Speciation, phylogeography, systematics, ecology, population genetics.
Why do assemblages have the species they do? To what extent is this a product of historical events such as dispersal, vicariance and extinction, vs ecological adaptation?. The New Zealand archipelago has ancient geological links with other (Gondwanan) landmasses, and harbours some organisms of ancient pedigree, but many taxa appear to be the products of recent colonisation or radiation. I am interested in using ecological and molecular approaches to understanding the process that lead to the patterns we observe. I am particularly interested in endemic New Zealand invertebrates (including peripatus, weta, carabid beetles, stick insects) and their relatives elsewhere, but also work on flightless birds (takahe, kakapo).
I am working with David Penny (LINK) using deep phylogenetics to examine whether the process of microevolution is sufficient to explain macroevolution.
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Dr Steve Trewick
Senior Lecturer
Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution
Massey University
Palmerston North
PO Box 11-222
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 6 350 9099 x2043
Fax: +64 6 350 5626
Email: s.trewick@massey.ac.nz |