Supervisor: Dr Jochen Zeil

The ability of animals to know places in the world and to navigate repeatedly between them is of fundamental importance for their survival. We currently study the mechanisms of homing and navigation in a number of insects, including ants, and in fiddler crabs. We are particularly interested in the way in which navigational abilities (or the knowledge base of navigation) affect the recruitment strategies (in ants), the social system (in crabs), and the territorial behaviour and active range of animals.

The projects will be co-supervised by Dr. Ajay Narendra and Dr. Jan Hemmi.

Supervisor: Dr Jan Hemmi

Many animals communicate with colour and motion signals. We are currently studying movement-based signalling in lizards and fiddler crabs and the meaning of body and claw colours in a variety of fiddler crab species. One of our aims is to accurately describe how these signals are seen by receivers. For this we study the properties of eyes and use spectographic and image motion analysis to quantify animal colours and the choreography of displays.

These projects will be co-supervised by Dr. Richard Peters and Dr. Jochen Zeil.

Supervisor: Dr Rob Magrath

I have broad interests in avian breeding biology, behaviour and acoustic communication, and the work in my group falls into several overlapping themes: Alarm calls and acoustic communication; breeding biology and parental behaviour; hatching asynchrony; brood division; cooperative breeding and mating systems.

I accept Special Topics students for field-based projects in most of these areas of research.

Supervisor: Dr Pat Backwell

I take Special Topics students to Darwin every November / December, to conduct field-based projects on the behaviour of fiddler crabs. They stay with me and my postgraduate students at the ANU research station. I pay for the airfare and accommodation for a month in Darwin, the student pays for their food. Students learn a lot about all the stages of scientific research, from experimental design to fieldwork and data analysis. I have a specific project for 2008: Winner-loser effect in fiddler crab fights. In many animals, males that won their last fight tend to win their next fight, and those that lost last time tend to lose again. This strange phenomenon appears to occur in fiddler crabs and will make an excellent Special Topics project for a keen second or third year student.

The fieldwork will be conducted in Darwin from about 20 Nov – 20 Dec. The final project is due by the 31st December. Proposed assessment: Research proposal 20%, Final paper 80%.

Skills you will learn:

• Fieldwork
• Experimental design
• Data entry, management and analysis
• Scientific writing

This course is offered in the Summer session. Only 1 to 3 students can enrol in this project. No special background or training required.

Supervisor: Dr Rod Peakall

Orchids are renowned for their diversity of pollination systems. Among the most intriguing is pollination by sexual deception. This predominantly Australian pollination strategy involves the attraction of male pollinators by sex pheromones. These unique and specialised systems are ideal for exploring a range of evolutionary questions.

My research team is working on the sympatric speciation in sexually deceptive Australian orchids. This is a multi-disciplinary project involving the fields of plant reproductive biology, insect ecology, molecular ecology, phylogenetics and chemical ecology. Our substantial progress has opened up a range of exciting opportunities for undergraduate students. Interested, enthusiastic and highly motivated students are invited to contact Rod about possible Special Topics courses.

Some possible projects are listed below:

Does hybridisation occur between cryptic sexually deceptive orchids? - a preliminary evaluation using novel nuclear and chloroplast markers.

This project would use recently developed molecular methods to genetically assess whether hybridisation occurs between indistinguishable cryptic orchid species.

A strong background in population genetics is desirable for this project.

Pollinator behaviour and movement - implications for gene flow in sexually deceptive orchids

This field base project would combine pollinator experiments and mark-recapture f pollinators to study pollinator behaviour and movement. This knowledge will provide insights into the likely patterns and extent of pollen flow mediated by sexually deceptive orchids.

A strong background in ecology and entomology is desirable for this project.

Development of new nuclear DNA markers for population studies in orchids.

This challenging project would commence with Genbank searches to locate introns in nuclear genes that may exhibit DNA sequence variation below the species level. Subsequently, the development of PCR assays and DNA sequencing would be required with the ultimate goal to identify nuclear DNA sequence variation within and among cryptic orchid species.

A strong background in molecular biology and population genetics is desirable for this project.

