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 | Biography |  |
Ecological and evolutionary genetics My research group uses genetic markers as tools for understanding dispersal and gene flow, often with conservation implications and frequently focusing on marine animals. We also are interested in how gene flow and selection affect genomic variation and limit gene exchange across genomes, populations, and species.
Major research themes:
Connectivity across land and seascapes – How do habitat landscapes affect movements of individuals and genes? Can we identify source populations in order to prioritise areas for conservation?
Biological invasions, historical and modern – What factors facilitate species expanding their ranges and colonizing new habitat? How do colonizing populations adapt to novel environments?
Speciation, hybridization, and the evolution of reproductive genes – Why are some types of genes more or less likely to be exchanged between populations and species? Why are reproductive genes under strong natural selection and does this contribute to reproductive isolation?
Potential honours and PhD projects:
Phylogeography and gene exchange of coral reef invertebrates and fishes in Australia and the Coral Sea (multiple opportunities – from Jan 2009 onwards)
Temporal variability and fine scale recruitment patterns of marine invertebrates in SE Queensland (starting any time)
Global patterns of connectivity within mussel species, especially Mytilus galloprovincialis (one of the world’s worst marine invasive species) (starting any time)
Polymorphism of marine invertebrate gamete recognition genes – do they operate under “special rules”? (starting any time)
Post-invasion hybridization: are invasive and native mussels exchanging genes? (starting any time)
Speciation with gene flow: patterns of molecular evolution in the mussel genus Mytilus (starting any time)
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