Dr Elizabeth Sinclair

Position:: Research Associate Professor
Phone:: (+61 8) 9480 3642
Fax:: (+61 8) 9480 3641
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Academic background:

Liz started at Kings Park in June 2004. She is interested in using molecular approaches to address issues in evolutionary biology and conservation including the application of population genetic data for conservation and management of threatened and endangered species, comparative phylogeography (examining patterns of genetic variation across landscapes and explaining them in terms of gene flow, distribution, landscape, and historical events), and molecular systematics. Liz has worked with a wide variety of organisms and gained experience working with many different genetic markers. Liz spent six years as a post-doc with Drs Keith Crandall and Jack Sites at Brigham Young University, working primarily on freshwater crayfish and South American lizards. More recently, her research has focused on bushland restoration - identifying suitable source populations (seeds and green stock material) to reintroduce into Bold Park for restoration purposes. This work is part of a larger program to develop genetic guidelines for urban bushland restoration. Her current research (based at Kings Park) focuses on population genetics, mating systems, and hybridisation in Australian seagrasses, Posidonia, with a view to improving current restoration practices.

2010- Research Associate Professor, Oceans Institute and School of Plant Biology, UWA

2008-2010  Research Scientist, Botanical Gardens and Park Authority

2008: Consultant Scientist to Department of Environment, Water, Heritage, and the Arts. Canberra

2004-2007: Research Fellow, Murdoch University  (Prof. Richard Hobbs and Dr Siegy Krauss)

1998-2004: Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Brigham Young University  (Dr Keith Crandall and Prof. Jack Sites)

1994-1998: PhD, Department of Zoology, University of Western Australia  (Prof. Mike Johnson)

1988-1993: BSc 1st class Honours, Australian National University  (Dr Chris Tidemann)

Current research projects:

ARC Linkage project (2010-2012) Establishing genetic guidelines for the effective ecological restoration of seagrass meadows.

Molecular phylogeny of the Central American lizard genus Lepidophyma, and origins of parthenogenesis

PhD student:

Alison Ritchie - 2010

Publications:

Refereed publications:

