Professor Russell Bonduriansky

Research in the Bonduriansky Lab addresses two broad questions.

The dynamics and consequences of sexual reproduction and coevolution

Although all sexually reproducing populations experience sexual selection and conflict, the implications of these powerful processes are not fully understood.

Moreover, it remains unclear why so many animals can only reproduce sexually, given that the ability to switch between sexual and asexual modes of reproduction appears to be highly advantageous. Theory suggests that sexual conflict could hold a key to this 'paradox of obligate sex'. We are currently testing this theory using facultatively parthenogenetic animals that possess the unusual ability to reproduce with and without mating.

The effects of environment on development and fitness within and across generations, and implications for evolution

Environmental influence on development ('developmental plasticity') has been recognized for over a century, but the role of plasticity in evolution remains controversial. We are investigating effects of diet, social interactions, and other key environmental parameters on the development of body size and shape (including secondary sexual traits), behaviours, and life history traits (especially ageing).

Moreover, the potential for some effects of environment to influence the development of offspring and even more remote descendants was denied and neglected for decades. While nongenetic inheritance is now widely recognized, its ecological and evolutionary implications remain poorly understood. We are investigating such effects experimentally in insects and other invertebrates. 

Some current projects:

● Nongenetic inheritance and its role in evolution

● Effects of diet and stress within and across generations

● Ageing, and the effects of parental age at breeding on offspring

● Sexual conflict and its role in the maintenance of sexual reproduction, especially in facultatively parthenogenetic animals

● The ecology, life history, and behaviour of wild arthropods

Much of our empirical research takes advantage of native Australian insects, such as Neriid flies and phasmids (stick and leaf insects). We also develop new theory.

For more details, please see the Bonduriansky Lab website.