Can species interactions drive diversification? (Old ID 20158)

Principal Investigator

How new species arise from an existing species remains a fundamental question in evolutionary biology. Particularly intriguing is the widely-observed pattern that related species, in some cases highly speciose groups, often differ primarily in mating traits. Understanding the processes that generate mating trait divergence among populations therefore lies at the core of speciation research. I will examine how male signals and female mating preferences for male signals evolve due to species interactions among a closely related species group, the Drosophila serrata species complex, which co-occur in the rainforests of northeast Queensland. Using laboratory experiments, I will test whether species interactions can drive diversification.

01 Feb 2013 - 31 Dec 2016

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