Joanna Sumner
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View article: Generalists link peaks in the shifting adaptive landscape of Australia’s dragon lizards
Generalists link peaks in the shifting adaptive landscape of Australia’s dragon lizards Open
The adaptive landscape is one of biology’s most flexible and intuitive general concepts. This multidimensional space enables us to map individuals, populations, and species to an evolutionary topography, teasing apart what distinguishes en…
View article: The Venom Proteome of the Ecologically Divergent Australian Elapid, Southern Death Adder Acanthophis antarcticus
The Venom Proteome of the Ecologically Divergent Australian Elapid, Southern Death Adder Acanthophis antarcticus Open
The composition of Australian snake venoms is the least well-known of any continent. We characterised the venom proteome of the southern death adder Acanthophis antarcticus—one of the world’s most morphologically and ecologically divergent…
View article: Conservation macrogenetics reveals the potential hidden consequences of the 2019-2020 Black Summer fires on Australian biodiversity
Conservation macrogenetics reveals the potential hidden consequences of the 2019-2020 Black Summer fires on Australian biodiversity Open
The use of genetic analyses has become ubiquitous in conservation planning and management as biodiversity is increasingly threatened globally. Typically, such analyses are employed at the species-level, though as genetic data accrue, it is…
View article: The last piece of the puzzle: Detection of an extremely rare lizard in the Kimberley completes the phylogeny of Australian dragons (Agamidae)
The last piece of the puzzle: Detection of an extremely rare lizard in the Kimberley completes the phylogeny of Australian dragons (Agamidae) Open
Although the phylogeographic relationships of Australian agamids are well-understood, an important lineage has been conspicuously missing from all phylogenies of this group to date: the mysterious and monotypic Cryptagama aurita (Storr, 19…
View article: Sugar-coated survival: N-glycosylation as a unique bearded dragon venom resistance trait within Australian agamid lizards
Sugar-coated survival: N-glycosylation as a unique bearded dragon venom resistance trait within Australian agamid lizards Open
In the ongoing evolutionary arms race between predators and prey, adaptive innovations often trigger a reciprocal response. For instance, the emergence of α-neurotoxins in snake venom has driven prey species targeted by these snakes to evo…
View article: A Russian Doll of Resistance: Nested Gains and Losses of Venom Immunity in Varanid Lizards
A Russian Doll of Resistance: Nested Gains and Losses of Venom Immunity in Varanid Lizards Open
The interplay between predator and prey has catalyzed the evolution of venom systems, with predators honing their venoms in response to the evolving resistance of prey. A previous study showed that the African varanid species Varanus exant…
View article: Systematic assessment of the brown tree frog (Anura: Pelodryadidae: Litoria ewingii) reveals two endemic species in South Australia
Systematic assessment of the brown tree frog (Anura: Pelodryadidae: Litoria ewingii) reveals two endemic species in South Australia Open
The brown tree frog (Litoria ewingii) is a relatively widespread, commonly encountered pelodryadid frog from south-eastern Australia, known for its characteristic whistling call. The distribution of Litoria ewingii spans over more than 350…
View article: Systematic assessment of the brown tree frog (Anura: Pelodryadidae: Litoria ewingi) reveals two endemic species in South Australia
Systematic assessment of the brown tree frog (Anura: Pelodryadidae: Litoria ewingi) reveals two endemic species in South Australia Open
Supplementary files containing raw morphological and acoustic data.
View article: Systematic assessment of the brown tree frog (Anura: Pelodryadidae: Litoria ewingi) reveals two endemic species in South Australia
Systematic assessment of the brown tree frog (Anura: Pelodryadidae: Litoria ewingi) reveals two endemic species in South Australia Open
Supplementary files containing raw morphological and acoustic data.
