Phylogeographic structure is a product of a species' life history and dispersal patterns, geographic history, climatic history and chance. Comparative phylogeography, using carefully chosen model species, can highlight the relative contribution of each of these factors and identify common processes affecting communities. In this study we compare and contrast fine-scale phylogeographic patterns in two ground-dwelling species of water skink, Eulamprus heatwolei and Eulamprus tympanum, from the biogeographically well-characterized Tallaganda region in south-eastern Australia, and compare them against data from a number of invertebrate species from the same region. Using variation in mitochondrial sequence, we have uncovered dramatically different biogeographic histories for the two species, despite their marked behavioural and morphological similarity. Eulamprus tympanum shows an average corrected sequence divergence of 0.014 and patterns of geographic variation in haplotypes consistent with historical vegetational changes resulting from past glaciation cycles. In contrast, E. heatwolei shows an average divergence of only 0.0075, and geographic structure that reflects a recent and rapid colonization, perhaps following an ice age local extinction. These two contrasting patterns of variation have also been identified in invertebrate taxa as disparate as collembolans and spiders; these species show either deep structure, associated with local persistence, or little variation of structure, which we attribute to recent extinction and re-colonization. We argue that historical persistence versus extinction is a consequence of (often minor) differences in lifestyle and local habitat preference.

The eastern long-necked turtle, Chelodina longicollis (Family Chelidae), has a wide distribution throughout southeastern Australia. It occupies a broad range of freshwater aquatic habitats but is more abundant in shallow, ephemeral wetlands often remote from permanent rivers. Its propensity for long distance overland migration, coupled with a low rate of desiccation and the capacity to estivate on land, enable it to exploit highly-productive ephemeral habitats in the absence of competition from fish and other turtle species. In wetter periods, such habitats provide optimal conditions for growth and reproduction. In drier periods, however, turtles may need to seek refuge in permanent water where high population densities and low productivity can lead to reduced growth rates and reproductive output. The species is an opportunistic carnivore that feeds on a broad range of plankton, nekton and benthic macro-invertebrates, carrion, as well as terrestrial organisms that fall upon the water. It is relatively slow to mature (7-8 yrs for males and 10-12 yrs for females), lays between 6 and 23 hard-shelled eggs during spring and late summer, and can produce up to 3 clutches per year. Although currently considered common and not under major threat, the most widespread conservation concern for C. longicollis is high nest predation from the introduced fox (Vulpes vulpes), and roads, pest fencing, and habitat changes brought about by prolonged drought and climate change, which present localized and potential future threats for certain populations. distRibution.-Australia. Found throughout southeastern Australia, including southeastern Queensland,

The Australian Government is considering Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3) for biocontrol of invasive common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.). We review the evidence-base for its potential ecological risks, benefits and effectiveness. Lower carp abundance may boost native fish biomass and improve water clarity, but there is little evidence available to suggest that the virus, alone or used in combination with other methods, can deliver effective or safe biocontrol. Further, the virus may already be present in Australia. Overseas, the virus has caused sporadic and localized mortalities of carp in lakes and rivers, but has generally had no long-term measurable effect on wild carp or native fish populations. The temperature range of disease (18-28°C), unknown co-factors causing outbreaks, and predictable re-colonization and recruitment boom of immune and virus-resistant carp, following a biocontrol release, remain formidable and unmitigated barriers to success. CyHV-3 infection trials on Australian biota have unexplained high mortality rates of recreationally-important and threatened fishes, and the role of asymptomatic carriers remains uncertain. Finally, Australia has national and international obligations to ensure that there are no Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (

We examined range‐wide mitochondrial phylogeographical structure in the riverine freshwater turtle Chelodina expansa to determine whether this species exhibits deep genetic divergence between coastal and inland hydrological provinces, as seen in co‐distributed freshwater taxa. We sequenced two mitochondrial loci, genealogical relationships were assessed using a network approach, and relationships among biogeographical regions were tested using analyses of molecular variance. Population history was evaluated using neutrality tests, indices of demographic expansion, and mismatch analyses. Twenty‐one haplotypes were recovered across two mitochondrial haplogroups separated by approximately 4% nucleotide divergence. The haplogroups have discrete geographical boundaries but only partially support a hypothesis of deep divergence between coastal and inland bioregions. The first haplogroup comprises populations from the inland Murray‐Darling Basin and from coastal catchments south of the Mary River in south‐east Queensland. The second haplogroup comprises populations from coastal catchments north of the Mary River. Cryptic phylogeographical barriers separating adjacent coastal populations are congruent with those demonstrated for other freshwater taxa and may result from the combined influences of the Conondale Range and alluvial deposits at the mouth of the Mary River. The findings of the present study demonstrate that freshwater taxa commonly display genetic differentiation within a biogeographical region where no boundaries have been recognized, highlighting the need to uncover cryptic microbiogeographical regions to aid conservation of freshwater biota. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 111, 789–805.

A general characteristic of Parkinson's disease (PD) is the inability to adapt and change set quickly. The goal of this study was to assess whether PD aff ects performance in which changing set occurs over minutes, i.e., a slow and continuous form of sensorimotor set-change. Recovery from the postural lean aftereff ect following prolonged stance on an inclined surface (Experiment 1) was tested to see if the addition of light-touch tactile feedback from the fi ngertips during inclined stance increased the aftereff ect (Experiment 2). The percentage of responders in healthy Young, Older, and PD groups was similar, as were characteristics of the recovery towards vertical stance, namely the initial forward lean, range, time constant, and half-life. Tactile feedback increased the responder rate in all groups. A novel response was also observed in which the aftereff ect did not dissipate; i.e., participants remained leaning forward throughout the post-incline stance period. PD does not appear to aff ect the ability to change sensorimotor set if the change is slow.