Supervisor: Dr Naomi Langmore

Cuckoos lay their eggs in the nests of other species, provoking an evolutionary arms race in which hosts evolve defences against parasitism and cuckoos evolve ever more cunning tricks to fool their host. My research involves field experiments, analysis of egg mimicry using museum collections and molecular genetic techniques to test hypotheses about coevolutionary processes. Field-based special topics projects may sometimes be available over spring / summer.

The Evolution of Female Song

I am also interested in the adaptive significance of song in female birds. The next stage of this research involves a literature survey, which would be suitable for a special topics student.

Supervisor: Dr John Trueman

This lab offers Special Topics projects in Entomology (often but not always in collaboration with research scientists at the CSIRO Division of Entomology). The projects can be reading-based courses or hands-on research projects.

Computational Phylogenetics

We also offer projects in computational methods for phylogenetic research and the delivery of biological data.

Web-based Entomology

We have just begun a major project to provide web access to Australian entomological information, which will include a new, on-line edition of The Insects of Australia. This project combines the two elements and will include many opportunities for Special Topics over the next 2-3 years. Some of these topics will be about making systems to deliver web products in real time from distributed databases while others will supply the taxon-based content including, for example, collating bibliographic or other information about a taxon and developing new, illustrated, interactive identification keys.

Supervisor: Dr Chris Fulton (BoZo), Heather Patterson (AFMA), Ilona Stobutzki (DAFF)

Students in this special topics course will learn first-hand about current issues facing Australian fisheries and the research methods used to address these issues. Course participants will spend time working in BoZo as well as alongside government scientists at the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) and/or the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).

Projects will typically use historical data to address questions about the health and management of an Australian fishery. Some of the possible topics include:

• Investigating the influence of environmental factors on squid population sizes and catch rates;
• Determining the influence of the Leeuwin Current on deepwater fish species in WA;
• Examining the effect of temperature on age and growth in Ruby Snapper;
• Reviewing the methods and impacts of the international shark fin fishery; and
• Determining conversion factors for fished species to allow calculation of live weights (i.e. whole) from processed weights (filleted).

The course runs for the entire first or second semester and assessment will be based on assignments such as a research proposal and final research report (i.e. no final exam).

Supervisor: Dr Chris Fulton

I offer special topics courses on the biology and ecology of fishes that involve either a desktop or aquarium-based project. For example, I have one desktop study that uses existing digital video footage to examine the group feeding behaviour of estuarine fishes.

Other projects involve using the ANU Aquarium to conduct small experiments on the behaviour and performance (e.g. feeding / swimming / species interactions) of freshwater fishes. One such project examines the nature and frequency of aggressive interactions between pest and native fish species under different environmental conditions.

The course runs for an entire semester (either first or second), and assessment is based on assignments relevant to the project (e.g. literature review and essay or final report).

Supervisor: Dr Chris Fulton

Functional morphology is the study of how an organism's morphology can determine their ability to complete certain tasks (e.g. crushing hard-bodied prey, swimming against fast currents). Using this information, we can examine how changes in morphology can directly influence patterns of resource use within and among species (e.g. diet, habitat-use).

I have several projects in this area, covering such topics as the link between morphology, swimming performance and habitat-use in reef fish assemblages, to testing how the shape and breaking strain of algae can influence where they live on reefs. The course runs for the entire semester (first or second) and assessment is based on assignments such as a literature review and final report (i.e. no final exam).

Supervisor: Dr Paul Cooper

I work on the control of visceral muscle and digestion in insects, including the transport processes associated with the maintenance of pH gradients within the digestive system in vivo, and the processes that regulate feeding and digestion in insects.

My current PhD students (3) are studying energy and water balance in arthropods, endocrine control of insect salivary glands and the relationship between immune function and bacteria involved in digestion in giant cockroaches. I also study the effect of endocrine disrupting compounds (pollutants) on the physiology and ecology of freshwater insects and crustaceans and have used this information to understand how water recycling from sewage treatment plants can influence freshwater populations.

I can offer keen undergraduates Special Topics courses in these areas, or alternative topics involved with physiological ecology of invertebrates or vertebrates either based on laboratory work or reading projects.

