Welcome!

​I am currently a PhD candidate in the Stuart-Fox lab at The University of Melbourne.  My research interests lie broadly in the fields of:
  • Evolutionary genetics
  • Speciation dynamics
  • Animal coloration​

​I completed my Master of Science in Zoology at The University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2015 and my Bachelor of Science in Biology at Saint Louis University in 2012.  I started my PhD research in 2016.

Current Projects

My PhD research examines patterns of speciation and secondary contact, particularly the contribution of animal coloration to reproductive isolation and divergence in a contact zone between lineages of tawny dragon (Ctenophorus decresii).   The species comprises two divergent lineages, geographically separated into a ‘northern’ and ‘southern’ lineage which interact and hybridize in a narrow contact zone.  They have lineage-specific male throat coloration.  The polymorphic northern lineage has four distinct throat color morphs: orange, yellow, yellow with an orange center, and grey.  The monomorphic southern lineage has ultraviolet-blue throats. 

Primary research aims:​
  • ​Characterize patterns of genomic introgression across a naturally occuring contact zone
  • Characterize phenotype (throat coloration and dorsal patterning) across a contact zone
  • Investigate adaptive differences in the visual system via retinal opsin gene expression​
  • Conduct breeding trial to test reproductive compatibility and F1 offspring fitness
Picture
Image: Claire McLean

Past Projects

  • Phylogeography and population genetics of introduced Asian softshell turtles in the Hawaiian Islands (Pelodiscus sinensis and Palea steindachneri).  Download PDF
  • Physiology and buoyancy control in the painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) during anoxia. Download PDF
Picture
Photo: Tag Engstrom
Last updated: March 2018