Life in the cold: evolution and ecology in Australia’s high country
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Description
‘A final word of caution to the prospective alpine ecologist…expect a skeptical response from colleagues when you are encountered leaving for your study site with skis or ice axe in hand’ (John S Edwards, 1987). Australia isn’t known for its mountains, but the high country of south-eastern Australia is a fascinating playground for biologists – with or without skis. This ancient landscape, characterised by undulating summits and wide valleys, supports a unique, cold-adapted fauna whose evolutionary history is somewhat of an enigma and whose future is uncertain. In this talk I’ll explore both of these questions, using field experiments, genomics, and a very good pair of hiking boots.
Location
Eucalyptus Seminar Room (S2.05), Level 2, RN Robertson Building (46), ANU
Upcoming events in this series
Many flowering plants have evolved diverse strategies to communicate with and attract animal pollinators. We have discovered exciting new evidence for the role of anthocyanins and terpenes in the evolution of the highly diverse terrestrial orchid subtribe Caladeniinae (Diurideae).
This seminar is presented by Dr Emily Stringer and Dr Jarrod Sopniewski, Postdoctoral Research Fellows from the Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics at the University of Canberra.
Plants synthesize an amazing diversity of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that facilitate interactions with their environment, ranging from attracting pollinators and seed dispersers to protecting themselves from pathogens, parasites, and herbivores.