Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101774
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,000.00
Summary
Early environmental effects on phenotypic development and evolution. Early developmental environments can profoundly influence the survival and reproductive success of organisms, including humans. The project aims to use an exceptional model lizard system to test a new theory about how personality and learning are influenced through the manipulation of offspring environment and how this affects lifetime fitness. Understanding these effects is important for predicting the responses to selection i ....Early environmental effects on phenotypic development and evolution. Early developmental environments can profoundly influence the survival and reproductive success of organisms, including humans. The project aims to use an exceptional model lizard system to test a new theory about how personality and learning are influenced through the manipulation of offspring environment and how this affects lifetime fitness. Understanding these effects is important for predicting the responses to selection imposed by changing environments, the success of re-introduction programs for threatened species, and for understanding the long-term viability of populations. This project aims to merge theoretical developments in life history theory and evolutionary biology and contribute important empirical advances to a new research field.Read moreRead less
Impacts of locust control pesticides on arid-zone fauna. Impacts of locust control pesticides on arid-zone fauna. This project aims to understand how different animals encounter pesticide in the landscape through quantifying residue deposition in arid grasslands and investigating how pesticides used to control locust plagues affect fauna. This project will investigate fenitrothion and fipronil, the main pesticides used in Australia for locust control. It will develop a deposition model for aeria ....Impacts of locust control pesticides on arid-zone fauna. Impacts of locust control pesticides on arid-zone fauna. This project aims to understand how different animals encounter pesticide in the landscape through quantifying residue deposition in arid grasslands and investigating how pesticides used to control locust plagues affect fauna. This project will investigate fenitrothion and fipronil, the main pesticides used in Australia for locust control. It will develop a deposition model for aerial pesticide spraying, determine the short-term effect of sprayed pesticides on the behaviour and condition of free-ranging target fauna that use the environment differently, and quantify the relative importance of dietary and non-dietary exposure routes to gauge the importance of animal behaviour on pesticide exposure. Anticipated outcomes are improved baseline assessments for locusticides.Read moreRead less
Physiological effects of extreme hot weather on animals’ metabolism, development, body size and cell lifespan. This project aims to determine the physiological effects of extreme hot weather on animals’ metabolism, development, body size and cell lifespan. Body size in animals is negatively related to latitude; individuals are relatively small in hot climates. The project will test the idea that the adverse effects of heat during development constrain body size. The project will draw on physiolo ....Physiological effects of extreme hot weather on animals’ metabolism, development, body size and cell lifespan. This project aims to determine the physiological effects of extreme hot weather on animals’ metabolism, development, body size and cell lifespan. Body size in animals is negatively related to latitude; individuals are relatively small in hot climates. The project will test the idea that the adverse effects of heat during development constrain body size. The project will draw on physiology, endocrinology, behaviour and cell biology and study birds across Australian climates and in a temperature-controlled laboratory. The outcomes of the project will provide insight into regional variation in species vulnerabilities to climate variation and inform biodiversity management.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100824
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,000.00
Summary
Pre-natal communication in adaptation to hot climate. This project aims to reveal how birds programme their offspring for a warming world, by communicating acoustically with their embryos. Most animals, including humans, can hear external sounds before birth, but it is not known what function this plays. An Australian bird calls to its eggs at high ambient temperatures, which alters nestling growth and survival. This project will show the physiological effects involved and the consequences for a ....Pre-natal communication in adaptation to hot climate. This project aims to reveal how birds programme their offspring for a warming world, by communicating acoustically with their embryos. Most animals, including humans, can hear external sounds before birth, but it is not known what function this plays. An Australian bird calls to its eggs at high ambient temperatures, which alters nestling growth and survival. This project will show the physiological effects involved and the consequences for adaptation to heat in wild birds. This project will elucidate whether the global reduction in animal body size is an adaptive response to rising temperatures, and research the therapeutic benefits of pre-natal sounds.Read moreRead less