View article: The Unusual Metalloprotease-Rich Venom Proteome of the Australian Elapid Snake Hoplocephalus stephensii
The Unusual Metalloprotease-Rich Venom Proteome of the Australian Elapid Snake Hoplocephalus stephensii Open
The Australasian region is home to the most diverse elapid snake radiation on the planet (Hydrophiinae). Many of these snakes have evolved into unique ecomorphs compared to elapids on other continents; however, their venom compositions are…
View article: Lineage diversity within a widespread endemic Australian skink to better inform conservation in response to regional‐scale disturbance
Lineage diversity within a widespread endemic Australian skink to better inform conservation in response to regional‐scale disturbance Open
Much attention is paid in conservation planning to the concept of a species, to ensure comparability across studies and regions when classifying taxa against criteria of endangerment and setting priorities for action. However, various juri…
View article: Phylogenetic placement of a recently discovered population of the threatened alpine she-oak skink Cyclodomorphus praealtus (Squamata: Scincidae) in Victoria
Phylogenetic placement of a recently discovered population of the threatened alpine she-oak skink Cyclodomorphus praealtus (Squamata: Scincidae) in Victoria Open
The alpine she-oak skink Cyclodomorphus praealtus is a threatened alpine endemic lizard from the mainland of Australia. The species is previously known from disjunct populations in Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales and three isol…
View article: A return-on-investment approach for prioritization of rigorous taxonomic research needed to inform responses to the biodiversity crisis
A return-on-investment approach for prioritization of rigorous taxonomic research needed to inform responses to the biodiversity crisis Open
Global biodiversity loss is a profound consequence of human activity. Disturbingly, biodiversity loss is greater than realized because of the unknown number of undocumented species. Conservation fundamentally relies on taxonomic recognitio…
View article: Reptiles on the brink: identifying the Australian terrestrial snake and lizard species most at risk of extinction
Reptiles on the brink: identifying the Australian terrestrial snake and lizard species most at risk of extinction Open
Australia hosts approximately 10% of the world’s reptile species, the largest number of any country. Despite this and evidence of widespread decline, the first comprehensive assessment of the conservation status of Australian terrestrial s…
View article: Activity of two key toxin groups in Australian elapid venoms show a strong correlation to phylogeny but not to diet
Activity of two key toxin groups in Australian elapid venoms show a strong correlation to phylogeny but not to diet Open
Background The relative influence of diet and phylogeny on snake venom activity is a poorly understood aspect of snake venom evolution. We measured the activity of two enzyme toxin groups – phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 ), and L-amino acid oxid…
View article: Integrating phylogeography and high-resolution X-ray CT reveals five new cryptic species and multiple hybrid zones among Australian earless dragons
Integrating phylogeography and high-resolution X-ray CT reveals five new cryptic species and multiple hybrid zones among Australian earless dragons Open
Cryptic lineages, comprising species complexes with deep genetic structuring across the landscape but without distinct morphological differences, impose substantial difficulties for systematists and taxonomists in determining true species …
View article: An Integrative Approach Using Phylogenomics and High-Resolution X-Ray Computed Tomography for Species Delimitation in Cryptic Taxa
An Integrative Approach Using Phylogenomics and High-Resolution X-Ray Computed Tomography for Species Delimitation in Cryptic Taxa Open
Morphologically cryptic taxa have proved to be a long-standing challenge for taxonomists. Lineages that show strong genomic structuring across the landscape but are phenotypically similar pose a conundrum, with traditional morphological an…
View article: Taxonomy and conservation of grassland earless dragons: new species and an assessment of the first possible extinction of a reptile on mainland Australia
Taxonomy and conservation of grassland earless dragons: new species and an assessment of the first possible extinction of a reptile on mainland Australia Open
Taxonomic research is of fundamental importance in conservation management of threatened species, providing an understanding of species diversity on which management plans are based. The grassland earless dragon lizards (Agamidae: Tympanoc…
View article: A citizen science model for implementing statewide educational DNA barcoding
A citizen science model for implementing statewide educational DNA barcoding Open
Our aim was to develop a widely available educational program in which students conducted authentic research that met the expectations of both the scientific and educational communities. This paper describes the development and implementat…
View article: Museum Specimens included in study from Integrating phylogeography and high-resolution X-ray CT reveals five new cryptic species and multiple hybrid zones among Australian earless dragons
Museum Specimens included in study from Integrating phylogeography and high-resolution X-ray CT reveals five new cryptic species and multiple hybrid zones among Australian earless dragons Open
Cryptic lineages, comprising species complexes with deep genetic structuring across the landscape but without distinct morphological differences, impose substantial difficulties for systematists and taxonomists in determining true species …
View article: Museum Specimens included in study from Integrating phylogeography and high-resolution X-ray CT reveals five new cryptic species and multiple hybrid zones among Australian earless dragons
Museum Specimens included in study from Integrating phylogeography and high-resolution X-ray CT reveals five new cryptic species and multiple hybrid zones among Australian earless dragons Open
Cryptic lineages, comprising species complexes with deep genetic structuring across the landscape but without distinct morphological differences, impose substantial difficulties for systematists and taxonomists in determining true species …
View article: Museum Specimens included in study from Taxonomy and conservation of grassland earless dragons: new species and an assessment of the first possible extinction of a reptile on mainland Australia
Museum Specimens included in study from Taxonomy and conservation of grassland earless dragons: new species and an assessment of the first possible extinction of a reptile on mainland Australia Open
Taxonomic research is of fundamental importance in conservation management of threatened species, providing an understanding of species diversity on which management plans are based. The grassland earless dragon lizards (Agamidae: Tympanoc…
View article: Geographic variation in hybridization and ecological differentiation between three syntopic, morphologically similar species of montane lizards
Geographic variation in hybridization and ecological differentiation between three syntopic, morphologically similar species of montane lizards Open
To understand factors shaping species boundaries in closely related taxa, a powerful approach is to compare levels of genetic admixture at multiple points of contact and determine how this relates to intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such a…
View article: Genetic structure and diversity of the endangered growling grass frog in a rapidly urbanizing region
Genetic structure and diversity of the endangered growling grass frog in a rapidly urbanizing region Open
Two pervasive and fundamental impacts of urbanization are the loss and fragmentation of natural habitats. From a genetic perspective, these impacts manifest as reduced genetic diversity and ultimately reduced genetic viability. The growlin…