The New Guinea-Australia Nexus

The tropics are important repositories for global biodiversity - half of the earth's species reside there. Remarkably, given that chelid turtles are of Gondwanal origin, the tropical southern lowlands of New Guinea support the highest species richness for this group in Australasia. Moreover, we have come to realize that the tropics are also the cradle for biodiversity at higher latitudes. Australasian freshwater turtles provide an exemplary model for exploring these issues.

They total 26 species (more when we consider that some are species complexes), achieve their highest diversity in the lowlands of New Guinea, have populations or closely related species in both New Guinea and northern Australia, and show the classic trend of declining diversity with increasing latitude.

Add to this the recurrent pattern of interconnection and isolation of these land masses, injecting vicariance into the equation, and we have a unique natural backdrop to study the biogeographic drivers of evolution and speciation in our region.

The aims of this project are to assess the status of species and species complexes of freshwater turtles in northern Australia and New Guinea with a view to identifying new species, and to examine the historical biogeography of freshwater turtles in the Australasian region.

This project will yield improved understanding of the Australasian biota, the diversity of forms, the way this biodiversity is distributed, and the contemporary and historical factors that have governed it. We will resolve species complexes of Elseya and, should some of the new species turn out to be threatened, will bring them to the attention of formal processes established nationally and internationally for their protection. We will clarify the role of the history of interconnection between Australia and New Guinea on diversification of the Australian freshwater turtle fauna, knowledge of benefit to science in both Australia and PNG.

The project will also yield improved capacity for biological science within PNG through both the generation of knowledge relevant to the management of the biota and its utilisation, and through the engagement of NGO officers and local communities in the work and in publications. This will build upon excellent linkages with PNG nationals and organisations during prior studies in the Transfly and Kikori.

The project will contribute to a solid foundation for future study of concordant patterns of genetic substructuring across disparate taxonomic groups in freshwaters, as a basis for defining natural freshwater bioregions. Development of molecular markers in this project are also likely to be useful in monitoring wildlife trade, a serious issue for New Guinea and adjacent southeast Asia.

This work is funded by the Hermon Slade Foundation.

For further information, contact

Arthur Georges, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, ACT 2601 Phone (02) 62015786 Email "surname"@aerg.canberra.edu.au