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Behavioural, evolutionary and physiological ecology

Research at the Research School of Biology covers all aspects of the ecology-evolution cycle.

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

This project examines drivers of dieback impact between species, within species, between habitats, within habitats, across the landscape, as well as interactions between these components at Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park.

Student intake

Open for Honours students

People

Capacity to regenerate varies among animals, with “simple” animals, such as sponges, cnidarians and planarians often having higher regenerative capacity than the more complex ones, including insects and mammals.

Student intake

Open for Honours, PhD students

People

To address the urgent threat to pollination posed by the establishment of Varroa mites in Australia, which will decimate honey bee populations, we aim to domesticate native Australian bees to use as alternative pollinators.

Student intake

Open for PhD students

This project aims to improve understanding of the capacity for resilience and response to warming and drying conditions and extreme events in vulnerable alpine communities: interacting suites of alpine plants, soil invertebrates, fungi, and microbes.

Student intake

Open for Summer scholar, Honours, Master, PhD students

People

We are a dynamic group of researchers interested in understanding climate change ecology, in particular how form and function evolve and will determine performance and persistence of Australian native plant species and communities under rapidly changingclimate regimes. Student projects are available!

Student intake

Open for Summer scholar, Honours, Master, PhD students

People

If you're interested in working in the iconic landscape of Kosciuszko National Park this project may be for you. We seek PhD or Honours students to join a collaborative project with NSW DPE to explore drivers of variation of growth and establishment of the montane and alpine species in rehabilitated sites.

Student intake

Open for Summer scholar, Honours, Master, PhD students

People

News

David Duchêne uses phylogenomics to study the diversification of Australian marsupials.

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A region's climate has a greater impact than landscape on how many languages are spoken there, new research from The Australian National University (ANU) shows.









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Lead researcher Dr Megan Head says her study shows sexually transmitted diseases can act as a mediator for sexual conflict, which occurs when the evolutionary interests of males and females don't align.









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Researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) have discovered several new species of butterflies and moths in Northern Australia, identifying a conservation stronghold of national and international significance.

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Fairy wrens can learn to recognise the alarm calls of other species.

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Seaweed plays an important role in coral reef biodiversity, with an important role in the lifecycle of several fishes.

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Events

Image supplied by Michaela Blyton
Thu, Jun 19 2025, 11am - 12pm

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.

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