A molecular phylogenetic study of the evolution of ecological specialisation in Amphibolurinae agamid lizards.

该项目将使用一种结合了生态学、形态和分子数据的比较方法来研究澳大利亚巨尾蜥蜴生态专门化的进化模式。理解生态专业化的进化模式，或进化的方向性过程，在进化生物学中是一个悬而未决的问题。由于研究受到分子和分析技术的限制，对生态专门化的定量研究很少。种群遗传学和生物统计学的最新进展将使我能够检验有关进化方向性的假说。这项研究将为未来进化生物学的研究提供基础，并极大地扩展我们对agamide生物多样性的认识。

This project will use a comparative approach that combines ecological, morphological and molecular data to investigate evolutionary patterns of ecological specialisation in Australian agamid lizards. Understanding the evolutionary pattern of ecological specialisation, or the directional course of evolution, is an unresolved question in evolutionary biology. Quantitative investigations of ecological specialisation are rare because research has been limited by molecular and analytical techniques. Recent advances in population genetics and bio-statistics will allow me to test hypotheses concerning the directionality of evolution. This study will provide a foundation for future research in evolutionary biology and greatly expand our knowledge of agamid biodiversity.