Disentangling the Drivers of Australian Animal Diversity

Australia is home to some of the most unique and diverse wildlife on the planet, but many of these species face significant threats and require urgent conservation action. To protect and preserve these iconic species, it is essential to understand their evolutionary and natural history. This project focuses on completing comprehensive genetic and natural history data sets for two of Australia's unique vertebrate animal groups: frogs and reptiles. By doing so, we will be able to address key knowledge gaps in our understanding of these species and improve conservation efforts. Our work will generate evolutionary trees that illustrate how all Australian frog and reptile species are related, offering important insights into the diversity of these groups and the drivers of their evolution. The data we collect will help us understand the processes that have shaped Australia's unique fauna, pro