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
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 evolution of elaborate antennae in insects. This project will address several neglected but fundamental issues in the field of chemical communication and insect diversity. These include the evolutionary importance of receptor structures in a communication system, and the basis of diversity in one of the most defining characteristics of insects: antennae. The moth species in the proposed experiments are commercial pests of crops and therefore understanding of the evolutionary processes shapin ....The evolution of elaborate antennae in insects. This project will address several neglected but fundamental issues in the field of chemical communication and insect diversity. These include the evolutionary importance of receptor structures in a communication system, and the basis of diversity in one of the most defining characteristics of insects: antennae. The moth species in the proposed experiments are commercial pests of crops and therefore understanding of the evolutionary processes shaping their communication systems and mating behaviour will contribute to better predictive knowledge of the effects of control measures used against them. The project will also involve international collaboration to learn and develop new a technique in the analysis of pheromone communication. Read moreRead less
Sociality and a sense of smell: receptor organ evolution in ants. This research provides novel insights into social recognition in insects by capitalising on a new technique to investigate the role of chemosensory detection of contact pheromones. The primary impact will be to ensure that Australia maintains its high research profile in this field, and by contributing to research training through supervising and mentoring research students. Finally, our research will contribute to our understand ....Sociality and a sense of smell: receptor organ evolution in ants. This research provides novel insights into social recognition in insects by capitalising on a new technique to investigate the role of chemosensory detection of contact pheromones. The primary impact will be to ensure that Australia maintains its high research profile in this field, and by contributing to research training through supervising and mentoring research students. Finally, our research will contribute to our understanding of the 'success' of major trans-global ant pest species, information that could prove useful in management strategies.Read moreRead less
Colour polymorphisms and speciation: linking macroevolutionary patterns with microevolutionary processes. Polymorphic species with many different colour forms have inspired biological inquiry since Aristotle. This project takes advantage of remarkable variation in male throat coloration in the South Australian tawny dragon lizard to contribute to a fundamental, yet unresolved, question in biology: what are the evolutionary processes generating biodiversity? This research will reinforce Australia ....Colour polymorphisms and speciation: linking macroevolutionary patterns with microevolutionary processes. Polymorphic species with many different colour forms have inspired biological inquiry since Aristotle. This project takes advantage of remarkable variation in male throat coloration in the South Australian tawny dragon lizard to contribute to a fundamental, yet unresolved, question in biology: what are the evolutionary processes generating biodiversity? This research will reinforce Australia's outstanding reputation in the fields of Ecology and Evolution and contribute to the training of internationally competitive postgraduate students. It will also improve our understanding of the biology and genetic diversity of a fascinating Australian reptile and its habitat, within a region of national biodiversity significance.Read moreRead less