Evolution of Resistance to Cardiotoxic Alkaloids

Most herbivorous mammals encounter poisonous plants but we know little about how animals detect them and avoid being poisoned. In particular, we often don't know what plant toxins are present and what effect they have on animals. We propose to study the interactions between brushtail possums and one of Australia's most toxic plants, Cooktown Ironwood - a system in which the toxic principles (cardiotoxic alkaloids) and the target of the toxin are known. The study will result in a greater understanding of how wild animals avoid poisoning and the ecological cost of different methods of resistance to poisoning.