Contact Details
| Organization: | Zoology |
| Position: | SENIOR LECTURER |
| Email: | |
| Homepage: | http://www.zoology.unimelb.edu.au/aboutus/staff/index.php?274,4 |
| Work: | 44864 |
| Fax: | 8344 7909 |
| Room: | 248 |
| Level: | 02 |
| Building: | Zoology Building |
| Campus: | Parkville |
Biography
Background
Michael Kearney completed his undergraduate studies at Monash University where he obtained a BSc(Honours) in 1998. He then obtained his PhD. in Zoology at the University of Sydney under the guidance of Prof. Richard Shine in 2004. This included a one year Fulbright fellowship the USA where he collaborated with Prof. Kellar Autumn at Lewis and Clark College in Portland Oregon, and Prof. Warren Porter at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin. Michael is now an Australian Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow in CESAR.
Research
1. Climate-animal interactions
In their classic book, Andrewartha and Birch (1954) divided the environment of an animal into four components: i) weather, ii) food, iii) other animals, and animals causing disease, and iv) a place in which to live. I am particularly interested in the way the first of these components, weather (or climate), directly influences the ecology of different kinds of terrestrial organisms - how variation in temperature, humidity, sunlight, wind and rainfall interact with the physiology, morphology and behaviour of organisms to constrain their life histories (mass, energy and time allocation) and ultimately their distribution and abundance. To explore this question, I apply biophysical models of the direct effects of climate on terrestrial organisms at the landscape scale using GIS climatic databases. This allows quantitative assessments of how climate interacts with organismal properties to influence metabolic and water costs, and to constrain activity and development. This work is in collaboration with Prof. Warren Porter, University of Wisconsin, who is responsible for developing the biophysical the models.
2. Asexual reproduction in animals
I am also interested in the ecological and evolutionary implications of obligatory asexual, or clonal, reproduction. Although the vast majority of multicellular animals reproduce sexually, a small percentage have done away with recombination and outcrossing, and some have done away with males altogether. Consequently, the offspring of these animals are genetic clones of themselves. This unusual reproductive mode frequently evolves through hybridisation events between sexual lineages, and multiple origins can create numerous genetically distinct clonal lineages that are highly heterozygous. Hybridization presumably play a key role in the origin of parthenogenesis in such cases by causing some kind of disruption to the meiotic mechanism. However, other phenotypic effects are to be expected from a hybrid origin, and a key question I am interested in addressing is the extent that such phenotypic effects promote or constrain the maintenance of hybrid parthenogenetic lineages.
My current research on this topic focuses on hybrid parthenogenesis in grasshoppers of the Warramaba virgo complex, whose genetics and morphology were extensively studied for over 20 years by the eminent Australian cytologist MJD White and his co-workers. Together with the background knowledge provided by these previous studies, and the powerful molecular tools now available, the W. virgo system presents a unique opportunity to examine the processes leading to the origin and maintenance of hybrid parthenogenesis. A particularly useful aspect of this system is that it is possible to create 'synthetic' parthenogenetic lineages by artificially hybridizing the parental species in the laboratory. This will allow me to directly observe the phenotypic consequences of hybrid origins of parthenogenesis.
Michael Kearney completed his undergraduate studies at Monash University where he obtained a BSc(Honours) in 1998. He then obtained his PhD. in Zoology at the University of Sydney under the guidance of Prof. Richard Shine in 2004. This included a one year Fulbright fellowship the USA where he collaborated with Prof. Kellar Autumn at Lewis and Clark College in Portland Oregon, and Prof. Warren Porter at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin. Michael is now an Australian Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow in CESAR.
Research
1. Climate-animal interactions
In their classic book, Andrewartha and Birch (1954) divided the environment of an animal into four components: i) weather, ii) food, iii) other animals, and animals causing disease, and iv) a place in which to live. I am particularly interested in the way the first of these components, weather (or climate), directly influences the ecology of different kinds of terrestrial organisms - how variation in temperature, humidity, sunlight, wind and rainfall interact with the physiology, morphology and behaviour of organisms to constrain their life histories (mass, energy and time allocation) and ultimately their distribution and abundance. To explore this question, I apply biophysical models of the direct effects of climate on terrestrial organisms at the landscape scale using GIS climatic databases. This allows quantitative assessments of how climate interacts with organismal properties to influence metabolic and water costs, and to constrain activity and development. This work is in collaboration with Prof. Warren Porter, University of Wisconsin, who is responsible for developing the biophysical the models.
