Details of Award
NERC Reference : NER/A/S/2001/00495
Using molecular data from extinct ratite species to investigate the evolutionary history of New Zealand.
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor A Cooper, University of Oxford, Zoology
- Grant held at:
- University of Oxford, Zoology
- Science Area:
- Earth
- Overall Classification:
- Earth
- ENRIs:
- Natural Resource Management
- Global Change
- Biodiversity
- Science Topics:
- Quaternary Science
- Palaeoenvironments
- Population Genetics/Evolution
- Systematics & Taxonomy
- Abstract:
- The biota of New Zealand represents a unique evolutionary experiment, where remnants from Gondwana evolved in mammal-free isolation until the Late Holocene. Unfortunately, a poor terrestrial fossil record prior to the Pliocene means there is little direct evidence of the evolutionary history that led to a remarkable ecology dominated by insect, reptile, and bird taxa. To recover this information, we will examine molecular data from some of the largest radiations of the endemic avifauna, the ratite moas and kiwis, to detect genetic signatures of palaeoecological events over the past 20 Ma. Preliminary studies indicate remarkable morphological convergence, repeated phases of vicariant speciation, and evidence of recovery after major extinction events.
- NERC Reference:
- NER/A/S/2001/00495
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Standard Grants Pre FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Standard Grant
This grant award has a total value of £155,026
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - T&S | Total - Staff | Total - Other Costs | Total - Indirect Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| £4,271 | £78,320 | £36,409 | £36,026 |
If you need further help, please read the user guide.