A5010649636- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities
- Animal Genetics and Reproduction
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior
- Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
- Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Marine animal studies overview
- Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecology
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Bird parasitology and diseases
Monash University
2015-2024
Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute
2008-2024
Deakin University
2017
Lomonosov Moscow State University
2017
Science Museum of Minnesota
2006-2008
University of Minnesota
2003-2008
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
2006
University of Washington
2006
University of Alaska Anchorage
2006
Twin Cities Orthopedics
2005
Genomics promises exciting advances towards the important conservation goal of maximizing evolutionary potential, notwithstanding associated challenges. Here, we explore some complexity adaptation genetics and discuss strengths limitations genomics as a tool for characterizing potential in context management. Many traits are polygenic can be strongly influenced by minor differences regulatory networks epigenetic variation not visible DNA sequence. Much this critical is difficult to detect...
Genetic diversity underpins the ability of populations to persist and adapt environmental changes. Substantial empirical data show that genetic rapidly deteriorates in small isolated due drift, leading reduction adaptive potential fitness increase inbreeding. Assisted gene flow (e.g. via translocations) can reverse these trends, but lack on loss fear impairing population "uniqueness" often prevents managers from acting. Here, we use riverscape analyses simulations explore consequences...
Diversifying selection on metabolic pathways can reduce intraspecific gene flow and promote population divergence. An opportunity to explore this arises from mitonuclear discordance observed in an Australian bird Eopsaltria australis. Across >1500 km, nuclear differentiation is low latitudinally structured by isolation distance, whereas two highly divergent, parapatric mitochondrial lineages (>6.6% ND2) show a discordant longitudinal geographic pattern experience different climates....
Relationships among multilocus genetic variation, geography, and environment can reveal how evolutionary processes affect genomes. We examined the evolution of an Australian bird, eastern yellow robin Eopsaltria australis, using mitochondrial (mtDNA) nuclear (nDNA) markers, bioclimatic variables. In southeastern Australia, two divergent mtDNA lineages occur east west Great Dividing Range, perpendicular to latitudinal nDNA structure. evaluated alternative scenarios explain this striking...
Loss of functional connectivity following habitat loss and fragmentation could drive species declines. A comprehensive understanding effects on an ecological assemblage requires investigation multiple with different mobilities, at spatial scales, for each sex, in landscapes. Based published data mobility responses to 10 woodland-dependent birds, using simulation studies, we predicted that (1) would impede dispersal gene flow eight "decliners" (species disappear from suitable patches when...
Abstract Comparative phylogeographic studies of animals with low mobility and/or high habitat specificity remain rare, yet such organisms may hold fine‐grained palaeoecological signal. Comparisons multiple, codistributed species can elucidate major historical events. As part a multitaxon programme, mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) variation was analysed in two terrestrial flatworm, Artioposthia lucasi and Caenoplana coerulea . We applied coalescent demographic estimators nested clade...
Abstract Genetic diversity is positively linked to the viability and evolutionary potential of species but often compromised in threatened taxa. rescue by gene flow from a more diverse or differentiated source population same can be an effective strategy for alleviating inbreeding depression boosting potential. The helmeted honeyeater Lichenostomus melanops cassidix critically endangered subspecies common yellow‐tufted honeyeater. Cassidix has declined single wild ~130 birds, despite being...
In animals, interactions among gene products of mitochondrial and nuclear genomes (mitonuclear interactions) are profound fitness, evolutionary, ecological significance. Most fundamentally, the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes responsible for cellular bioenergetics formed by direct 13 mitochondrial-encoded ~80 nuclear-encoded protein subunits in most animals. It is expected that organisms will develop genomic architecture facilitates co-adaptation these mitonuclear enhances...
Habitat loss and fragmentation often result in small, isolated populations vulnerable to environmental disturbance of genetic diversity. Low diversity can increase extinction risk small by elevating inbreeding depression, reducing adaptive potential. Due their linear nature extensive use humans, freshwater ecosystems are especially habitat fragmentation. Although the effects on structure have been extensively studied migratory fishes, they less understood low-mobility species. We estimated...
Abstract One of the most iconic Australian fish is Murray cod, Maccullochella peelii (Mitchell 1838), a freshwater species that can grow to ~1.8 metres in length and live age ≥48 years. The cod conservation concern as result strong population contractions, but it also popular for recreational fishing growing aquaculture interest. In this study, we report whole genome sequence support ongoing genetics, conservation, management research, well better understand evolutionary ecology history...
Inference concerning the impact of habitat fragmentation on dispersal and gene flow is a key theme in landscape genetics. Recently, ability established approaches to identify reliably differential effects structure (e.g. land-cover composition, remnant vegetation configuration extent) mobility organisms has been questioned. More explicit methods predicting testing for such must move beyond post hoc explanations single landscapes species. Here, we document process making priori predictions,...
Diversifying selection between populations that inhabit different environments can promote lineage divergence within species and ultimately drive speciation. The mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) encodes essential proteins of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system be a strong target for climate-driven (i.e., associated with inhabiting climates). We investigated whether Pleistocene climate changes drove evolution Australian birds. First, using phylogeographic analyses ND2 gene 17...
Abstract Background Understanding sex-biased natural selection can be enhanced by access to well-annotated chromosomes including ones inherited in sex-specific fashion. The eastern yellow robin (EYR) is an endemic Australian songbird inferred have experienced climate-driven and a prominent model for studying mitochondrial-nuclear interactions the wild. However, lack of EYR reference genome containing both sex (in birds, female bearing Z W chromosomes) limits efforts understand mechanisms...
Abstract Background The helmeted honeyeater (Lichenostomus melanops cassidix) is a Critically Endangered bird endemic to Victoria, Australia. To aid its conservation, the population subject of genetic rescue. understand, monitor, and modulate effects rescue on genome, chromosome-length genome high-density linkage map are required. Results We used combination Illumina, Oxford Nanopore, Hi-C sequencing technologies assemble honeyeater, comprising 906 scaffolds, with length 1.1 Gb scaffold N50...
Aim To understand how environmental conditions and landscape structure interact at different spatial scales to shape the community composition of arid zone aquatic invertebrates with dispersal abilities. Location Australia. Methods For each five drainage basins for their encompassing region (Pilbara), we built matrices dissimilarities in presence–absence patterns invertebrate composition. This was carried out all taxa collectively separately trait groups: obligate aquatics, passive aerial...
Small, isolated populations risk extinction through inbreeding depression, chance loss of beneficial variation, and reduced adaptability to changing environments. Genetic rescue via gene flow from genetically diverse sources is the most effective way improve fitness such populations. However, when only potential source immigrants a different subspecies that diverged long ago occupies environment, genetic may lead admixed offspring outbreeding depression or maladaptation. Test cases are...
Abstract Augmenting depleted genetic diversity can improve the fitness and evolutionary potential of wildlife populations, but developing effective management approaches requires genetically monitored test cases. One such case is small, isolated inbred Cotter River population an endangered Australian freshwater fish, Macquarie perch Macquaria australasica , which over 3 years (2017–2019) received 71 translocated migrants from a closely related, more diverse population. We used monitoring to...
Abstract We conducted phylogeographic analyses of Motacilla flava (Yellow Wagtail) and M. citreola (Citrine Wagtail). analyzed mitochondrial DNA sequences from 167 specimens obtained 17 localities throughout Eurasia Alaska, 38 7 Eurasian localities. Phylogenetic analysis revealed three clades within traditionally recognized flava: Europe southwestern Asia, northeastern Eurasia, southeastern Asia. Those groups should be considered species, because together they are not monophyletic,...