Journey to the East
The spread of a plant pathogen along the former trade routes of the Silk Road For nearly two thousand years, the Silk Road was an important network of trade routes connecting Europe to East Asia via the Middle East. The Silk Road allowed the exchange of culture, religion, livestock, and crops. It also provided a …
Fairy wrasses and fairy tales!
The fairy wrasses are a captivating and diverse group of fishes found throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans. A study led by MEEP Lab PhD student Yi-Kai Tea has resolved the evolutionary relationships among fairy wrasses. By analysing a data set comprising nearly 1000 genetic markers, Kai reconstructed the evolutionary history and patterns of diversification …
“The Molecular Evolutionary Clock”
The Molecular Evolutionary Clock: Theory and Practice, edited by Simon Ho, has been published by Springer. This book contains 13 chapters on various aspects of molecular clocks, evolutionary rates, and phylogenomic dating. The book, as described on the publisher site, “presents coverage of the principles and practice of molecular clocks, which have provided fascinating and …
Angels in disguise
Angelfishes hybridise more frequently than any other coral reef species Why do some fish species form hybrids while others don’t? In attempting to answer this question, new research has uncovered that angelfish are the chief hybridisers of coral reef fish. Renowned journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B has a new front cover fish: the …
Two PhD completions in the MEEP Lab
Two members of the MEEP Lab, Cara Van Der Wal and Kyle Ewart, completed their doctoral studies in the first half of 2020. Congratulations to both Cara and Kyle! Cara Van Der Wal was awarded a PhD for her work on the evolution and phylogeny of crustaceans, specifically mantis shrimp and crayfish. Some of her …
The delicate water lily: A rose by another name?
A new study published in Nature reports the 409-megabase genome sequence of the blue-petal water lily (Nymphaea colorata). The authors conclude that most flowering plants may owe their success, including employing floral scent for attracting pollinators, in part to the genetic innovations observed in the delicate water lily. Water lilies are beloved features in ponds …
Workshop: Genomes and Biodiversity
The Genomes and Biodiversity: Research and Career Development Workshop was held on 20–22 November 2019 at the University of Sydney. A total of 50 Australasian early- to mid-career researchers (EMCRs) were selected to attend the workshop, which created a space for EMCRs and research leaders from a range of disciplines to meet and share their …
Sydney Phylogenetics Workshop 2019
The Sydney Phylogenetics Workshop was held at the University of Sydney on 15–16 July 2019. The workshop was organised and hosted by the MEEP Lab, which has been running the workshop annually since 2010. The Sydney Phylogenetics Workshop provided an introduction to phylogenetic analysis, including practical exercises based on the software MEGA and BEAST2. It …
Workshop: Taming the BEAST Down Under
Members of the MEEP Lab recently hosted the “Taming the BEAST Down Under” international workshop at the University of Sydney. This workshop provided training in Bayesian phylogenetic methods and evolutionary analysis, focusing on the software BEAST2. The workshop ran from 17 to 22 February and involved 41 attendees and 16 instructors. The teaching team included …
MEEP PhD student profiled in Australian Geographic
Perry Beasley-Hall, a PhD student in the MEEP Lab, is one of four Aussie women working in entomology profiled in Australian Geographic. She was interviewed to discuss perceptions of entomology as a male-dominated field and how these might be dispelled to encourage more female students to study insects. Her fascination with Australian native cockroaches is also described in …