Determining the links between size and function in phytoplankton. Marine phytoplankton are responsible for around 50% of the carbon fixation on planet. This project will examine how phytoplankton size declines will alter marine food webs and carbon sequestration. Changes in nutrients and temperature will cause phytoplankton to be smaller but the consequences of these changes are uncertain because of a lack of knowledge regarding how changes in cell size affect function within a species. This pro ....Determining the links between size and function in phytoplankton. Marine phytoplankton are responsible for around 50% of the carbon fixation on planet. This project will examine how phytoplankton size declines will alter marine food webs and carbon sequestration. Changes in nutrients and temperature will cause phytoplankton to be smaller but the consequences of these changes are uncertain because of a lack of knowledge regarding how changes in cell size affect function within a species. This project will evolve 20 species of algae to be different sizes and estimate the consequences of these size changes for biological functions. The project will then use these data to refine global models of carbon budgets, leading to better predictions about how the global carbon pump will change. Read moreRead less
Hybridisation leading to lost sex: genomic and experimental insights. The project intends to apply advanced genomics to two classic Australian systems and quantitative genetics to one to address long-standing questions about why asexual reproduction is rare. It aims to test for rapid changes in genomes accompanying hybrid-origins of asexuals and whether this new diversity enables their ongoing evolution. The significance is that support for this hypothesis would challenge current theory for why ....Hybridisation leading to lost sex: genomic and experimental insights. The project intends to apply advanced genomics to two classic Australian systems and quantitative genetics to one to address long-standing questions about why asexual reproduction is rare. It aims to test for rapid changes in genomes accompanying hybrid-origins of asexuals and whether this new diversity enables their ongoing evolution. The significance is that support for this hypothesis would challenge current theory for why sex is so common. The expected outcome is to understand how variation is generated in natural populations with different ways of reproducing. Benefits would include significant contributions to global science, evolutionary training and potential applications in using hybridisation to manage threatened species or pests.Read moreRead less
Mutual sexual selection and sperm competition in the black swan. The proposed research is curiosity-driven and therefore its main benefit is in enhancing our understanding of the evolutionary processes that shape our natural environment. The proliferation of 'natural history' television programmes, magazines and books demonstrates the very substantial national interest in these topics. The Black Swan is a well-known bird of particular public affection. Its status as a national iconic symbol h ....Mutual sexual selection and sperm competition in the black swan. The proposed research is curiosity-driven and therefore its main benefit is in enhancing our understanding of the evolutionary processes that shape our natural environment. The proliferation of 'natural history' television programmes, magazines and books demonstrates the very substantial national interest in these topics. The Black Swan is a well-known bird of particular public affection. Its status as a national iconic symbol has been reflected in the degree of local and general community interest and involvement in our research in Ballarat to date.Read moreRead less
Sexual signalling and parental care: A life-history perspective. I will use a fish, the Australian desert goby, to gain pivotal insights into male reproductive investment. Under-appreciated as potential study subjects, desert gobies are ideal because males must make important reproductive decisions regarding how much effort to spend on mate attraction and parental care but, importantly, they must do so within the constraints imposed by desert-living. The likely impact of my work in the field of ....Sexual signalling and parental care: A life-history perspective. I will use a fish, the Australian desert goby, to gain pivotal insights into male reproductive investment. Under-appreciated as potential study subjects, desert gobies are ideal because males must make important reproductive decisions regarding how much effort to spend on mate attraction and parental care but, importantly, they must do so within the constraints imposed by desert-living. The likely impact of my work in the field of behavioural ecology will improve Australia's research capacity and profile. By using an Australian species, my research will also raise awareness and understanding of extraordinary fishes living in habitats vulnerable to human impact. Read moreRead less
Sexual conflict in the mitochondrion. Australia boasts an international reputation for scientific excellence, and this holds true for the field of evolutionary biology. This groundbreaking project will resolve an outstanding evolutionary conundrum, and integrate two major sets of theory to have witnessed recent paradigm shifts - sexual selection and mitochondrial evolutionary theory. By doing so, the project will push the field in new directions, promoting cutting-edge Australian science abroad. ....Sexual conflict in the mitochondrion. Australia boasts an international reputation for scientific excellence, and this holds true for the field of evolutionary biology. This groundbreaking project will resolve an outstanding evolutionary conundrum, and integrate two major sets of theory to have witnessed recent paradigm shifts - sexual selection and mitochondrial evolutionary theory. By doing so, the project will push the field in new directions, promoting cutting-edge Australian science abroad. This project promises educational benefits, by training postgraduate and honours students that are highly competitive in the international academic market. Finally, the project may yield novel insights into the genetics of male infertility, which affects five percent of Australian men.Read moreRead less
