a binary squared Euclidean distance measure – the number of chemicals that were absent in one species but present in the other, and vice versa). I am examining this question in moths, parasitoid wasps and ants, relating antennal structure and size to pheromone dynamics, body size, host use and life history.Harem polygyny is a mating system where individual males are associated with (and mate with) an exclusive group of females, often defending access to that group from other males. Full name. The first of these is that pheromones evolve in a gradualistic Darwinian fashion, with species accumulating small changes in proportions and structures of chemical components as they diverge (see e.g.Fruit flies use aggregation pheromones to assemble on breeding substrates, where they feed, mate and oviposit communally (,We collated from the literature information on the chemical constituents of the aggregation pheromone blends of 28 species of,We related the chemical information on pheromone components to phylogenetic information for the,Evolutionary relationships between the 28 species of,We conducted two series of tests of how the chemical components related to phylogeny. pheromone reverses its role in sexual communication in Matthew John Symonds (born 20 December 1953) is a British journalist, since 2018 executive director of the Larry Ellison Foundation. Occupations. These tests, described below, are the same as those used in the earlier analysis of bark beetle pheromones by,We assessed the extent to which the chemical components were grouped on the phylogeny using three measures. The potential of understudied species to be medically, or economically, beneficial to humans in future is often cited as a reason to conserve biodiversity but, in order to be efficient with limited conservation resources, we need systematic means of identifying these beneficial species. Journalist - Political Editor. Matthew Symonds. I am continuing to investigate these patterns within and across bird species, how birds with different beak sizes deal with particular climates, and what effect, if any, changes in climate may be having on beak size in birds, from a historical perspective (using museum specimen data), and what the fitness and survival effects of any such adaptation in birds are. Students will benefit from exploring the examples to demonstrate deep understanding in their assessments and exams.In this sequence, students will develop and enhance some of the Key Science Skills outlined by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) in the VCE Biology Study Design. Why do even quite closely related species produced different combinations of chemicals in order to invoke, behaviourally, the same response (e.g. Specklinia Matthew’s education is listed on their profile. Consequently we also work on other taxa including plants, reptiles and mammals.We are always interested in hearing from prospective post-docs, PhD, and honours students with interests in these areas – see the opportunities tab above.Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour at Deakin University, Melbourne,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University,Things happening in the Symonds lab through COVID lockdown.Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.Phylogenetic comparative analysis: using phylogenies (evolutionary trees) to understand how traits evolve, and the ecological factors that drive the evolution of those traits.Macroecology: identifying and explaining geographic patterns in bird morphology, behaviour, species richness, distribution and abundance,The evolution of chemical communication: understanding diversity in chemical signals, signalling behaviour and receiver structures, both within and across species (particularly insects),Insect behavioural ecology: in particular interactions between individuals in the context of aggregation. Although we mostly work on insects and birds, ultimately we are question-, not system-, focussed in our work. These results stand when either phylogeny is used as the basis for analysis (see.Generally speaking, there appears to be a positive relationship between the amount of pheromonal difference and the phylogenetic distance between species.

attract a mate, recognise kin, instigate aggregation)? 4, p.885-893, doi: 10.1111/1365-2435.12814.Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) 2017, VCE Biology Study Design 2016-2021, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority State Government of Victoria, retrieved 27 October 2017, <.Thanks to the following for contributing to the development of these sequences:I am an evolutionary ecologist who is interested in trying to explain, from an evolutionary perspective, what has generated differences in behaviour, ecology, morphology (body shape) and physiology between closely related species.

Students will also explore how biomimicry has been used to solve human challenges.