Supervisor: Dr Pat Backwell

I accept Special Topics students who have a strong interest in a particular area of marine biology that is not covered by the two marine courses we offer in the School of Botany and Zoology. The course is theory-based and the student will read and review prescribed tests and write essays. The course runs for the duration of the first or second semester and assessment is based on assignments (no tests or exams).

Supervisor: Dr Lindell Bromham

Tempo and mode of molecular evolution. The use of genetic data to investigate evolutionary history is revolutionizing biology, across fields ranging from the origin of animals over half a billion years ago to the emergence of new viral diseases. But if the rate of molecular evolution can vary between species, can we trust molecular date estimates? We make use of the vast databases of DNA sequences available on the internet to investigate aspects of a species biology, ecology or evolution that might influence rates of molecular evolution - such as body size, population size, social structure, rate of adaptation, speciation rate, and parasitism.

Keen undergraduate students who would like to undertake a Special Topics in comparative molecular evolution or phylogenetics should contact me. A project in this area would probably involve collecting DNA sequence data from the internet, then using various computer programs to manipulate and analyse the data. These projects would suit someone with an interest in bioinformatics, molecular dating, or phylogenetics. I would also be happy to consider other literature or computer-based projects in evolutionary biology.

Supervisor: Prof. Bill Foley

We work on the nutritional ecology of herbivores - particularly the effects of toxic and poisonous plants on herbivores. This field covers the interaction between plants and animals, spanning a wide range of topics from molecular genetics and physiological studies through to the use of airborne remote sensing as a way of measuring the quality of forests.

Our current work includes the population and molecular genetic studies of plant defenses; the chemistry of natural plant toxins and the inter-specific variation in animal feeding. We are also interest in forest conservation and the use of natural resistance mechanisms to protect forests from browsing insects and mammals.

We regularly offer Special Topics courses to keen undergraduate students, giving them the opportunity to do hands-on research both in the laboratory and the field.

Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Scott Keogh

Much of the work that we do concerns elucidating the higher-level (between species) and phylogeography (within species) phylogenetic relationships of Australian amphibians and reptiles using large molecular data sets. At the moment we have major projects underway on Australian elapid snakes, myobatrachid frogs, and several groups of scincid lizards. We then use these phylogenies to address evolutionary questions. In the past I have run a number of Special Topics courses on related subjects, and these have all been based around a major literature review and report. A number of these students have gone on to do Honours in my lab on related topics.

Supervisor: Dr Celeste Linde

I work on plant pathology, trying to figure out what makes pathogens evolve and which of the evolutionary forces plays the most important role. Pathogen populations evolve in response to the control measures deployed against them, with some pathogens evolving to counteract the control measures more rapidly than others. In plant agricultural ecosystems, the most common control measures are the deployment of resistance genes and the application of pesticides (mainly fungicides).

Pathogens are important components of all ecosystems and affect all human societies either directly (e.g. sick people, crops, and animals) or indirectly (e.g. higher food costs and contaminated food supplies, burden on health-care systems). Pathogen evolution is well-recognized as a major problem in agriculture and medicine [e.g. antibiotic and fungicide resistance, host jumps (SARS recently, numerous other viruses such as HIV and fungal plant pathogens in the past), overcoming plant resistance genes and evasion of mammalian immune systems].

Interested students can apply to undertake a Special Topics course in this field. I run both reading-based and laboratory-based projects.

Supervisor: Prof. Mike Crisp

My research in systematics investigates the evolutionary origins and patterns of diversification of organisms, especially plants, in time and space. My research group estimates phylogenies (evolutionary trees) as a framework for testing hypotheses in biogeography and macro-evolution, and for classifying and naming organisms. A diversity of evidence is used, including DNA sequences, morphology and secondary plant compounds. There are often areas of research that are suitable for Special Topics students to work in, and keen undergraduates should email me to find out what is on offer.

Supervisor: Dr David Gordon

My research focuses on the ecology and evolution of bacteria and their accessory genetic elements. My approach to research integrates mathematical theory with empirical results derived from prospective and experimental studies. My research takes a top-down as well as a bottom-up approach and uses methods and techniques from ecology, evolution, genetics, physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology. Whilst much of my research is basic research, a significant portion is of applied significance and directly addresses applied problems.

