Animal Behaviour and Evolution Academic Staff Research Fellows & Associates Research in this group examines behaviour and evolution at several levels, ranging from cells to populations, and includes sound production in insects, patterns of rhythmicity in crustacean locomotor systems and the sensory environment of pelagic animals. Research in evolutionary biology includes phylogeny and taxonomy; zoogeography and patterns of speciation; the origin, structure and maintenance of hybrid zones; sexual selection, including female choice and sperm competition; the evolution of co-operation in birds and invertebrates; foraging behaviour; and inter-specific relationships. Potential projects for 2007: - Social control of the status signalling in the Black Swan
- Cryptic speciation in the savannahs of northern Australia: phylogeography of agamid lizards
- Sexual selection: sperm competition and cryptic female choice
- Role of pheromones in animal social and mating behaviour
-
Cues of size and condition in black swan vocalizations Signal content of barred patterns in bird plumage -
Sexual conflict and mating behaviour in Lake Eyre dragons
Ecology and the evolution of sociality in black rock skinks
Conservation and Australian Wildlife Biology Academic Staff Research Fellows and Associates Research in this group examines aspects of wildlife and conservation biology of a wide range of terrestrial taxa, including mammals, birds, amphibians and invertebrates. Particular interests include abundance and composition of terrestrial vertebrate faunas as indices of environmental disturbance; habitat use and ecology of native mammals including marsupials; and the management of threatened species and overabundant native species. Potential projects for 2007: - Behavioural ecology of an urban kangaroo population
- Use of hair tubes for monitoring Eastern barred bandicoots
- Diet selection by brushtail rock wallabies
- Niche separation among brushtail possums
- Paternity and dispersal in mountain brushtail possums
- Ecology of long-nosed potoroos
- Parasitism and foraging ecology in grey kangaroos
- Phylogeography of a parthenogenetic stick insect
- Effects of climate change on butterflies
- Evolution of parthenogenesis in a gecko
- Contraceptive strategies for marsupial populations
Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaptation Research (CESAR): CESAR is an Australian Research Council's Special Research Centre for: - biomonitoring - using invertebrate biodiversity to assess how aquatic ecosystems and agricultural ecosystems are stressed by factors such as pollution, salinity, land clearance and fire
- climatic stress and conservation – assessing the potential of organisms from threatened habitats including rainforests to adapt to global warming
- pest control – devising new ways of controlling insect and mite pest species by understanding their biology
The major questions CESAR asks are: how do organisms, and in particular, insects, adapt to environmental stress and, how do you measure responses to environmental stress using these insects? The research is pitched at the ecological, physiological and genetic levels. CESAR also works closely with commerce, consulting to the grape and wine, grains, wool and meat industries on a range of pest control issues of international significance. Potential projects for 2007: - The impact of aquatic pollution on the parthenogenetic chironomid Paratanytarsus grimmi
- What’s more susceptible to pollution? An alpine lake, a brackish wetland or a lowland billabong.
- Assessment of toxicity of sediments from the Murray River
- Would you like salt with that? The response of chironomids to salinity”
- Effects of remnant vegetation on parasitoid Hymenoptera
- Detecting predation of lightbrown apple moth larvae in vineyards with reference to adjacent vegetation and pesticides
- Influence of adjacent vegetation or pesticide application on predatory mites in the canopy
- Development of novel approaches for the control of agricultural pests
- Insecticide resistance: existence, spread and likely implications for a sustainable future
For more information:www.cesar.org.au |
|
|
Centre for Kangaroo Genomics (KanGO):The ARC Centre for Kangaroo Genomics (KanGO, for short) was established in 2003 through a grant from the Australian Research Council as well as funding provided by the partner institutions that form the Centre and the Victorian Government Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development. Potential projects for 2007: - Spermatogenesis genes on the X chromosome
- Evolution of genomic imprinting
- Microarrays of marsupial EST libraries
- Genomic biology of the placenta
For more information:kangaroo.genomics.org.au
Marine Ecology & PhysiologyAcademic Staff Research Fellows & Associates Research in this group concerns the ecology and behaviour of marine organisms; effects of human disturbance on habitats and biological aspects of fisheries management. Behavioural research examines behaviour of invertebrate and fish larvae and its neurobiological control. Ecological research includes modelling and management of populations of abalone, rock lobsters and sharks; mechanics of shell growth; larval dispersal of fish and invertebrates; effects of human activities such as harvesting, introduction of marine pests, and discharge pollutants on inter-tidal and subtidal marine environments; and the taxonomy of marine invertebrates. Potential projects for 2007: - Biogeography of Southeastern Australian reef fish
- Mechanisms of sex change in a temperate reef fish
- Supply-side ecology in a temperate reef fish metapopulation
- How to optimise abalone growout in in an abalone farm,
- How to assess immune status in abalone
- What do shell spirals reveal about abalone?
