A biological basis for the efficient breeding of native plants for export markets: a case study with the Australian Goodeniaceae. The native plant family Goodeniaceae exhibits enormous potential for the world potted-plant trade. To provide vital biological information for the efficient breeding of these plants, we will (i) determine the molecular evolutionary relationships of species, (ii) assess chromosomal variation within and among species, (iii) characterise mating patterns in natural popul ....A biological basis for the efficient breeding of native plants for export markets: a case study with the Australian Goodeniaceae. The native plant family Goodeniaceae exhibits enormous potential for the world potted-plant trade. To provide vital biological information for the efficient breeding of these plants, we will (i) determine the molecular evolutionary relationships of species, (ii) assess chromosomal variation within and among species, (iii) characterise mating patterns in natural populations using DNA fingerprinting for paternity analysis, (iv) develop techniques to overcome barriers to wide crossing, and (v) use DNA fingerprinting for the rapid identification of artificial hybrids. Expected outcomes are an understanding of evolution and mating in the Goodeniaceae and the efficient development of horticulturally significant materialRead moreRead less
Evolution and biogeography of Australian idiopid trapdoor spiders: implications for conservation biology and environmental assessment. Trapdoor spiders (family Idiopidae) are poorly studied and there are many new species with restricted distributions in the western and arid parts of the continent. This project will use DNA techniques to study their evolution and provide genetic criteria for their identification, environmental assessment and determining conservation priorities.
Islands of rocks: geckos as a model system to understand patterns of biodiversity, endemism and speciation in the Kimberley. Australia is renowned for its diversity of lizards, yet a plethora of new "cryptic" gecko species continue to be discovered. The project will densely sample the complex Kimberley to understand the evolution of its geckos, which will shed light on true levels of species diversity and the geological and environmental history of this biodiversity hotspot.
Phylogenomic assessment of conservation priorities in two biodiversity hotspots: the Pilbara and the Kimberley. This project applies new sequencing and analytical methods to measure how much unique genetic diversity is represented in current and planned reserves across two biodiversity hotspots – the Pilbara and Kimberley of north-west Australia. It combines university, museum and conservation agency researchers to improve ongoing conservation planning.