I can offer Special Topics courses that are either lab-based or reading-based.

Supervisor: Dr Dave Rowell

My main research interest is in the historical and environmental causes of genetic differentiation at the population level, and the genetic phenomena associated with speciation. I believe that the role of chromosomal change is especially important in the speciation process, and this has been the focus of much of my research to date.

Terrestrial invertebrates of limited vagility are prone to the formation of small, inbred populations in which mutations are rapidly fixed. This makes them excellent models for examining patterns of population divergence and allelic frequency change that underlie the evolutionary process.

My research is primarily involved with the Australian spider fauna and Australian representatives of the phylum Onychophora. I also have an active interest in spider social behaviour and the impact different forms of social behaviour have on population differentiation, through the effects of strong inbreeding, skewed sex ratios, and other population phenomena.

Special Topics students should apply for projects that involve either hands-on research or a theory-driven reading course.

Supervisor: Dr Michael Jennions

Sexual Selection in Black Field Crickets

Our main study animal is the Australian black field cricket. This is the species you can hear calling on warm summer evening in Canberra gardens. Our main interests revolve around sexual behaviour. Male crickets call vigorously to attract females. Female mate multiply which leads to sperm competition. We are interested in why females chose to mate with more than one male, what happens when there is sperm competition and what affects both male and female fertilization success and male mating success. We regularly offer Special Topics courses for students who want hands-on experience of laboratory experiments.

Sexual Selection in Fish

In late 2007, we will have established breeding stocks of mosquito-fish. These are exotic pests in Australian waterways. There is no apparent female choice and males continually harass females, trying to inseminate them. We will be exploring sources of variation in male mating success and whether or not females show cryptic choice for certain males.

Sexual Selection Theory

I also offer 6-point reading courses in sexual selection theory. I expect students to read widely on the agreed topics, to write a review article as well as an essay, and to attend seminars and discussion groups. The course runs for the full duration of either semester.

Supervisor: Dr Jochen Zeil

Target Group: 3rd year, Honours and PhD students of Biology, Psychology and Robotics.

The mechanisms of animal navigation are internationally a hot research topic, not only in biology, but also in robotics. The Summer School aims to introduce students from Australia and New Zealand to a fascinating and rapidly developing multidisciplinary research field. We plan to have daily sessions of lectures, seminars and practical demonstarations, in a discussion based, round-table environment, on topics such as:

• Principles, concepts and experimental techniques in animal and robot navigation.
• Landmark guidance, view-based homing, path integration, odometry, biological compasses and animal migration.
• Optic flow processing and neuro-ethological robotics.

The Summer School is an accredited course.

Supervisor: Lindell Bromham

A special topics project in this area would involve focusing on one biological trait that influences genome evolution (for example, speciation rate), and researching the theory and evidence behind that link to write a literature review. Then you would focus on a particular group of organisms (e.g birds), search for appropriate DNA sequence data on internet databases, collate, align and analyze those sequences using phylogenetic software and statistical tests. Topics available for Special Topics projects include: Effect of population size on rate of molecular evolution; the role of selection in balancing metabolism, mutation and longevity; the way that variation in DNA replication fidelity drives different rates of molecular evolution in different speices; the possible link between speciation rate and rate of genomic evolution; and testing the possibility that older species more are more vulnerable to extinction.

A project in this area would probably involve collecting DNA sequence data from the internet, then using various computer programs to manipulate and analyse the data. The assessment would typically be split between a literature review and the write-up of the research project. These projects would suit someone with an interest in bioinformatics, molecular dating, or phylogenetics. I would also be happy to consider other literature or computer-based projects in evolutionary biology. Proposed assessment: Critical literature review (2500 word document) 45%, Report on your research (2000 word document) 55%.

Skills you will learn:

• Database searching
• DNA sequence alignment and analysis
• experimental design and hypothesis testing
• comparative method in evolutionary biology
• molecular evolutionary theory; molecular phylogenetics

Two students will be accepted into this program, in any session (Semester 1, Winter session, Semester 2, Summer session).

Background required: You should have completed Advanced Genetics or Bioinformatics. Students without these prerequisites but with other relevant experience may discuss their suitability for this project with the supervisor.