Professor Andrew Austin

Biography/ Background

Andy Austin is a key member of the Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity (ACEBB) at The University of Adelaide. His major research interests focus on the biology, systematics and molecular phylogenetics of parasitic wasps, the evolution of host-parasitoid interactions, and the biodiversity and phylogeography of groundwater arthropods. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Invertebrate Systematics, and is on the editorial boards of Systematic Entomology and Insect Systematics & Evolution.  He is a previous past president of the Australian Entomological Society, Society of Australian Systematic Biologists, and the International Society of Hymenopterists, and was a member of the Australian Biological Study Advisory Board (2002-07).

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Professor (level E), The University of Adelaide, 2002; Deputy-Director, Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology & Biodiversity, The University of Adelaide, 2009; Director, Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology & Biodiversity, 2000-08; Associate Professor, The University of Adelaide, 1996; Senior Lecturer, The University of Adelaide, 1992; Lecturer, The University of Adelaide, 1985; Higher Scientific Officer, Commonwealth Institute of Entomology, London, 1982; Research Associate, The University of Adelaide, 1981; Ph.D. Student, The University of Adelaide, 1978-81; Research Assistant, Zoology, The University of Sydney, 1977; Tutor, Zoology, The University of Sydney, 1977

He is currently the Associate Head, Research in the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences at The University of Adelaide, and a senior research associate at the South Australian Museum and Western Australian Museum.

AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS

Inaugural Faculty of Sciences Distinguished Research Excellence Award 2008; International Society of Hymenopterists Service Award, 2006; Honorary Research Fellow, South Australian Museum, 2003; Whitley Award, Royal Zoological Society (N.S.W.) for best natural history text, 2002; President, Australian Entomological Society, 2000-02; President, International Society of Hymenopterists, 1999-2000; Inaugural President, Society of Australian Systematic Biologists, 1997-98; British Council, Partnerships for Excellence Travel Fellowship, 1997; Industry, Science & Tourism, Bilateral Science & Technology Collaboration Fellowship,1996; Stephen Cole The Elder Prize for Excellence in Teaching, The University of Adelaide, 1995; Supervisor of the Year, Postgraduate Students Association, The University of Adelaide, 1994; Ciba-Giegy Research Fellowship, 1985; Anglo-Canadian Exchange Fellowship, Royal Society, London, 1984; William Culross Prize for best PhD thesis in the Sciences, The University of Adelaide, 1982.

Qualifications

BSc (Hons), The University of Sydney, 1977.

 

PhD, The University of Adelaide, 1982, Awarded the William Culross Prize.

Teaching Interests

Undergraduate teaching

Evolution & Diversity of Insects III (semester 1); Evolution & Palaeobiology III (course convenor, semester 1); Evolutionary Biology II (course convenor, semester 2)

Current postgraduate students and projects

Kym Abrams, 2008 (principal supervisor). Thesis "Systematics and phylogeny of the Parabathynllidae (Bathynellacea, Crustacea) of Australia”.

Rebecca Kittel, 2010 (principal supervisor). Thesis “Systematics of Australian microgastroid braconid wasps”.

Mohammad Javidkar, 2010 (co-supervisor ) Thesis “Systematics and biogeographic history of troglobitic isopods in Western Australia”.

Vanesa Duran Racero, 2010 (co-supervisor ) Thesis “Systematics and evolution of giant collembolans”.

Ellen Schluens, 2007 (James Cook University (co-supervisor ) Thesis “Molecular ecology and phylogenetics in formicine ants”.

Katherine Sparks, 2008 (principal supervisor). Thesis " Molecular systematics and ecology of the Monomorium rothsteini species complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)”.

Nick Stevens, 2004 (principal supervisor). Thesis "Systematics of Australian Agathidinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)".

Alejandro Velasco, 2009 (co-supervisor) Thesis “Molecular studies on the origins and dispersal patterns of invertebrates in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic”.

Research Interests

Major research interests include:

1) the biology, systematics and molecular phylogenetics of parasitic wasps

2) the evolution of host-parasitoid interactions

3) the biodiversity and phylogeography of groundwater arthropods.

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS AND PROJECTS

Dr Roger Burks, Project: Diversity and the parasitoid life history strategy of the superfamily Platygastroidea

Dr Michelle Guzik, Project: Phylogeography of subterranean animals from calcrete aquifers in central Western Australia.

Dr Kate Muirhead, Project: Phylogeography and host specificity of stemborer parasitoids; essential components for the pre-emptive biocontrol of sugarcane pests in Australia.

Dr Gary Taylor, Project: Systematics and coevolution of insect herbivores on casuarinas: testing phylogenetic congruence for selection of plant biocontrol agents.

 

CURRENT AND RECENTLY FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS

A.D. Austin, S.J.B. Cooper, W.F. Humphreys, M.S. Harvey & M.I. Stevens, Project Tiltle “Biodiversity and population genetics of groundwater calcrete ecosystems of central Western Australia.” Australian Research Council, Linkage Grant (2010-13)

G.S.  Taylor, J.T. Jennings & A.D. Austin, Project Title: Systematics and host associations of Australian psyllids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea). Australian Biological Resources Study (2010-13)

A.D. Austin, P.G. Allsopp & N. Sallam, Project Title: The phylogeography and host specificity of stemborer parasitoids: essential components for the pre-emptive biocontrol of sugarcane pests in Australia. Australian Research Council, Linkage Grant (2009-12)

A.D. Austin, Project Title: Systematics, diversity and hosts of Australian scelionid wasps (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae). Australian Biological Resources Study (2008-11)

