Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101453
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$364,015.00
Summary
Developing predictions of extinction risk for tropical arthropods in the face of global environmental change. Developing knowledge of the characteristics that make species especially at risk of extinction is critical in order to limit the extent of future biodiversity losses. This project uses the fossil record of extinctions on islands in order to develop a better understanding of the processes that drive species to extinction.
Evolution in action or the demise of iconic Australian flora? The project aims to investigate the evolutionary history and conservation status of a group of closely related Grevillea species, in the light of increasing pressure from landscape modification. This project will incorporate leading methodologies for massively parallel sequencing, pollinator preference and breeding capacity in order to detect the patterns and processes underpinning divergence in widely distributed species. A phylogene ....Evolution in action or the demise of iconic Australian flora? The project aims to investigate the evolutionary history and conservation status of a group of closely related Grevillea species, in the light of increasing pressure from landscape modification. This project will incorporate leading methodologies for massively parallel sequencing, pollinator preference and breeding capacity in order to detect the patterns and processes underpinning divergence in widely distributed species. A phylogenetic framework will provide the evolutionary relationships among taxa. This project is expected to inform requirements for long-term species persistence and, for threatened species within the group, guide the decision making of biodiversity managers as to what actions are required and where best to invest limited funds.Read moreRead less
Faunal responses to environmental change and isolation on an Australian land-bridge island. Establishing how faunas responded to past isolation and environmental changes offers great potential for predicting long-term impacts of habitat fragmentation. By combining novel methods we will track extinction rates, diet and body-size shifts on Kangaroo Island, the only known land-bridge island with a fossil record spanning the past 100,000 years.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101904
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$385,481.00
Summary
Interactions of sexual selection & ecological divergence during speciation. Understanding the processes driving speciation is fundamental to understanding how biodiversity is generated. The two main forces underlying speciation, ecological divergence and sexual selection, are well characterised, yet how they interact during the speciation process is remarkably poorly understood. This project aims to test hypotheses regarding how ecological divergence and sexual selection interact during speciati ....Interactions of sexual selection & ecological divergence during speciation. Understanding the processes driving speciation is fundamental to understanding how biodiversity is generated. The two main forces underlying speciation, ecological divergence and sexual selection, are well characterised, yet how they interact during the speciation process is remarkably poorly understood. This project aims to test hypotheses regarding how ecological divergence and sexual selection interact during speciation, from its inception to its completion. In doing so, this research aims to identify genomic regions underlying divergence in colour patterns, which are important for ecological and sexual interactions. Consequently, this project will significantly enhance our understanding of ecological and genetic mechanisms underlying speciation.Read moreRead less