Rachael Dudaniec
Australian Research Council Future Fellow
Associate Professor
School of Natural Sciences
Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
Why landscape genetics?
The world's ecosystems are confronted with rapid and dynamic changes in land use and climate. These environmental changes have profound consequences for the ability of species to persist and adapt. They are causing species to shift their ranges, novel biological invasions or disease threats, which can alter species interactions and the evolutionary trajectories of species within ecosystems.
What do we do?
Combined with field-collected spatial and ecological data, we use genomics sequencing approaches (e.g. RADseq, RNAseq, whole genome, metabarcoding, transcriptomics) to address the effects of environmental change on gene flow and local adaptation, and pathogen dynamics in natural populations. Our research aims to inform how we manage species' connectivity, genetic diversity, and evolutionary potential under anthropogenic and disease threats. This may involve species of conservation concern, or invasive species and pests. Using these approaches, we can test predictions about land-use and climate change effects on species' genetic diversity and their adaptive capacity. In doing so, we gain insights into the roles of gene flow, environment, ecological variables and local adaptation in driving evolution.
What's happening?
The Landscape Genetics Lab at Macquarie University conducts research on a diversity of study systems, from native and introduced European bumblebees, honeybees, damselflies, grasshoppers, flies, and host-parasite interactions in the famous Darwin's finches on the Galapagos Islands. We also do some work on other birds and Australian reptiles! Previous work has included landscape genetics of giant salamanders in North America, and of koalas and gliders in south-east Queensland.
The world's ecosystems are confronted with rapid and dynamic changes in land use and climate. These environmental changes have profound consequences for the ability of species to persist and adapt. They are causing species to shift their ranges, novel biological invasions or disease threats, which can alter species interactions and the evolutionary trajectories of species within ecosystems.
What do we do?
Combined with field-collected spatial and ecological data, we use genomics sequencing approaches (e.g. RADseq, RNAseq, whole genome, metabarcoding, transcriptomics) to address the effects of environmental change on gene flow and local adaptation, and pathogen dynamics in natural populations. Our research aims to inform how we manage species' connectivity, genetic diversity, and evolutionary potential under anthropogenic and disease threats. This may involve species of conservation concern, or invasive species and pests. Using these approaches, we can test predictions about land-use and climate change effects on species' genetic diversity and their adaptive capacity. In doing so, we gain insights into the roles of gene flow, environment, ecological variables and local adaptation in driving evolution.
What's happening?
The Landscape Genetics Lab at Macquarie University conducts research on a diversity of study systems, from native and introduced European bumblebees, honeybees, damselflies, grasshoppers, flies, and host-parasite interactions in the famous Darwin's finches on the Galapagos Islands. We also do some work on other birds and Australian reptiles! Previous work has included landscape genetics of giant salamanders in North America, and of koalas and gliders in south-east Queensland.
Lab head:
A/Prof. Rachael Dudaniec
School of Natural Sciences
Macquarie University
Sydney, Australia
Email: [email protected]
Ph: +61 (2) 9850 8193
Pronouns: she/her
A/Prof. Rachael Dudaniec
School of Natural Sciences
Macquarie University
Sydney, Australia
Email: [email protected]
Ph: +61 (2) 9850 8193
Pronouns: she/her
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