Towards a balanced veiw of parental effects: gaps, biases and opportunities. This project aims to identify and address knowledge gaps in research on parental effects by employing different methodologies (bibliometrics, systematic mapping) and developing novel methods of meta-analysis. This project expects to generate a more holistic and complete view of parental effects on offspring traits than currently appreciated, by elucidating the role of fathers and offspring in addition to mothers. Expect ....Towards a balanced veiw of parental effects: gaps, biases and opportunities. This project aims to identify and address knowledge gaps in research on parental effects by employing different methodologies (bibliometrics, systematic mapping) and developing novel methods of meta-analysis. This project expects to generate a more holistic and complete view of parental effects on offspring traits than currently appreciated, by elucidating the role of fathers and offspring in addition to mothers. Expected outcomes of the project include advancing the field of parental effects and creating new and powerful meta-analytic methods, opening up new avenues for research synthesis. This should provide significant benefits by directing future research in related fields and inspiring new kinds of meta-analyses across disciplines.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100831
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$416,670.00
Summary
The effects of mitochondrial genetic variation on physiology and behaviour. This project aims to test how mitochondrial DNA variation drives molecular, physiological, and behavioural differences between genders and among populations. This project, through the testing of a new hypothesis, expects to generate new knowledge to understand why males and females differ consistently in key health-related traits like longevity. The expected outcomes of this project will provide new discoveries that deli ....The effects of mitochondrial genetic variation on physiology and behaviour. This project aims to test how mitochondrial DNA variation drives molecular, physiological, and behavioural differences between genders and among populations. This project, through the testing of a new hypothesis, expects to generate new knowledge to understand why males and females differ consistently in key health-related traits like longevity. The expected outcomes of this project will provide new discoveries that deliver fundamental insights into the genetics of gender differences, with benefits that extend into the biomedical sciences. The project is also expected to enhance the international profile of Australian science through cutting-edge research in evolutionary genetics.Read moreRead less
Understanding evolution of dominant bacteria inhabiting the rodent gut . The gut microbiome is central to animal health and immune function, however we have an incomplete understanding of how this important symbiotic ecosystem evolved. By approaching this knowledge gap from a historical perspective and using real-time observation, this project will address how the gut community evolved with the rodent host and how members of that community respond to new selective pressures. The significance of ....Understanding evolution of dominant bacteria inhabiting the rodent gut . The gut microbiome is central to animal health and immune function, however we have an incomplete understanding of how this important symbiotic ecosystem evolved. By approaching this knowledge gap from a historical perspective and using real-time observation, this project will address how the gut community evolved with the rodent host and how members of that community respond to new selective pressures. The significance of these findings is in their capacity to inform our understanding of the relationship between host and microbe, not only within a key model system, but by extrapolation to other host-microbe systems. Read moreRead less
Linking sex-specific adaptation to the evolution of infectious disease. This project aims to examine how differences in the response of males and females to pathogen attack can influence the evolution of infectious disease. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of host-pathogen co-evolution, by integrating approaches from the fields of evolutionary genetics, sexual selection, and epidemiology. Expected outcomes include an enhanced capacity to build interdisciplinary collabor ....Linking sex-specific adaptation to the evolution of infectious disease. This project aims to examine how differences in the response of males and females to pathogen attack can influence the evolution of infectious disease. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of host-pathogen co-evolution, by integrating approaches from the fields of evolutionary genetics, sexual selection, and epidemiology. Expected outcomes include an enhanced capacity to build interdisciplinary collaborations and development of theory that predicts infection dynamics in any species with separate sexes. This is expected to provide significant benefits, such as improving our knowledge of why the sexes differ and potentially providing new avenues for understanding disease outbreaks and preventing population declines or extinctions.Read moreRead less
Animal camouflage patterns. This project aims to understand whether animal camouflage patterns can produce the illusion of 3D form. By using the latest techniques in 3D computer imaging, vision science and animal behaviour, this work addresses the previously untested but fundamental theory on 3D camouflage patterns. The development of theory on the ecology and evolution of animal patterning will enhance our understanding of the processes that maintain biological diversity. This research is expec ....Animal camouflage patterns. This project aims to understand whether animal camouflage patterns can produce the illusion of 3D form. By using the latest techniques in 3D computer imaging, vision science and animal behaviour, this work addresses the previously untested but fundamental theory on 3D camouflage patterns. The development of theory on the ecology and evolution of animal patterning will enhance our understanding of the processes that maintain biological diversity. This research is expected to have broad impact across multiple disciplines and will inform novel military defence strategies and contribute to emerging bio-inspired technologies.Read moreRead less
