Genetic impacts and climate change Part C, ACEAS Grand, Vicki Thomson

Using genetics to understand the impacts of climate change on Australian endemicsPart C

Vicki Thomson, Alan Cooper, Jeremy Austin, Corey Bradshaw, Leo Joseph, Margaret Byrne, Craig Moritz, Steve Donnellan, Marc Suchard, Mike Hickerson, Tanya Laity

Why have reptiles been stable?

• Is it due to where they live now?



• Is it due to where they lived in the pasti.e. the location of their refugia?



• Is it due to where they lived in the pasti.e. the location of their refugia?

• What life history traits do the stable reptiles have in common?

Why have reptiles been stable?Is it due to where they live now?


Wet tropics

Is it due to where they live now?

SoutheastSemi-arid


Wet tropics

Frogs also live in high numbers in the wet tropics and Victoria

Southeast

Why have reptiles been stable?Birds also live in relatively high numbers in the semi-arid

Semi-arid

Why have reptiles been stable?Is it due to refugia in the past?

Why have reptiles been stable?Is it due to refugia in the past?

Hotspot in reptilediversity = refugium

What do the species have in common?

Stable reptile life history traits


• Smaller body size


• Smaller range size





White’s Skinkhttp://www.parks.tas.gov.au/

Stable25 g body mass34,000 km2 range size

King Brown Snakehttp://www.aussiepythons.com/gallery/image/2778

Decline-rebound1.4 kg body mass142,000 km2 range size



• Refugium in southeast corner preserved some reptile diversity



Stable25 g body mass34,000 km range size


Decline-rebound1.4 kg body mass142,000 km range size



• Refugium in southeast corner preserved some reptile diversity

• Stable demography yielded high diversity levels



Stable25 g body mass34,000 km range size


Decline-rebound1.4 kg body mass142,000 km range size

Will they remain stable?

http://www.about-australia.com/facts/australia-demographics/

Will they remain stable?

http://www.environment.gov.au/node/21587


Challenges in data synthesis


Challenges in data synthesis• Lack of adequate metadata• DNA sequences• Location information



• Contacting authors



• Contacting authors• Formatting data



• Contacting authors• Formatting data• Writing code

Publication(s) to come…


Predicting effects of future climateson Australian biodiversity

AcknowledgementsInter-disciplinary team:Jeremy Austin, Uni of AdelaideCorey Bradshaw, Uni of AdelaideMargaret Byrne, WA DECAlan Cooper, Uni of AdelaideGabriela Cybis, UCLASteve Donnellan, South Australian Museum and Uni of AdelaideMike Hickerson, City College of New YorkLeo Joseph, Australian National Wildlife Collection, CSIROCraig Moritz, ANUJulien Soubrier, Uni of AdelaideMarc Suchard, UCLAXander Xue, City College of New York

This work was funded by ACEAS.

ACEAS team:Alison SpechtPauline RuntingSiddeswara GuruEstelle Weber

Wet Tropics

Restricted species had hotspots/melting pots in subregions within Wet tropics i.e. microrefugiae.g.

Why have reptiles been stable?What do the species have in common?


Rosenberg’s Goanna or MonitorPhoto by Peter Robertson © Museum Victoria

2.6 kg body mass22,400 km range size

Cunningham’s SkinkPhotographer: Peter Robertson. Source: Wildlife Profiles Pty. Ltd.

277 g body mass21,800 km range size



White-lipped SnakePhotographer: Peter Robertson. Source: Wildlife Profiles Pty. Ltd.


Eastern Three-lined Skinkhttp://www.parks.tas.gov.au/


Delicate SkinkPhoto by Peter Robertson © Museum Victoria


Genetic impacts and climate change Part C, ACEAS Grand, Vicki Thomson

Environment

Transcript of Genetic impacts and climate change Part C, ACEAS Grand, Vicki Thomson