- The dynamics of abalone recovery after disease.
- Aquaculture techniques in abalone Life history trade-offs in modular organisms
- Identifying sources of variation in settlement in invertebrate fouling communities
- Electroreception in crustaceans
-
Metapopulation dynamics in temperate reef fish -
Larval ecology of black bream Life history correlates of rarity in temperate reef fish
Reproductive Physiology & DevelopmentAcademic Staff Research Fellows and Associates The Zoology Department is the home of several world-class laboratories undertaking research in these areas.Our research focuses on reproduction and development of mammals, including marsupials, from whole animal to the genetic controls, and the application of these studies in basic, conservation and biomedical research. Major areas of research include the physiology and endocrinology of pregnancy; the hormonal and metabolic control of embryonic diapause; biology of lactation; embryo culture and metabolism, germ cell biology, fertilization, sperm competition, assisted reproduction, fertility control and immunocontraception. We have special interests in the developmental biology of marsupials, especially in the molecular and endocrine control of sex-determination and sexual differentiation and in the molecular analysis of lineage allocation and axis formation. We have a major stem cell biology group investigating the molecular mechanisms that underpin cell differentiation, and pluripotent stem cells can be driven to differentiate into specific cell types. Another major research area investigates the processes by which genes inherited from mother and father are differently expressed in the offspring (genomic imprinting), and how transient environmental changes can permanently alter gene expression patterns in an inheritable way. This genomic imprinting is poorly understood but has important implications for human health and agricultural production. Another strength is in reproductive technology including IVF, embryology, oocyte, sperm, mammalian embryology, human assisted conception. Research by this group overlaps and feeds into research of the Centre for Kangaroo Genomics, and into Conservation and Australian Wildlife Biology, particularly with studies of contraceptive strategies for marsupial populations. Potential projects for 2007: - Reproductive tract disorders in female relaxin gene knockout mice (PDF available)
- Expression of the Desert hedgehog (DHH) gene in the sexual differentiation pathway
- Derivation of hepatocytes and yolk sac from mouse embryonic stem cells
- Maturation of gametes in vitro in the marsupial Sminthopsis macroura
- Genomics and bioinformatics of the lactation system
- Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and virilization in tammar wallabies
- Regulation of renal function by the peptide hormone relaxin
- Identification and expression of oocyte-specific factors in the dunnart
- Understanding mammalian embryogenesis: and focus on muscle and blood (PDF available)
- Genes in the sexual differentiation pathway
- Derivation of hepatocytes from mouse embryonic stem cells
- Control of male development in marsupials
- Regulation of uterine artery blood flow in pregnancy
- The regulation of germ cells in marsupial reproduction
- Do conjoined bovine twin fetuses exchange stem cells?
Molecular biology of possum fertility control -
Conservation of the Chinese Giant Salamander -
Conservation of Burramys parvus by captive breeding and release -
Marsupial Diseases: Identification and Control Gene expression during embryonic development
|
top of page
![The University of Melbourne [logo]](/template-assets-custom/images/custom_logo_crest_comb.gif){kind=logo}