2. Asexual reproduction in animals
I am also interested in the ecological and evolutionary implications of obligatory asexual, or clonal, reproduction. Although the vast majority of multicellular animals reproduce sexually, a small percentage have done away with recombination and outcrossing, and some have done away with males altogether. Consequently, the offspring of these animals are genetic clones of themselves. This unusual reproductive mode frequently evolves through hybridisation events between sexual lineages, and multiple origins can create numerous genetically distinct clonal lineages that are highly heterozygous. Hybridization presumably play a key role in the origin of parthenogenesis in such cases by causing some kind of disruption to the meiotic mechanism. However, other phenotypic effects are to be expected from a hybrid origin, and a key question I am interested in addressing is the extent that such phenotypic effects promote or constrain the maintenance of hybrid parthenogenetic lineages.
My current research on this topic focuses on hybrid parthenogenesis in grasshoppers of the Warramaba virgo complex, whose genetics and morphology were extensively studied for over 20 years by the eminent Australian cytologist MJD White and his co-workers. Together with the background knowledge provided by these previous studies, and the powerful molecular tools now available, the W. virgo system presents a unique opportunity to examine the processes leading to the origin and maintenance of hybrid parthenogenesis. A particularly useful aspect of this system is that it is possible to create 'synthetic' parthenogenetic lineages by artificially hybridizing the parental species in the laboratory. This will allow me to directly observe the phenotypic consequences of hybrid origins of parthenogenesis.
Research Expertise and International Linkages
Research Expertise
| Research Interest | Key Words | Country of Expertise |
|---|---|---|
| Conservation and Wildlife Biology/Animal Behaviour and Evolution | Habitat use, behavioural ecology, social behaviour, hybridization, parthenogenetic organisms, evolutionary ecology | Australia |
Qualifications, Honours, Fellowships and Other Awards
Qualifications
| Title | Institution | Date Awarded | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Science (Honours) | Monash University | 28-Oct-1998 | |
| Doctor of Philosophy | University of Sydney | 11-Jun-2004 |
Memberships
| Membership Type | Membership Body | Description | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unspecified | Victorian Fulbright Alumni | 01-Jan-2004 | ||
| Unspecified | Australian Society of Herpetologists | 01-Jan-2000 | ||
| Unspecified | Genetics Society of Australia | 01-Jan-2004 | ||
| Unspecified | Australasian Society for the Study of Evolution | 01-Jan-2002 | ||
| Unspecified | 100 Acres Reserve Advisory Committee | 01-Jan-1996 | 01-Jan-1997 | |
| Unspecified | Monash Biological Society | 01-Jan-1994 | 01-Jan-1998 |
Other Awards
| Award Type | Awarding Body | Comments | Date Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other (Award) | ARC | Postdoctoral Fellow | 01-Mar-2004 |
| Other (Award) | University of Melbourne | 1st Year Earth Science Prize | 01-Jan-1994 |
| Other (Award) | Jabez King Heydon | Award for best PhD thesis | 01-Jan-2005 |
| Other (Award) | American Physiological Society | Comparative Meeting Travel Award | 01-Jan-2002 |
| Other (Award) | Australian-American Fulbright Award | 01-Jan-2001 | |
| Scholarship | Australian Postgraduate Award | PhD Scholarship | 01-Jan-2000 |
| Other (Award) | A R Wallace | Best Honours thesis | 01-Jan-1998 |
| Scholarship | Monash University | Vice-Chancellor?s Undergraduate Research Scholarship | 01-Jan-1997 |
Government Research Classifications
Research Fields, Courses and Discipline Classifications
- Genome Structure (GENETICS) (270202)
- Population and Ecological Genetics (GENETICS) (270203)
- Genetic Immunology (GENETICS) (270206)
- Molecular Evolution (GENETICS) (270208)
- Animal Systematics, Taxonomy and Phylogeny (ZOOLOGY) (270501)
