Early Career Researcher Programs (ECRs) Round 1 Reports
[To Round 2 or Round 3 or Round 4 or Round 5 reports here]
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CI(s)/Institution: CI(s)/Institution: Kate Muirhead,
University of Adelaide, School of Earth & Environmental Sciences ($3,500)
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Aims/BackgroundKate visited Dr Jim Whitfield's laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and attended the Evolution 2006 Conference in Stony Brook, New York, to learn about the latest methods and analyses in the study of coevolution. These skills will be used in her PhD project to investigate coevolution of the Cotesia flavipes parasitic wasp complex and their polydnaviruses (PDVs). Project:Jim Whitfield is one of the world's leading investigators
on the evolution of endoparasitism in braconid wasps. Travel to his
laboratory for two weeks gave Kate the opportunity to interact and collaborate
with other students and research scientists working on similar species
and to broaden her knowledge on the coevolution of Cotesia and their
PDVs.
At the Coevolution Symposium Kate gave a presentation on her PhD research into the Cotesia flavipes complex and their polydnaviruses. She received positive feedback on her presentation and also some useful advice concerning her project. The conference gave her the opportunity to meet and discuss her research with a number of scientists using new analysis methods. Outcomes:
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CI(s)/Institution: CI(s)/Institution: Susan Cameron
and Rob Waterworth, ($15,000)
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Aims/background:The workshop was held 6-7 June 2006 at the Australia
Museum in Sydney. Ten Early Career Researchers participated, including
the co-PIs. The workshop was held in conjunction with a larger EFN
working group meeting (2010 working group, Faith and Ferrier). Four
'mentors' from the 2010 Working Group attended the ECR workshop.
Project:As most participants were not familiar with one
another or with the EFN (as stated in the proposal), a large part
of the first day was spent with introductions and brief research
presentations designed to generate group discussion. Dan Faith introduced
the EFN and the 2010 Working Group and Rob Waterworth and Susan
Cameron presented goals for the meeting and questions to consider.
Each participant gave a 20 minute research presentation of their
research as it applied to the workshop themes and discussion followed.
The second day was more focused, with demonstrations and hands-on training of several biodiversity measuring and monitoring tools, including the Biodiversity Analysis tool (Dan Rosauer, CSIRO/DEH), the National Carbon Accounting System (Rob Waterworth, Australian Greenhouse Organisation), Environmental Diversity software (Faith) and Generalised Dissimilarity Modelling (Cameron). Several breakout sessions were conducted on topics such as 'Monitoring biodiversity: What are we measuring and what does it tell us' and 'integrating carbon accounting and biodiversity protection'. These discussions provided the participants with the opportunity to discuss synergies within their different disciplines and potential research collaborations. Some synergies identified included :
Outcomes:The workshop met the goals stated in the original
proposal including sharing research ideas across disciplines and
providing links to the 2010 EFN Working Group. All participants
(with exception of Moffett, Kelley, and Armour) also attended the
2010 EFN meeting held over the following two days, 8-9 June 2006
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CI(s)/Institution: Daniel Warner, University of Sydney
($1,500)
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Background:Daniel visited Professor Mats Olsson's laboratory at the University of Wollongong to study the adaptive significance of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in a lizard from southeast Australia - the jacky dragon (Amphibolurus muricatus). In many reptile species, an individual's sex is determined by temperatures experienced by the embryo during development. The adaptive value of this mechanism has puzzled biologists for decades. A widely accepted hypothesis (the diffAAerential fitness model) for the adaptive significance of TSD states that incubation temperature affects the fitness of male offspring differently from female offspring. That is, temperatures that produce females are optimal for daughters and temperatures that produce males are optimal for sons. No rigorous experimental tests of this hypothesis have been conducted on reptiles. The objective of his research is to test this hypothesis. Project:The funds provided allowed Daniel to travel to the University
of Wollongong to learn and conduct specialized genetic techniques to
determine parentage of the second generation of offspring. From February
to April 2006 he spent time learning and optimizing the techniques.
