Dr Damian Dowling - Researcher Profile

Damian Dowling

Address

School of Biological Sciences
Building 18, Clayton

Biography

Damian works in the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University as an ARC Australian Research Fellow, Monash Fellow

Damian’s research interests lie in evolutionary biology. The questions that his research group pursue follow three interconnected themes.
 

1) Mitochondrial genome evolution What genetic processes shape the accumulation of functional genetic variation in the mitochondrial DNA? What are the consequences of maternal transmission of the mitochondrial DNA for male life-histories?  
 
2) Oxidative stress and life history evolution. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a ubiquitous bi-product of many core enzymmatic pathways, for instance those involved in energy production and immune defense. When ROS are in surplus, cells are at risk of oxidative damage. We are intereated in teasing apart the influence of oxidative stress on the general dynamics of life history evolution, including adaptation under sexual selection. 
3) Sexually antagonistic coevolution. We are generally interested in exploring the dynamics of adaptation under sexual conflict.    

Keywords

Evolutionary biology, Mitochondrial genomes, Oxidative stress, Sexual selection

Qualifications

PHD SCIENCE
Institution: University of Melbourne
Year awarded: 2004
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
Institution: University of Melbourne
Year awarded: 1998

Publications

Journal Articles

Williams, B.R., Van Heerwaarden, B., Dowling, D.K., Sgro, C.M., 2012, A multivariate test of evolutionary constraints for thermal tolerance in Drosophila melanogaster, Journal Of Evolutionary Biology [P], vol 25, issue 7, Wiley-Blackwell, New Jersey USA, pp. 1415-1426.

Dowling, D.K., 2012, Aging: evolution of life span revisited, Current Biology [P], vol 22, issue 22, Cell Press, Cambridge USA, pp. 947-949.

Dowling, D.K., Simmons, L., 2012, Ejaculate economics: Testing the effects of male sexual history on the trade-off between sperm and immune function in Australian crickets, PLoS ONE [P], vol 7, issue 1, Public Library of Science, United States, pp. 1-6.

Camus, M.F., Clancy, D.J., Dowling, D.K., 2012, Mitochondria, maternal inheritance, and male aging, Current Biology [P], vol 22, issue 18, Cell Press, Cambridge USA, pp. 1717-1721.

Nystrand, M., Dowling, D.K., Simmons, L., 2011, Complex genotype by environment interactions and changing genetic architectures across thermal environments in the Australian field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus, BMC Evolutionary Biology [P], vol 11, issue 222, Biomed Central, London England, pp. 1-15.

Almbro, M., Dowling, D.K., Simmons, L., 2011, Effects of vitamin E and beta-carotene on sperm competitiveness, Ecology Letters [P], vol 14, issue 9, Wiley-Blackwell, Malden USA, pp. 891-895.

Innocenti, P., Morrow, E., Dowling, D.K., 2011, Experimental evidence supports a sex-specific selective sieve in mitochondrial genome evolution, Science [P], vol 332, issue 6031, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington USA, pp. 845-848.

Dowling, D.K., Meerupati, T., Arnqvist, G., 2010, Cytonuclear interactions and the economics of mating in seed beetles, American Naturalist [P], vol 176, issue 2, University of Chicago Press, Chicago USA, pp. 131-140.

Arnqvist, G., Dowling, D.K., Eady, P., Gay, L., Tregenza, T., Tuda, M., Hosken, D., 2010, Genetic architecture of metabolic rate: environment specific epistasis between mitochondrial and nuclear genes in an insect, Evolution; international journal of organic evolution [P], vol 64, issue 12, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc, Malden Massachusetts USA, pp. 3354-3363.

Dowling, D.K., Nystrand, M., Simmons, L., 2010, Maternal effects, but no good or compatible genes for sperm competitiveness in Australian crickets, Evolution [P], vol 64, issue 5, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc, Malden Massachusetts USA, pp. 1257-1266.

Dowling, D.K., Maklakov, A., Friberg, U., Hailer, F., 2009, Applying the genetic theories of ageing to the cytoplasm: Cytoplasmic genetic covariation for fitness and lifespan, Journal Of Evolutionary Biology [P], vol 22, issue 4, Wiley, UK, pp. 818-827.

Dowling, D.K., Simmons, L., 2009, Reactive oxygen species as universal constraints in life-history evolution, Proceedings of the Royal Society - Biological Sciences (Series B) [P], vol 276, Royal Society Publishing, London UK, pp. 1737-1745.

Dowling, D.K., Friberg, U., Lindell, J., 2008, Evolutionary implications of non-neutral mitochondrial genetic variation, Trends in Ecology and Evolution [P], vol 23, Elsevier, UK, pp. 546-554.

