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 phylogeography and biodiversity of terrestrial and aquatic 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; Director, Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology & Biodiversity, The University of Adelaide, 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.

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

CURRENT/RECENT RESEARCH STUDENTS AND PROJECTS

Kym Abrams, PhD Project: Systematics and phylogeography of the Parabathynellidae (Crustacea: Bathynellacea) of Australia.

Adam Allford, PhD Project: Evolutionary and population dynamics of Western Australia stygofauna.

Tessa Bradford, PhD Project: Modes of speciation in subterranean water beetles.

Danielle Carey, Honours Project: Molecular phylogeny of baeine wasps (Scelionidae) and the evolution of wing reduction (awarded the Michael Smythe Prize)

Renate Faast, PhD Project: Pollination and reproductive success of terrestrial orchids: Implications of habitat fragmentation.

Kate Muirhead, PhD Project: Biosystematics and biology of the Cotesia falvipes complex of wasps.

Kate Sparks, PhD Project: Molecular systematics and ecology of the Monomorium rothsteini species complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

Nick Stevens, PhD Project: Systematics of Australian Agathidinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).

Sally Thompson, PhD Project: Systematics and biogeography of Oxyscelio and related parasitic wasp genera (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae)

 UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
Zoology II (semester I; Evolutionary Biology II (semester II); Evolution and Diversity of Insects III (semester I).

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 phylogeography of terrestrial and aquatic arthropods, 4) systematics and biology of spiders, and 5) terrestrial invertebrates in biodiversity.

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS AND PROJECTS

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

Dr Nick Murphy, Project: Evolution of the unique fauna of the Great Artesian Basin mound springs: the impact of aridification and climate change.

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, 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 � 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)

J.M. Facelli, A.D. Austin & S.C. Donnellan, Project Title: Population genetics and dynamics of orchids and their pollinators in fragmented landscapes of South Australia. Australian Research Council, Linkage Project (2005-07)

M. Dowton & A.D. Austin, Project Title: Structural reorganization of the hymenopteran mitochondrial genome. Australian Research Council, Discovery Grant (2005-07)

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 (2004-09).

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.

Austin, A.D. & S.A. Field (1997) The ovipositor system of scelionid and platygastrid wasps (Hymenoptera: Platygastoidea): comparative morphology and phylogenetic implications. Invertebrate Taxonomy 11: 1-87.

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.

Kasper, M.L., A.F. Reeson, S.J.B. Cooper, K.D. Perry & A.D. Austin (2004) Assessment of prey overlap between a native (Polistes humilis) and an introduced (Vespula germanica) social wasp using morphology and phylogenetic analyses of 16S rDNA. Molecular Ecology 13: 2037-2048.

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.

Professional Associations

Membership of Scientific 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 - Austin_Publications.doc [103.0K] (application/msword)

Entry last updated: Saturday, 23 May 2009