Mary Morgan-richards

Biography

Dr. Mary Morgan-Richards is currently working as a Associate Professor in Ecology in the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University , New Zealand.Dr. Mary Morgan-Richards is currently working as a Associate Professor in Ecology in the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University , New Zealand.

Research Interest

Biodiversity (01/03/2013) Opportunities exist within my research group (evolves@massey.ac.nz) to investigate local biodiversity using the cave weta as a model system. Many species await discovery and time is short for many forest habtats. This project will use systematic tools to document levels and patterns of New Zealand forest biodiversity hybrid zones (01/03/2013) Opportunities exist within my research group (evolves@massey.ac.nz) to investigate the level of hybridisation within and among tree weta species. Using chromosome and molecular genetic tools gene flow will be measured and evidence of reproductive isolation sought. conservation genetics (01/03/2013) Opportunities exist within my research group (evolves@massey.ac.nz) to investigate questions relating to biodiversity, conservation genetics and molecular ecology. For example work on New Zealand endemic geckos is needed to ensure management decisions conserve our current species-level diversity. This research would require detailed morphological and genetic study of gecko populations to delineate species boundaries and would be carried out in collaboration with Department of Conservation staff. Speciation and morphological change (14/02/2013) PhD projects and scholarships are avaliable to work in my lab investigating the link between morphological change as seen in the fossil record, and speciation. The work will use benthic marine snails. see evolves@massey.ac.nz