The sparrows in the mining towns: a century of adaptation to contamination. Our research will characterise how contamination from the extraction of precious metals can spread through the environment and how it effects a highly urbanised bird – the house sparrow. In many cases, populations of these birds have been intimately associated with mining operations for over a century, and our recent work has provided evidence of adaptation over time. House sparrows provide a great natural system to unde ....The sparrows in the mining towns: a century of adaptation to contamination. Our research will characterise how contamination from the extraction of precious metals can spread through the environment and how it effects a highly urbanised bird – the house sparrow. In many cases, populations of these birds have been intimately associated with mining operations for over a century, and our recent work has provided evidence of adaptation over time. House sparrows provide a great natural system to understand the genetic potential of organisms to adapt to anthropomorphic change in the environment connected with the resources industry. Our work, will bring new insight into the future management of environmental contamination, and the mitigation of adverse effects arising from resource extraction.Read moreRead less
Wild eco-evolutionary dynamics: the decline of an iconic Australian bird. This project aims to dissect the ecological and evolutionary processes causing a decline in an iconic Australian bird species. Studies that can properly test explanations for declines in wild populations are rare. This project aims to test how environmental and genetic processes shape individual traits, how these traits determine fitness and how changes in individual fitness affect population dynamics. The project expects ....Wild eco-evolutionary dynamics: the decline of an iconic Australian bird. This project aims to dissect the ecological and evolutionary processes causing a decline in an iconic Australian bird species. Studies that can properly test explanations for declines in wild populations are rare. This project aims to test how environmental and genetic processes shape individual traits, how these traits determine fitness and how changes in individual fitness affect population dynamics. The project expects to provide essential information for the improved management of Australian bird populations, and for understanding the effects of environmental change on natural systems globally.Read moreRead less
Drivers of phenotypic evolution in a vulnerable alpine ecosystem. This project aims to deliver a comprehensive, integrated understanding of the capacity for resilience and drivers of response of highly vulnerable alpine species and communities to climate change. The project aims to determine how communities of interacting alpine plants, soil invertebrates and microbes can cope with or evolve to novel climatic conditions. The mountains are water towers critical to power supply and Australia's agr ....Drivers of phenotypic evolution in a vulnerable alpine ecosystem. This project aims to deliver a comprehensive, integrated understanding of the capacity for resilience and drivers of response of highly vulnerable alpine species and communities to climate change. The project aims to determine how communities of interacting alpine plants, soil invertebrates and microbes can cope with or evolve to novel climatic conditions. The mountains are water towers critical to power supply and Australia's agricultural productivity. Understanding physiological tolerance and the potential for rapid evolutionary responses of plants, animals and communities is necessary to predict impacts of climate change on the future productivity of the vulnerable Australian Alps and to provide novel options for climate adaptation. Read moreRead less
Eco-evolutionary drivers of niche dynamics in invasive weeds. The project aims to understand how and why invasive species become invasive. Many exotic species are known to expand their ecological niches in their novel range, exploiting habitats that ancestral populations never used. Using a unique approach that combines field transplant and quantitative genetics experiments, this study will identify the drivers of niche expansion in invasive Australian capeweed, and predict if the invasive popul ....Eco-evolutionary drivers of niche dynamics in invasive weeds. The project aims to understand how and why invasive species become invasive. Many exotic species are known to expand their ecological niches in their novel range, exploiting habitats that ancestral populations never used. Using a unique approach that combines field transplant and quantitative genetics experiments, this study will identify the drivers of niche expansion in invasive Australian capeweed, and predict if the invasive populations are likely to further expand their niches. By delivering key insights into mechanisms of adaptive evolution in invasive species, this research should benefit efforts to effectively limit the spread of invasive plants that threaten the native environment. Read moreRead less
Skin Microbes and Animal Health: Understanding the Ecological Context. This project aims to understand the fundamental ecological relationships between animal hosts (frogs, geckos) and bacteria on their skin by separating host effects from environmental factors that determine skin microbiome composition. The research is significant because it will generate new knowledge needed to understand how skin microbes function in providing protection against disease. Expected outcomes include the provisio ....Skin Microbes and Animal Health: Understanding the Ecological Context. This project aims to understand the fundamental ecological relationships between animal hosts (frogs, geckos) and bacteria on their skin by separating host effects from environmental factors that determine skin microbiome composition. The research is significant because it will generate new knowledge needed to understand how skin microbes function in providing protection against disease. Expected outcomes include the provision of essential information that will guide future research efforts on the factors that determine a healthy skin microbial community (which is needed before skin diseases can be combated). The research will provide significant benefits, including more targeted conservation efforts to combat wildlife skin diseases.Read moreRead less