During this time he initiated DNA extractions from his samples and prepared
a manuscript that describes the microsatellite markers that were developed
specifically for jacky dragons. He also spent time testing the jacky
dragon DNA markers on other lizard species that are being studied in
Mats Olsson's laboratory. Fortunately, these tests indicated that several
of the markers developed for the jacky dragon also work successfully
in several other lizard species. Thus, Daniel's work will directly benefit
future work coming from Mats Olsson's laboratory. Outcomes:The financial support enabled Daniel to acquire new skills
(Optimization of primers for genetic studies, DNA isolation from tissue
samples, PCR, Genotyping, parentage analysis) and has enhanced understanding
of the evolution of TSD. The results suggest that TSD may be maintained
because optimal incubation temperatures differ for sons versus daughters
in a way that fits with predictions from the differential fitness model.
These results provide the first empirical support for the differential
fitness model and thus will make a substantial contribution to the field
of sex determination. |
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CI(s)/Institution: Conrad Hoskin, University of Queensland
($3,500)
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Aims/background:The purpose of the research visit was to work with Prof Craig Moritz and his research group to resolve the systematics and evolution of the Cophixalus frogs of the Wet Tropics rainforests of north-east Queensland. This research aims to understand the origin of the exceptional Cophixalus diversity seen in the rainforest of the Wet Tropics, through an analysis of diversity at all scales from the genus as a whole, through lineages within species, and down to divergence between populations across environmental gradients. This research is important for elucidating the processes driving diversification and for understanding the impact of global climate change on Wet Tropics diversity in the past and present. Project:The research visit was conducted at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology,
which is part of the University of California, Berkeley campus.
Conrad was primarily working with Prof. Craig Moritz (Director of
the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology). Additionally, he was collaborating
on the project with a member of his research group, Mrs Maria Tonione,
and also with Assoc. Prof. Catherine Graham at the State University
of New York, Stony Brook. He also interacted with other members
of Prof. Moritz's research group as well as other researchers in
the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. Funding was organised through
the School of Integrative Biology at the University of Queensland,
where he recently completed his PhD. Outcomes:He acquired a number of new skills while at UC Berkeley.
He learnt several new laboratory techniques including a new DNA extraction
method, a new PCR clean-up method, how to run a capillary sequencer,
real-time PCR, and parasite genetic analysis. He also learnt a range
of new techniques for the analysis of genetic data. In particular
he acquired skills in the management and analysis of large genetic
data-sets, how to resolve and score nuclear sequence data, programs
for the analysis of genetic structuring and hybrid zone analysis (Bayesian
Analysis of Population Structure - 'BAPS 4', 'Structure', 'Arlequin',
'NewHybrid'), analyses of environmental divergence between lineages
and environmental niche modelling, and the analysis of chytrid prevalence
data.
The research visit was highly successful in achieving the goal of understanding evolution of the Wet Tropics Cophixalus frogs, and also for conducting other research on Wet Tropics frogs. The greatest success was obtaining a very large and informative genetic data set for the analysis of phylogeographic structuring and secondary contact between lineages within Cophixalus ornatus. The enclosed photo shows a male Cophixalus ornatus calling from the trunk of a tree. This species is found in the Wet Tropics rainforest of north Queensland, between Townsville and Cooktown. In the summer wet season, males (about 23 mm long) climb a couple of metres into the vegetation and call with a loud bleating call. Populations of this species consist of five lineages, four of which meet in a complex hybrid zone that I have been studying. |
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CI(s)/Institution: Nick Murphy, University of Adelaide,
School of Earth & Environmental Sciences (3,500)
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Aims/background:The objective of my visit was to synthesize my work
on microgastroid wasp phylogeny with polydnavirus (PDV) studies being
undertaken by Prof Jim Whitfield and to learn new analytical techniques
for the analysis of molecular phylogenetic data.
Project:The main purpose of this visit was to further enhance
collaboration with Prof Whitfield and improve our current study of
microgastroid phylogeny and PDV evolution. Activities included:
Outcomes:This visit enabled Nick to improve his understanding
of analytical techniques associated with molecular clock analysis
and data exploration. He will be able to pass these newly acquired
skills directly on to students who he is teaching. The research visit
has also strengthened the relationship between The University of Adelaide
and The University of Illinois and there is a potential for further
research collaboration.
