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I am offering the following project for an honours student starting in either February or July.
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Geographic variation in common Aotus
Supervisor: Mike Crisp and Lyn Cook
Aotus ericoides
is a pea-flowered shrub (family Fabaceae) that is common in heathy
communities along the east coast of Australia. It is found all
the way from southern Queensland to Tasmania. It grows in various
habitats, eg forest, heathlands and even seasonal swamps, and
in these different places, the plant has a different appearance.
The problem is whether this just reflects adaptation to a local
environment in an otherwise continuously interbreeding, single
species, or whether there is really more than one species with
subtle ecological and morphological differences between them.
The project would involve sampling of populations in the field,
analysis of morphology of specimens, and possibly analysis of
DNA samples too. It could also also involve a consideration and
testing of species concepts.