SCIENCE AT THE SHINE DOME canberra 7 - 9 may 2008

Awards and admission of new Fellows

Thursday, 8 May 2008

Macfarlane Burnet Medal and Lecture

Professor Richard Shine
School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney

Richard Shine is a professor of biology at the University of Sydney, and a Federation Fellow of the Australian Research Council. He has conducted extensive field and laboratory-based research on reptiles and amphibians in many parts of the world, with an emphasis on the ecology, evolution and conservation of snakes. He has published more than 600 papers in scientific journals, and attracted many national and international awards for his work. The major thrust of his current research involves approaching conservation challenges from an evolutionary perspective, and embedded within a detailed understanding of reptile and amphibian biology.

Using evolutionary theory to fight cane toads

Despite vigorous attempts at control, the invasion of cane toads across tropical Australia continues unabated. The toads are widely believed to be an ecological catastrophe, but until recently there has been little real evidence on either their invasion biology or their impact. That situation has now changed: my research group has gathered extensive data on those topics over the last few years, revealing (among other things) remarkably rapid adaptive shifts both in the toads and in their Australian victims. This talk explores how we might use that understanding to control cane toads. In particular, an evolutionary perspective can suggest novel ways to deal with invasive species. Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of the interaction between cane toads, their parasites, and the native fauna, can suggest new and powerful approaches to reducing the ecological impact of this troublesome invader.