Researchers
Students
Alumni
ManagementAshton Gainsford
PhD graduate
James Cook University
ashton.gainsford@my.jcu.edu.au
From 2005 to 2022, the main node of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies was headquartered at James Cook University in Townsville, Queensland (Australia)
Molecular Ecology & Evolution Laboratory, School of Marine and Tropical Biology,
and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies,
James Cook University
Townsville, QLD 4811 Australia
phone: 61-07-4781 5001
email: ashton.gainsford@my.jcu.edu.au
profile: ashtongainsford.wordpress.com
A multi-disciplinary evaluation of the hybrid anemonefish Amphiprion leucokranos: behaviour shaping evolutionary outcomes of hybridization.
Hybridization is an important source of genetic variation within the marine environment. The highly diverse nature of coral reef assemblages offers many opportunities to broaden our understanding of ecological and evolutionary implications associated with current and historical gene exchange between naturally hybridizing species. The project aims to evaluate the ecological and evolutionary implications of reef fish hybridization with the application of genetic techniques to provide high resolution inference of genetic structure within and among taxa. The broad objective of the project is to evaluate localised differences between regions across the narrow hybrid zone between two anemonefish species, and a confirmed hybrid. This project will use ecological and morphological techniques, as well as phylogenetic and population genetic analyses, to address this question, as well as how populations outside the hybrid zone compare to those within, how species are changing through time and whether an advantage or disadvantage exists for hybrids within mixed species groups with strong social structuring behaviour.
Dr. Lynne van Herwerden and Prof. Geoffrey P. Jones
Gainsford, A., L. van Herwerden, and G. P. Jones. (In Review) Hierarchical behaviour, habitat use and species size differences shape evolutionary outcomes of hybridization in a coral reef fish. Journal of Evolutionary Biology.
Gainsford, A., L. van Herwerden, G. P. Jones. 2013 Behaviour shapes evolutionary outcomes of hybridization in a coral reef fish. Presented at the 9th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference, Okinawa, Japan.
Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation Inc. Research Funding, 2014
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies Travel Award, 2014
Australian Postgraduate Award, James Cook University, 2012 – 2015
First Class Honours Research Thesis (GPA 7), James Cook University, 2011
Australian National Network in Marine Science Coursework Scholarship, 2010
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