2024 RTP round - The evolution and extinction of meiolaniid turtles on Lord Howe Island, Australia

Description/Applicant information

The 2.5 metre long, horn-headed and club-tailed turtle Meiolania platyceps has been known to science since the late 19th Century. Most fossils of Meiolania come from Lord Howe Island, a geologically young (~7 Ma) island in the Pacific Ocean, ~600 km off the east coast of Australia. This island was never inhabited by humans prior to its discovery in 1788, and yet Meiolania was extinct prior to human arrival. This is unusual: most megafaunal extinctions worldwide appear to have been influenced to some degree by human agency.

This project aims to:

• To constrain the origin, dispersal route, and timing of the arrival of Meiolania platyceps on Lord Howe Island.
• To elucidate the palaeoecology of Meiolania platyceps, including its preferred diet and habitat.
• To determine the cause(s) and timing of the extinction of Meiolania platyceps.

Project objectives are:

• Collection of new geological information and fossil specimens of Meiolania (and associated fauna) on Lord Howe Island.
• Undertake research on newly collected meiolaniid specimens and those held in the Australian Museum.
• Utilise surface scanners, CT scanners, the Australian Synchrotron and ANSTO's neutron tomographer to digitise specimens.
• Apply state-of-the-art geochemical techniques to meiolaniid specimens with a view to better understanding the palaeoecology of the animal

Detect phenotypic changes that can be tracked through time in either the skeleton of Meiolania platyceps or its eggs. Large-bodied testudinatans on oceanic islands have persisted to the present day on some archipelagos (Galapagos, Aldabra, Seychelles). However, many other large island turtles have gone extinct shortly after human arrival (e.g. Madagascar, Carribbean, Mascarenes). The Lord Howe Island meiolaniids provide a rare window into a megafaunal extinction that happened in the absence of humans, but in a world characterised by marked natural climate change.

This project may provide an internship opportunity. Internship to be organised with an Australian museum - most likely the Australian Museum in Sydney.

Student type Future Students

Value

The annual scholarship package (stipend and tuition fees) is approx. $60,000 - $70,000 p.a.

Successful HDR applicants for admission will receive a 100% fee offset for up to 4 years, stipend scholarships at the 2023 RTP rate valued at $32,250 p.a. for up to a maximum of 3 years, with a possible 6-month completion scholarship. Applicants are determined via a competitive selection process and will be notified of the scholarship outcome in November 2023.

For detailed information, visit: Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarships | Curtin University, Perth, Australia.

Maximum number awarded 1

Eligible courses

All applicable HDR courses

Eligibility criteria

• Suitable applicants must have a first class Honours, Master's or equivalent in palaeontology, geochemistry, biology, chemistry or other science disciplines.
• Good written and oral presentation skills essential.
• Publications in top international journals desirable.
• Good laboratory skills will be advantageous.
• International and national applicants considered; must be eligible to enrol in PhD programs at Curtin.