Kendrick, GA, Waycott, M, Carruthers, T, Cambridge, M, Hovey, R, Krauss, S, Lavery, P, Les, D, Lowe, R, Mascaró, O, Ooi Lean Sim, J, Orth, RJ, Rivers, D, Ruiz-Montoya, L, Sinclair, EA, Statton, J, van Dijk, K, Verduin, J. The central role of dispersal in the maintenance and persistence of seagrass populations. Submitted to BioScience.
Pramuk, JB, Bezy, RL, Noonan, BP, de Queiroz, K, Sinclair, EA, & Sites, JW Jr. Phylogenetic relationships within the lizard clade Xantusiidae: Using trees and divergence times to address evolutionary questions at multiple levels. Submitted to Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.
Sinclair, EA, Bussell, JD, Cheetham, B, Krauss, SL & Hobbs, RJ. Spatial genetic structure in a keystone species Banksia menziesii (Proteaceae): implications for ecological restoration. Submitted to Ecological Applications.
Sinclair, EA, Madsen, A, Walsh, T, Nelson, J & Crandall, KA. (2011) Extensive gene flow across independent river drainages in the giant Tasmanian freshwater crayfish, Astacopsis gouldi (Decapoda: Parastacidae); implications for conservation. Animal Conservation 14: 87-97.
Sinclair, EA & Barrett, R. (2010) Morphological and molecular assessment of  Desmocladus flexuosus and D. asper (Restionaceae). Nuytsia 20: 7-17.
Anthony, JM, Phillips, RD, Sinclair, EA & Dixon, KW. (2010) Characterisation of polymorphic microsatellite markers isolated from Drakaea glyptodon. Conservation Genetics Resources 2: 291-294.
Swarts, ND, Sinclair, EA, Francis, A & Dixon KW. (2010) Ecological  specialization in mycorrhizal symbiosis leads to rarity in an endangered orchid. Molecular Ecology 19: 3226-3242.
Sinclair, EA, Cheetham, B, Krauss, SL & Hobbs, RJ. (2010) High levels of genetic diversity in a clonal relict Alexgeorgea nitens (Restionaceae). Australian Journal of Botany 58: 206-213.
Sinclair, EA, Pramuk, JB, Bezy, RL, Crandall, KA & Sites, JW Jr.  (2010) DNA evidence for non-hybrid origins of parthenogenesis in  natural populations of vertebrates. Evolution 64: 1346-1357.
Sinclair, EA, Anthony, J, Coupland, GT, Waycott, M, Barrett, MD,  Barrett, RL, Cambridge, ML, Wallace, MJ, Dixon, KD, Krauss, SL &  Kendrick, GA. (2009) Characterisation of polymorphic microsatellite  markers in the widespread Australian seagrass, Posidonia australis Hook. f. (Posidoniaceae), with cross-amplification in the sympatric P.  sinuosa. Conservation Genetics Resources 1: 273-276.
Swarts, ND, Sinclair, EA, Krauss, SL & Dixon, KW (2009) Genetic diversity  in fragmented populations of the critically endangered spider orchid  Caladenia huegelii: implications for conservation. Conservation  Genetics 10: 1199-1208.
Sinclair, EA & Hobbs, RJ (2009) Sample size effects on estimates of  population genetic structure: implications for ecological restoration.  Restoration Ecology 17: 837-844.
Sinclair, EA & Hyder, BM (2009) Surviving Quokka (Setonix brachyurus)  population on the Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia. Australian  Mammalogy 31: 67-69.
Sinclair, EA, Cheetham B, Krauss SL & Hobbs RJ (2008) Morphological  and molecular variation in Conospermum triplinervium R.Br (Proteaceae),  the tree smokebush, and their implications for bushland restoration.  Australian Journal of Botany 56: 451-460.
Swarts, ND, Sinclair, EA & Dixon, KW (2007) Characterisation of  microsatellite loci in the endangered grand spider orchid Caladenia  huegelii (Orchidaceae). Molecular Ecology Notes 7: 1141-1143.
Sinclair, EA, Bussell, JD, Krauss, SL, Hobbs, R & Dixon, KW (2006)  Molecular markers detect multiple origins of Agonis flexuosa (Myrtaceae) plants used in urban bushland restoration. Ecological  Management and Restoration 7: 234-235.
Sinclair, EA, Scholl, R, Bezy, RL, Crandall, KA & Sites, JW Jr. (2006)  Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in the  yellow-spotted night lizard Lepidophyma flavimaculatum. Molecular  Ecology Notes 6: 233-236.
Shull, HC, Pérez-Losada, M, Blair, D, Sewel, K, Sinclair, EA, Lawler,  S, Ponniah, M & Crandall, KA (2005) Phylogeny of the freshwater  crayfish Euastacus (Decapoda: Parastacidae) based on four nuclear and  mitochondrial DNA. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 37: 249-263.
Sinclair, EA, Fetzner, JW, Buhay, J & Crandall, KA (2004) Proposal to  complete a phylogenetic taxonomy and systematic revision for freshwater  crayfish (Astacida). Freshwater Crayfish 14: 21-29.
Sinclair, EA, Bezy, RL, Camarillo, J, Bolles, K, Crandall, KA & Sites,  JW Jr. (2004) Testing species boundaries in an ancient species complex  with deep phylogeographic history: genus Xantusia (Squamata:  Xantusiidae). The American Naturalist 163(2): 396-414.
Sinclair, EA, Black, HL & Crandall, KA (2003) Microsatellite  variation in a wild American black bear (Ursus americanus) population:  a look at home range, relatedness, and multiple paternity. Western  North American Naturalist 63(4): 489-497.
Sinclair, EA, Costello, B, Courtenay, JM & Crandall, KA (2002)  Detecting a genetic bottleneck in Gilbert’s Potoroo (Potorous  gilbertii) (Marsupialia: Potoroidae), inferred from microsatellite and  mitochondrial DNA sequence data. Conservation Genetics 3: 191-196.
DeWeerdt, S, Crandall, KA, Moritz, C, Sinclair, EA, Waples, R & Wayne,  R (2002) What really is an evolutionary significant unit? The debate  over integrating genetics and ecology in conservation biology.  Conservation in Practice 3: 10-17.
Sinclair, EA (2001) Phylogeographic variation in the quokka, Setonix  brachyurus (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). Animal Conservation 4: 325-333.
Sinclair, EA (2001) Microgeographic variation in two relict island  populations of the quokka, Setonix brachyurus, assessed by allozyme  electrophoresis. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 84: 111-116.
Sinclair, EA, Swenson, E, Bates, W, Choate, D, Wolf, M & Crandall, KA (2001) Gene flow estimates in Utah's cougars imply management beyond  Utah. Animal Conservation 4: 257-264.
Sinclair, EA, Murch, AR, Di Renzo, M & Palermo, M (2000) Chromosome  morphology in Gilbert’s Potoroo, Potorous gilbertii (Marsupialia:  Potoroidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 48: 281-287.
Harris, DJ, Sinclair, EA, Mercador, NL, Marshall, J & Crandall, KA  (1999) Squamate relationships based on C-mos nuclear DNA sequences.  Herpetological Journal 9: 147-151.
Sinclair, EA (1998) Morphological variation among populations of the  quokka, Setonix brachyurus (Macropodidae: Marsupialia), in Western  Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 46: 439-449.
Sinclair, EA & Westerman, M (1997) The molecular relationship of  Gilbert's Potoroo (Marsupialia: Potoroidae). Journal of Mammalian  Evolution 4: 147-161.
Sinclair, EA, Danks, A & Wayne, AF (1996) Rediscovery of Gilbert's  Potoroo, Potorous tridactylus, in Western Australia. Australian  Mammalogy 19: 69-72.
Sinclair, EA, Webb, NJ, Marchant, AD & Tidemann, CR (1996)  Determination of genetic variation in the Little Red Flying-fox,  Pteropus scapulatus (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae): implications for  management. Biological Conservation 76: 45-50.