A.D. Austin, J.T. Jennings, M.F. Prucell & N.A. Schellhorn, Project Title: Systematics and coevolution of insect herbivores on casuarinas: testing phylogenetic congruence for selection of plant biocontrol agents. Australian Research Council, Linkage Grant (2007-10)

S.J. Murphy, A.D. Austin & M.A. Adams, Project Title: Evolution of the unique fauna of the Great Artesian Basin mound springs: the impact of aridification and climate change. Australian Research Council, Discovery Grant (2007-10)

N.F. Johnson & A.D. Austin, Project Title: PBI: Diversity and the parasitoid life history strategy of the superfamily Platygastroidea (Hymenoptera). National Science Foundation, Planetary Biodiversity Inventory Program (2006-11)

A.D. Austin, N.P. Murphy, S.J. Cooper & M.A. Adams, Project Title: Comparative phylogeography of mound springs-invertebrates: identifying genetically divergent populations for conservation and management. Australian Research Council, Linkage Grant (2006-09)

A.D. Austin, Project Title: Systematics of the Australian spider-hunting wasps. Australian Biological Resources Study (2005-09)

R.S. Hill, A.D. Austin, S.C. Donnellan et al., Project Title: Discovering the past and present to shape the future: networking environmental sciences for understanding and managing Australian biodiversity. Australian Research Council, Research Network (2004-10).

Publications

Dowton, M. & A.D. Austin (1994) Molecular phylogeny of the insect order Hymenoptera - apocritan relationships. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA 19: 9911-9915.

Dowton. M. & A.D. Austin (1999) Evolutionary dynamics of a gene rearrangement 'hotspot' in the hymenoptera mitochondrial genome. Molecular Biology & Evolution 16: 298-309.

Belshaw, R., M. Dowton, D.L.J. Quicke & A.D Austin (2000) Estimating ancestral geographic distributions: a Gondwanan origin for the aphid parasitoids. Proceedings of the Royal Society, Series B 267: 491-96.

Dowton, M. & A.D. Austin (2001) Simultaneous analysis of 16S, 28S, COI and morphology in the Hymenoptera: Apocrita - evolutionary transitions among parasitic wasps. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 74: 87-111.

Dowton, M. & A.D. Austin (2002) Increased congruence does not necessarily indicate increased phylogenetic accuracy - the behavior of the incongruence length difference test in mixed-model analyses. Systematic Biology 51: 19-31.

Dowton, M., L.R. Castro, & A.D. Austin (2002) Mitochondrial gene rearrangements as phylogenetic characters in the invertebrates: the examination of genome 'morphology'. Invertebrate Systematics 16:345-356.

Whitfield, J.B., P. Mardulyn, A.D. Austin & M. Dowton (2002) Phylogeny of the Microgastinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) based on multiple genes and morphology. Systematic Entomology 27: 337-359.

Dowton, M., L.R. Castro, S.L. Campbell, S.D.Bargon & A.D. Austin (2003) Frequent mitochondrial gene rearrangments at the hymenopteran nad3-nad5 junction. Journal of Molecular Evolution 56: 517-526.

Austin, A.D., N.F. Johnson & M. Dowton (2005) Systematics, evolution and biology of scelionid and platygastrid wasps. Annual Review of Entomology 50: 553-582.

Moulds, T.A., N.P. Murphy, M. Adams, T. Reardon, M.S. Harvey & A.D. Austin (2007) Phylogeography of cave pseudoscorpions in Australia. Journal of Biogeography 34: 951-962.

Murphy, N.P., D. Carey, L. Castro, M. Dowton & A.D. Austin (2007) Phylogeny of the platygastroid wasps (Hymenoptera) based on sequences from the 18S rRNA , 28S rRNA and CO1 genes: implications for classification and the evolution of host relationships. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 91:653-669.

Cooper, S.J.B., K.M. Saint, S. Taiti, A.D. Austin & W.F. Humphreys (2008) Subterranean archipelago II: mitochondrial DNA phylogeography of stygobitic isopods (Haloniscus and Andricophiloscia) from the Yilgarn region of Western Australia. Invertebrate Systematics 22: 195-203.

Dowton, M., S.L. Cameron, J.I. Dowavic, A.D. Austin & M.F. Whiting (2009) Characterisation of 67 mitochondrial tRNA gene rearrangements in the Hymenoptera suggests that mitochondrial tRNA gene position is selectively neutral. Molecular Biology & Evolution 26:1607-1617.

Krogmann, L., A.D. Austin & I.D. Naumann (2009) Systematics and biogeography of Australian rhopalosomatid wasps (Hymenoptera: Rhopalosomatidae) with a global synopsis of the enigmatic genus Olixon Cameron. Systematic Entomology 34: 222-251.

Murphy, N., M. Adams & A.D. Austin (2009) Colonisation and extensive cryptic speciation of freshwater amphipods in the isolated groundwater springs of Australia's Great Artesian Basin. Molecular Ecology 18:109-122.

Bradford, T., M. Adams, W.F. Humphreys, A.D. Austin & S.J.B. Cooper (2010) DNA barcoding of stygofauna uncovers cryptic amphipod diversity in a calcrete aquifer in Western Australia’s arid zone. Molecular Ecology Resources 10: 41-50.

Professional Associations

Membership of Professional Societies:

Australian Entomological Society

Entomological Society of America

International Society of Hymenopterists

Royal Entomological Society

Royal Society of South Australia

Society of Australian Systematic Biologists

Society of Systematic Biologists.

Files

• Austin_Publications.pdf [210.2K] (application/pdf)

Entry last updated: Friday, 22 Jul 2011