Staff profile

Dr Nick Murphy

Lecturer

Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering

School of Molecular Sciences
Department of Genetics

Melbourne (Bundoora)

 

Qualifications

PhD, Deakin University

Area of study

Biology
Environmental Management and Ecology
Genetics
Wildlife and Conservation Biology
Zoology

Brief Profile

I am a molecular ecologist who runs the Molecular Biodiversity Lab, with Jan Strugnell in the Department of Genetics.  My research is aimed at understanding the biology and population dynamics of poorly dispersing organisms (mainly invertebrates)  in natural and artificially fragmented ecosystems. The primary goal is to understand how species biology and evolutionary history affects their present day distributions and their ability to cope with future environmental change.

Current Research Projects

1.  Evolution and distribution of desert spring diversity

 

The desert springs fed by Lake Eyre are home to an extraordinary level of cryptic diversity. Research in these habitats in found a number of new endemic species, the vast majority of which are have persisted in these habitats since their formation and incredibly constrained in their distributions, with some species found in only a small handful of springs. Continuing research in this area concentrates on resolving the geographic scale of dispersal in this ecosystem

Students: Hannah Robertson (Hons)

Collaborators: Dr Michelle Guzik, Prof Andy Austin (UoA), Dr Rachael King, Dr Mark Adams, Dr Steve Cooper (SAM)

www.abc.net.au/rural/telegraph/content/2012/s3527630.htm 

2. Impact of fire on arthropod detritivores

The terrestrial detritrivores in native Australia forests represent an important contributor to the breakdown of forest floor litter, an important component of fire fuel. The majority of this community has a low capacity for dispersal, and may suffer from  frequent or severe fires. This research project aims at quantifying the contribution of this community to litter breakdown, the impact of fire severity and potential for recolonisation of disturbed sites.

Students: Seb Buckingham (PhD), Louise Menz (Hons)

Collaborators: Heloise Gibb (LaTrobe Zoology)

 

Research interests

Freshwater ecology

- Please contact me to discuss a topic.

Population Genetics and Phylogenetics

- Please contact me to discuss a topic.

Teaching Units

CBE3AC: Applications in Conservation

WCB2IC: Issues in Conservation

GEN3EEG: Ecoloutionary and Ecological Genetics

BIO2POS: The Practice of Science

Recent Publications

 

Murphy, N.P., Breed, M.F., Guzik, M.T., Cooper, S.J.B. & Austin, A.D. (2012) Trapped in desert springs: Phylogeography of Australian desert spring snails. Journal of Biogeography  Accepted Feb 2012, In Press

Guzik, M.T., Adams, M.A., Murphy, N.P., Cooper, S.J & Austin, A.D. Phylogeographic structure of an ancient endemic crustacean (Phreatomerus latipes). PLoS ONE. Accepted Feb 2012, In Press

Muirhead, KA, Murphy, NP, Sallam, N, Donnellan SC , Austin AD. Molecular phylogenetics and haplotye diversity of the Cotesia flavipes complex of parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution Accepted Dec 2011, In Press

Murphy, NP. Guzik MT, Worthington Wilmer J (2010) The influence of landscape on population structure of four invertebrates in groundwater springs Freshwater Biology 55 2499-2509

Murphy NP, Adams M & Austin AD (2009) Independent colonisation and extensive cryptic speciation of freshwater amphipods in the isolated groundwater springs of Australia’s Great Artesian Basin. Molecular Ecology, 18, 109-122

Gotch TB, Adams, M, Murphy NP & Austin AD. (2008) A molecular systematic overview of wolf spiders associated with Great Artesian Basin Springs in South Australia: evolutionary origins and an assessment of metapopulation structure in two species. Invertebrate Systematics. 22, 151–165

Murphy NP, Banks J, Whitfield JB & Austin A. (2008) Phylogeny of the parasitic microgastroid subfamilies (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) based on sequence data from seven genes, with an improved time estimate of the origin of the lineage. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 47: 378-395

Murphy NP, Carey D, Castro L, Dowton M & Austin, A. (2007) Phylogeny of the platygastroid wasps (Hymenoptera) based on sequences from the 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA and CO1 genes: implications for classification and the evolution of host relationships. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 91: 653-669

Moulds TA, Murphy NP, Adams M, Reardon T, Harvey MS & Austin AD (2007) Phylogeography of cave pseudoscorpions in Australia. Journal of Biogeography. 34: 951-962

Park YC, Yoo JS, Schwarz MP, Murphy NP, Donnellan S, & Kim JP. (2007) Molecular phylogeny of East Asian wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae) inferred from mitochondrial 12S ribosomal DNA. Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 100: 1-8

Muirhead KA, Murphy NP, Sallam MN, Donnellan SC &. Austin AD. (2006) Genetic variation in the Cotesia flavipes complex of parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea: Braconidae): towards the effective control of stemborer pests in Australia. Journal of the Entomological Society of France. 42: 309-318

Carey D, Murphy NP & Austin AD. (2006) Molecular phylogenetics and the evolution of wing reduction in a tribe of parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae: Baeini). Invertebrate Systematics. 20: 489-501

Murphy NP, Framenau V, Donnellan S, Harvey M, Park YC & Austin A (2006) Phylogenetic reconstruction of the wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae) using sequences from the 12S rRNA, 28S rRNA and NADH1 genes: implications for classification, biogeography and the evolution of web building behavior. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 38: 503-602