Fitness and evolutionary consequences of developmental plasticity. This project aims to develop a framework for accurately predicting species responses to global change. Phenotypic plasticity will act as a rapid-response mechanism, enabling organisms to survive climatic shifts in the first instance. Understanding how and when plasticity underpins species’ persistence under climate change is lacking. This project aims to integrate developmental responses to environmental change with evolutionary ....Fitness and evolutionary consequences of developmental plasticity. This project aims to develop a framework for accurately predicting species responses to global change. Phenotypic plasticity will act as a rapid-response mechanism, enabling organisms to survive climatic shifts in the first instance. Understanding how and when plasticity underpins species’ persistence under climate change is lacking. This project aims to integrate developmental responses to environmental change with evolutionary adaptation and population persistence in a spatially explicit context. The intended outcome is a powerful and general tool for predicting the impact of environmental change on the distribution and abundance of organisms. Benefits include improved conservation outcomes and better control of pest/disease vectors.Read moreRead less
Sexual conflict in Zeus Bugs. Australia is a leading nation in the field of evolutionary biology. This is in part due to the diverse and often bizarre plants and animals found on this continent. Our preliminary work on the Australian Zeus bug yielded exciting and fascinating results that created considerable national and international interest within the biological community and among the general population. The proposed project is likely to attract similar attention; will contribute to undergra ....Sexual conflict in Zeus Bugs. Australia is a leading nation in the field of evolutionary biology. This is in part due to the diverse and often bizarre plants and animals found on this continent. Our preliminary work on the Australian Zeus bug yielded exciting and fascinating results that created considerable national and international interest within the biological community and among the general population. The proposed project is likely to attract similar attention; will contribute to undergraduate research training and will ensure that Australia maintains its high profile and international reputation in the future. Read moreRead less
The evolution of parental care in leeches: costs and benefits in a clade of hermaphroditic, invertebrate ectotherms. Parental care is a basic element of reproduction in many species. Nearly everything we know about parental care comes from study of vertebrates, especially birds and mammals. Leech is synonymous with exploitation, but many of these annelid worms are devoted parents. Because they differ dramatically from most vertebrates, leeches present an excellent, but as yet unused, opportunity ....The evolution of parental care in leeches: costs and benefits in a clade of hermaphroditic, invertebrate ectotherms. Parental care is a basic element of reproduction in many species. Nearly everything we know about parental care comes from study of vertebrates, especially birds and mammals. Leech is synonymous with exploitation, but many of these annelid worms are devoted parents. Because they differ dramatically from most vertebrates, leeches present an excellent, but as yet unused, opportunity to test our theories and understanding of the evoluton of parental care. We will examine the evolution of degrees of care and sibling competition in leech families, and use molecular markers to better understand the genetic structure of populations of these invertebrates.Read moreRead less
The evolution of female resistance to male reproductive traits in animals. Australia has an outstanding international reputation in the fields of Ecology and Evolution. This study will reinforce Australia's excellence in these fields. Sexual conflict is a topic of great scientific interest because it has important implications for evolutionary theory and our understanding of the diverse strategies that animals use to attract or repel potential mates. Consequently, articles on this topic feature ....The evolution of female resistance to male reproductive traits in animals. Australia has an outstanding international reputation in the fields of Ecology and Evolution. This study will reinforce Australia's excellence in these fields. Sexual conflict is a topic of great scientific interest because it has important implications for evolutionary theory and our understanding of the diverse strategies that animals use to attract or repel potential mates. Consequently, articles on this topic feature regularly in top international scientific journals. In addition, research on the unique social behaviours of Australian animals holds general public interest and plays an important role in attracting young people to careers in science. Read moreRead less
The oxygen paradox and the evolution of sex differences. Free radicals are reactive molecules linked to the onset of ageing, cancers and infertility. By advancing an emerging paradigm that contends that 'free radicals' are important drivers of evolutionary change, this project will lead the field and provide an excellent platform on which to train students to the highest standards.