's unique insect fauna.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100526
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$342,551.00
Summary
Unifying cornerstones of social evolution: theory and application. This proposal aims to reconcile and unify alternative methods in social evolution theory, one of the foundations of our modern understanding of evolutionary and behavioural ecology. Social evolution has been controversial, but recent years have seen major developments. By combining mathematical models and empirical data, this project expects to end the controversies by removing boundaries between theoretical approaches. Specific ....Unifying cornerstones of social evolution: theory and application. This proposal aims to reconcile and unify alternative methods in social evolution theory, one of the foundations of our modern understanding of evolutionary and behavioural ecology. Social evolution has been controversial, but recent years have seen major developments. By combining mathematical models and empirical data, this project expects to end the controversies by removing boundaries between theoretical approaches. Specific applications of theory include social insect evolution, individuality and selection in plants. Unification of theory is expected to enhance research capacity in Australia and internationally.Read moreRead less
House hunting honey bees: speed-accuracy trade-offs in collective decision-making. This project will uncover the mechanisms that underlie the trade-off between speed and accuracy in collective decision-making. We will study two species of honey bee that differ in the relative importance of speed and accuracy when deciding on a new home. Natural selection has shaped the decision-making process differently in the two species, one favouring speed, the other accuracy. We will use the natural wisdom ....House hunting honey bees: speed-accuracy trade-offs in collective decision-making. This project will uncover the mechanisms that underlie the trade-off between speed and accuracy in collective decision-making. We will study two species of honey bee that differ in the relative importance of speed and accuracy when deciding on a new home. Natural selection has shaped the decision-making process differently in the two species, one favouring speed, the other accuracy. We will use the natural wisdom evolved by the bees to design new mathematical models of collective decision-making. These can be applied to create efficient decision-making tools that will be useful for any large organization.Read moreRead less
How mates and sexual rivals affect reproductive costs, lifespan and ageing. This project aims to dissect the complex costs of reproduction, bridging an old divide between evolutionary and biomedical approaches to understanding ageing and lifespan. Merely detecting the smell of another individual, without ever encountering them, can cause an individual to mature sooner, age faster, or live a shorter life. These costs, and the fact that subsequent mating can restore adult ageing and lifespan to "n ....How mates and sexual rivals affect reproductive costs, lifespan and ageing. This project aims to dissect the complex costs of reproduction, bridging an old divide between evolutionary and biomedical approaches to understanding ageing and lifespan. Merely detecting the smell of another individual, without ever encountering them, can cause an individual to mature sooner, age faster, or live a shorter life. These costs, and the fact that subsequent mating can restore adult ageing and lifespan to "normal" are causing a re-evaluation of the costs of reproduction - an important but enigmatic concept in evolution. This project expects to resolve how and why the physical presence of a mate, or odour cues of such a mate, can have such dramatic effects on ageing and late-life performance.Read moreRead less
Male risk-taking and female mate choice in birds: A synthesis of mechanism and function. Some avian alarm calls are produced only by males, and call rate corresponds closely with recent mating success. This relationship might reflect protection of descendant kin. Such ostentatious risk-taking might also be sexy. We will manipulate male reproductive success in natural social groups to measure the effect on production of costly calls. Parallel lab experiments will selectively change alarm call ....Male risk-taking and female mate choice in birds: A synthesis of mechanism and function. Some avian alarm calls are produced only by males, and call rate corresponds closely with recent mating success. This relationship might reflect protection of descendant kin. Such ostentatious risk-taking might also be sexy. We will manipulate male reproductive success in natural social groups to measure the effect on production of costly calls. Parallel lab experiments will selectively change alarm call rate to test whether this influences attractiveness to females. Results will test a controversial hypothesis, extend current models of parental investment and female mate choice, and permit a synthesis of work on sexual selection and animal cognition.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.
Increased phenotypic variation via evolutionarily novel stressors. This project aims to understand how evolutionarily novel stressors such as obesogenic diets induce phenotypic variation in organismal traits. Such increased phenotypic variation is traditionally thought to be genetic. However, growing evidence points to non-genetic mechanisms that are capable of transgenerational inheritance. The project will use complementary approaches to study how novel stressors generate phenotypic variation ....Increased phenotypic variation via evolutionarily novel stressors. This project aims to understand how evolutionarily novel stressors such as obesogenic diets induce phenotypic variation in organismal traits. Such increased phenotypic variation is traditionally thought to be genetic. However, growing evidence points to non-genetic mechanisms that are capable of transgenerational inheritance. The project will use complementary approaches to study how novel stressors generate phenotypic variation. The project aims to deliver a more integrated evolutionary perspective not only on phenotypic evolution and the maintenance of variation, but also on the transgenerational cost of obesity.Read moreRead less