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CI(s)/Institution: Tobias Uller, University of Woolongong
(3,600)
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Aims/background:The workshop on sex allocation in reptiles brought together
national and international experts in evolutionary ecology, sex determination
and herpetology. The workshop intended to stimulate development of sex
allocation biology using reptilian model systems and to integrate sex
allocation research with recent theoretical and empirical advances in
studies of sex determination. In addition, it aimed to promote collaborations
between universities and research groups with different research of
taxonomic background. This was further facilitated by Australia's leading
role in sex allocation and sex determination research.
Project:Invited plenary talks focused on broad conceptual issues
and the current state of sex allocation research, whereas additional
speakers were free to present novel empirical work from their own laboratory.
The main areas that were covered were costs and constraints on differential
sex allocation, relationships between sex allocation and sex determination,
and consequences of global climate change for species with temperature-dependent
sex determination.
Main Presentations
Outcomes:The workshop successfully managed to create a forum
for exchange of ideas, model systems and results in sex allocation biology
as evident from the positive response from attendees and other colleagues,
both national and international. New collaborations were established
between a number of research groups at different universities, including
University of Groningen (the Netherlands), University of Wollongong,
University of Sydney, University of Canberra and University of Tasmania.
The support for making this meeting a recurring event has been very
strong and future meetings are already being planned. The main conclusions
can be summarized as follows:
The workshop resulted in a research synopsis that was
submitted for publication in the leading review journal Trends in Ecology
and Evolution.
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CI(s)/Institution: John Tibby & Jennie Fluin, University
of Adelaide ($9,863)
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Background/Aims:The "loss" of submerged plants from shallow lakes and estuaries is one of the most significant human impacts on aquatic ecosystems in the world. Plant loss frequently results in reduced biodiversity and the maintenance of phytoplankton dominance that, even with significant management intervention, is difficult to eliminate. Despite the importance of this phenomenon, there is considerable debate about the key processes driving "switches" between plant and phytoplankton dominance. This short course provided participants with the means to document such switches using the "record" of plant (and animal) remains preserved in the sediment. In ideal settings, it will allow researchers to assess different hypotheses about the causes of such switches (see Reid et al., 2007, J. Paleolimnology in press). The five day short course, held in January 2007 and hosted by the University of Adelaide, was delivered primarily by Drs Carl Sayer and Tom Davidson of the Environmental Change Research Centre, University College London. Dr Sayer has recently published a profoundly different theory about
what causes the decline of plants in eutrophic shallow lakes (Jones
and Sayer, 2003, Ecology 84: 2155-2167). He has also shown how studies
of fossil biota can elucidate the nature and causes of changes in aquatic
plants (e.g. Sayer et al., 2006, Env. Sci. Tech. 40: 5269-5275). Dr
Davidson is pioneering new approaches to understanding the history of
lake ecosystems, particularly through the analysis of plant and animal
remains (Davidson et al., 2003, J. Paleolim., 30: 441-449 and Fresh.
Biol., 2005, 50: 1671-1686). Project:There were a total of twenty-one workshop participants from University of Adelaide (13), The Australian National University (1), University of Canberra (1), Flinders University (1), Macquarie University (1), Monash Universities (2), University of Tasmania (1) and the Environment Protection Authority, Victoria (1). These included 17 early career researchers. The short course focused on applied issues and examined how plant seeds,
leaves and other remains can document changes in aquatic plant composition
and abundance. Lecture topics included: Practical exercises focused on techniques for sampling, extracting
and identifying plant macrofossils. Where possible, participants studied
their own material. Alternately, they examined core material from a
wetland on the lower River Murray. They also compared the representation
of plant remains in a variety of modern sediment samples to plant abundance
recorded at the time of collection. Outcomes:Apart from broadening the knowledge of a number of early career researchers, the following were important workshop outcomes:
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