- Invertebrate Biology (ZOOLOGY) (270504)
- Zoology not elsewhere classified (ZOOLOGY) (270599)
- Terrestrial Ecology (ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION) (270703)
- Landscape Ecology (ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION) (270704)
- Life Histories (incl. Population Ecology) (ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION) (270706)
- Sociobiology and Behavioural Ecology (ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION) (270707)
- Conservation and Biodiversity (ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION) (270708)
- Biogeography (ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION) (270709)
- Ecology and Evolution not elsewhere classified (ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION) (270799)
- Global Change Biology (OTHER BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES) (279901)
Socio-Economic Objective Classifications
- Disease distribution and transmission (PUBLIC HEALTH) (730212)
- Other Environmental aspects (OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS) (769999)
- Climate change (CLIMATE AND WEATHER) (770101)
- Land and water management (URBAN AND INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENT) (770502)
- Living resources (flora and fauna) (URBAN AND INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENT) (770503)
- Land and water management (FOREST AND WOODED LANDS) (770702)
- Living resources (flora and fauna) (FOREST AND WOODED LANDS) (770703)
- Living resources (flora and fauna) (SPARSELAND INCL. PERMANENT GRASSLAND AND THE ARID ZONE) (770903)
- Living resources (flora and fauna) (OTHER INCL. ISLANDS) (779903)
- Biological sciences (NON-ORIENTED RESEARCH) (780105)
Grants and Contracts
Research Grants, Contracts and Consultancies awarded to the University of Melbourne as the administering institution (since 2003) as recorded in Themis Agreements.
Grants
| Title | Role | Funding Source | Scheme | Award Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Are natural clones specialists or generalists? Using a model system to test alternative hypotheses for the advantages of parthenogenesis | Chief Investigator | AUST RESEARCH COUNCIL | Discovery Projects | 01/01/2004 |
| Human-induced changes in the genetic structure of amphibian populations | Chief Investigator | MUSEUM VIC, AUST RESEARCH COUNCIL |
Linkage Projects (AUST RESEARCH COUNCIL) | 01/01/2006 |
| Hybridization, polyploidy and the evolution of parthenogenesis in the Australian desert | Chief Investigator | AUST RESEARCH COUNCIL | Discovery Projects | 01/01/2007 |
| HUMAN-INDUCED CHANCES IN THE GENETIC STRUCTURE OF AUSTRALIAN NATIVE AMPHIBIAN POPULATIONS | Principal Supervisor | ANZ CHARITABLE TRUSTS | Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment Fund | 01/01/2007 |
| CHANGES IN A HYBRID ZONE: EVOLUTION OF LITORIA EWINGI AND L. PARAEWINGI | Principal Supervisor | ANZ CHARITABLE TRUSTS | Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment Fund | 01/01/2007 |
| UNDERSTANDING RESPONSES TO CLIMATE CHANGE: A MECHANISTIC APPROACH INTEGRATING FUNCTIONAL GENETICS, PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOPHYSICAL MODELS FOR THE COMMON BROWN BUTTERFLY | Chief Investigator | MONASH UNIVERSITY | Discovery Projects (AUST RESEARCH COUNCIL) | 01/01/2007 |
| PREDICTING AND MONITORING CLIMATE CHANGE IN INSECTS: FROM GENES TO DISTRIBUTION SHIFTS | Chief Investigator | DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT & HERITAGE | Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities Significant Projects | 20/03/2008 |
| Evolutionary insights into the hybridisation between Litoria ewingi and L. paraewingi | Principal Supervisor | ANZ CHARITABLE TRUSTS | Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment Fund | 27/05/2008 |
Publications
Publications produced at the University of Melbourne and reported in the Annual Publications Collection and 'Research Report' since 2001. The Themis Publications module, released in November 2006, allows additional publications from previous institutions and publications from past years to be entered.