Book chapters:

Sinclair, EA, Pérez-Losada, M, & Crandall, KA (2005) Molecular phylogenetics for conservation in Purvis, A, Gittleman, JL & Brooks, TM. (eds.) Phylogeny and Conservation. Cambridge University Press Pp. 19-56.
Sinclair, EA & Courtenay, JM (accepted) The Ecology of Gilbert's Potoroo in Hopkins, A & Smith, GA (eds.) The Natural History of Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, Western Australia. Dept of Conservation and Land Management, Perth).

Unrefereed reports:

Sinclair, EA (2010) Annual Report to the Seagrass Research and Rehabilitation Plan: Genetic diversity in Posidonia australis meadows. Genetics Laboratory,  BGPA Science Directorate.
Sinclair, EA (2009) Assessment of population genetic variation in  Posidonia australis: update on the key outcomes of seagrass provenance  research, February –June 2009. Report #46 from the Genetics Laboratory,  BGPA Science Directorate.
Sinclair, EA & Hyder, BM (2008) A survey of the Muddy Lakes area for  Quokkas (Setonix brachyurus). Confidential report to the Department of  Environment, Water, Heritage, and the Arts, Canberra.
Sinclair, EA, Bussell, J & Krauss, SL (2006) Population  differentiation in Agonis flexuosa, the sweet peppermint, with the  identification of non-local plants in Bold Park. Report # 36 from the  Genetics Laboratory, BGPA Science Directorate.
Sinclair, EA (2005) An assessment of genetic provenance in Desmocladus  flexuosus and D. asper (Restionaceae) on the Swan Coastal Plain.  Unpublished report # 32 from the Genetics Laboratory, BGPA Science  Directorate.
Sinclair, EA & Friend, JA (2000) Conservation biology of Australia’s  most endangered marsupial. Unpublished report to National Geographic  Society, USA.
Sinclair, EA & Crandall, KA (1999) Report on using genetic analyses to  examine large mammal populations in Utah. Unpublished report to the  Utah Division of Wildlife Research, USA.

Dr Elizabeth Sinclair