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POSTDOCS AND RESEARCHERS
Danielle Edwards
Postdoctoral Researcher, Herpetologydan@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
(currently a researcher for Scott Keogh, Australian National University)
Phylogeographic studies of the morphologically diverse agamids Diporiphora australis and Amphibolurus nobbi
Diporiphora australis and Amphibolurus nobbi, for which recent genetic work has shown are sister species within Diporiphora, have overlapping distributions along virtually the full extent of eastern Australia - spanning more than 2000 kms across dramatic environmental gradients from the wet tropical forests to shrubby deserts. D. australis has a wide distribution from northern Queensland, south to north coastal New South Wales (NSW), and is thought to be a species complex rather than a distinct species due to extreme morphological variation throughout its range. A. nobbi mirrors this range and extends through central and western NSW into northwestern parts of Victoria and mideastern parts of South Australia. This species is known to consist of two sub-species; A. nobbi nobbi with a range similar to that of D. australis and A. nobbi coggeri , which occupies the remainder of the species range. There has been some suggestion that these subspecies are in fact distinct species. I have undertaken a phylogeographic study of these species to resolve these taxonomic problems and determine the evolutionary patterns of morphological diversification across their distributions.
Biogeography and dispersal in reptiles and amphibians
My wider research is focused on using genetics to answer questions about biogeography and dispersal capabilities in amphibians and reptiles. I am particularly interested in understanding the climatic, ecological and life history influences on an animals ability to move through the landscape and the impacts these factors have over evolutionary time on a biogeographic scale. I am also interested in the evolution of endemism and its genetic consequences. I did my PhD research at The University of Western Australia looking at a comparative phylogeography of frogs in the southwestern Australian biodiversity hotspot. I also looked at the relative dispersal abilities, measured using genetic markers, at a landscape scale in several species which differed in the type of habitat they occupied (wet Vs arid), their level of specialisation (extreme endemic Vs widespread generalist) and their life history (direct Vs aquatic development). Much of this work is in the final stages of write up. I am currently working in the Keogh Lab at The Australian National University.
Publications
RK Browne & DL Edwards (2003) The effect of temperature on the growth and development of the endangered green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) Journal of Thermal Biology 28: 295-299DL Edwards, MJ Mahony & J Clulow (2004) Effect of sperm concentration, medium osmolality and oocyte storage on fertilisation success in a myobatrachid frog (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis) Reproduction, Fertility and Development 16: 347-354
