Behavioural, evolutionary and physiological ecology
About
Ecologists often begin by asking how interactions between individual and the environment result in differential survival & reproductive output of organisms depending on their size, age, sex & which traits they possess. These can result in predictable changes in population size and composition that, at broader scales, generates variation in gene flow among populations and differences in species ranges. Natural selection operates whenever there is variation in reproductive output because organisms differ in their ‘fit’ with the environment. Evolutionary change feeds back to affect future ecological interactions. Research at the Research School of Biology covers all aspects of the ecology-evolution cycle. Our key research strengths include: ecophysiology of plants and mammals; behavioural ecology of crabs, birds, insects, reptiles & fish; sensory ecology of crabs & insects; functional ecology of fish & plants; evolutionary genetics of microbes, fungi and reptiles; and the epigenetics of bees. We also have a strong international reputation for developing theory in evolution & ecology that transcends specific study taxa.
Projects
News
A growing global push to halt biodiversity decline, most recently agreed at the G7 on Sunday, leaves Australia out in the cold as the federal government walks away from critical reforms needed to protect threatened species.
When animals are hot, they eat less. This potentially fatal phenomenon has been largely overlooked in wild animals, explain researchers from ANU.
An ecological crisis overshadowed by the threats of mass species extinctions and climate change impacts could be just as serious to ecosystems and human society, according to a new study by an international team of scientists.
Our team of 28 scientists identified the top 26 Australian butterfly species and subspecies at greatest risk of extinction. We also estimated the probability that they will be lost within 20-years.
In healthy populations, the song of regent honeyeaters is complex and long. But where the population is very small, the song is sadly diminished.
Male lyrebirds use clever mimicry to increase their chances of sexual success, according to a new study involving researchers from the ANU Research School of Biology.
Events
Koalas are eucalyptus folivore specialists that are heavily reliant on their gut microbiome to breakdown their high fibre, low protein diet. Here I will discuss our recent work investigating the koala gut microbiome; its role in koala health, nutrition and ecology.