Welcome to The G-CAT!

Hi all! Welcome to The Genetics Cat, or The G-CAT for short! This blog was initially started as a way for me to not only practice writing and communicating science to the general public, but also as an avenue for me to share scientific research that I’m interested in to a broader community. As one might expect, this blog will predominantly feature discussions of evolution, ecology and genetics in a (hopefully) digestible manner. I will try to keep the topics broad to encompass a range of interests, but I undoubtedly have a bias towards conservation and evolutionary genetics…that said, if you have suggestions for content you’d like to see, please request away! I will try my absolute best to facilitate them!

You may be shocked to discover that this blog is, in fact, not written by a cat. In fact, I don’t even study cats. I’m sorry to burst that bubble for you. My real name is Sean Buckley, and I’m a PhD student within the Molecular Ecology Lab of Flinders University (MELFU) in Adelaide, South Australia. My research involves using large-scale genetic data to investigate the evolutionary history of a group of rather cute, and very endangered, small endemic freshwater fish known as the pygmy perches.

One of the charismatic critters I work with! This is a Yarra pygmy perch, who is currently a founder of a genetics-based captive breeding program for a population that is now extinct in the wild.

Specifically, my research aims to use genomic data and complex statistical modelling to see how some species of pygmy perches have changed over time. Particularly, I will look at how their population sizes, genetic connectivity and distributions have changed throughout history, and how these relate to changes in the climate, geology and hydrology of their habitats. My research will help to address historical patterns of genetic diversity and evolution in freshwater organisms across Australia, as well as inform conservation management of modern pygmy perches.

Prior to my PhD, I also did an Honours thesis on a similar topic, but focusing on the broad evolutionary (phylogenetic) relationships of pygmy perches. These patterns were related to historic environmental factors across the continent of Australia. Furthermore, through my Honours research, I discovered that one species of pygmy perch is actually three genetically distinct but physically indistinguishable species! My PhD will expand on these to (hopefully) start to suggest some of the environmental and spatial factors that may have influenced this previously hidden diversity of species.

Without further ado, welcome to The G-CAT!