Friberg, U., Dowling, D.K., 2008, No evidence of mitochondrial genetic variation for sperm competition within a population of Drosophila melanogaster, Journal Of Evolutionary Biology [P], vol 21, issue 6, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, UK, pp. 1798-1807.

Dowling, D.K., Friberg, U., Arnqvist, G., 2007, A comparison of nuclear and cytoplasmic genetic effects on sperm competitiveness and female remating in a seed beetle, Journal Of Evolutionary Biology [P], vol 20, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd, UK, pp. 2113-2125.

Dowling, D.K., Nowostawski, A.L., Arnqvist, G., 2007, Effects of cytoplasmic genes on sperm viability and sperm morphology in a seed beetle: Implications for sperm competition theory?, Journal Of Evolutionary Biology [P], vol 20, issue 1, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd, UK, pp. 358-368.

Dowling, D.K., Friberg, U., Hailer, F., Arnqvist, G., 2007, Intergenomic epistasis for fitness: within-population interactions between cytoplasmic and nuclear genes in Drosophila melanogaster, Genetics [P], vol 175, Genetics Society of America, USA, pp. 235-244.

Dowling, D.K., Abiega, K.C., Arnqvist, G., 2007, Temperature-specific outcomes of cytoplasmic-nuclear interactions on egg-to-adult development time in seed beetles, Evolution; international journal of organic evolution [P], vol 61, issue 1, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, UK, pp. 194-201.

Dowling, D.K., Mulder, R.A., 2006, Combined influence of maternal and paternal quality on sex allocation in red-capped robins, Journal Of Evolutionary Biology [P], vol 19, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd, UK, pp. 440-449.

Dowling, D.K., Mulder, R.A., 2006, Red plumage and its association with reproductive success in red-capped robins, Annales Zoologici Fennici [P], vol 43, Finnish Zoology and Botanical Publishing Board, Finland, pp. 311-321.

Maklakov, A.A., Friberg, U., Dowling, D.K., Arnqvist, G., 2006, Within-population variation in cytoplasmic genes affects female life span and aging in Drosophila melanogaster, Evolution; international journal of organic evolution [P], vol 60, issue 10, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd, UK, pp. 2081-2086.

Langmore, N.E., Kilner, R.M., Butchart, S.H.M., Maurer, G., Davies, N.B., Cockburn, A., Macgregor, N.A., Peters, A.C., Magrath, M.J.L., Dowling, D.K., 2005, The evolution of egg rejection by cuckoo hosts in Australia and Europe, Behavioral Ecology [P], vol 16, Oxford University Press, USA/Australia, pp. 686-692.

Dowling, D.K., 2003, Breeding biology of the red-capped robin, Australian Journal of Zoology [P], vol 51, CSIRO Publishing, Australia, pp. 533-549.

Dowling, D.K., Antos, M., Sahlman, T., 2003, Dispersal and recruitment of juvenile Red-capped robins, Petroica goodenovii, Emu: Austral Ornithology [P], vol 103, issue 1, CSIRO Publishing, Australia, pp. 199-205.

Dowling, D.K., Adcock, G.J., Mulder, R.A., 2003, Novel polymorphic microsatellite markers for paternity analysis in the Red-capped robin (Petroica goodenovii: Aves), Molecular Ecology Resources [P], vol 3, Blackwell Publishing, UK, pp. 517-519.

Dowling, D.K., Richardson, D., Blaakmeer, K., Komdeur, J., 2001, Feather mite loads influenced by salt exposure, age and reproductive stage in the Seychelles Warbler Acrocephalus sechellensis, Journal Of Avian Biology [P], vol 32, issue 4, Blackwell Munksgaard, Copenhagen Denmark, pp. 364-369.

Dowling, D.K., Richardson, D., Komdeur, J., 2001, No effects of a feather mite on body condition, survivorship, or grooming behaviour in the Seychelles warbler, Acrocephalus sechellensis, Behavioral Ecology And Sociobiology [P], vol 50, issue 3, Springer-Verlag, New York USA, pp. 257-262.

Postgraduate Research Supervisions

Current Supervision

Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Body size variability of planktonic offspring and the associated zooplankton size structure in.
Supervisors:
Marshall, D (Main), Dowling, D (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Evolutionary Genomics of Mitochondrial Mutation Loads.
Supervisors:
Dowling, D (Main), Sgro, C (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Exploring the evolutionary significance of the mitochondrial genome.
Supervisors:
Dowling, D (Main), Sgro, C (Associate).
Program of Study:
(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).
Thesis Title:
Limits to evolution at range margins: testing evolutionary hypotheses about species borders in Drosophila serrata.
Supervisors:
Sgro, C (Main), Dowling, D (Associate).