Catriona Condon

BSc (Hons) The University of Queensland

PhD Candidate

Supervisors: Dr Robbie Wilson & Dr Steve Chenoweth

Research interests

Most organisms experience variability in the thermal environment throughout their lives. I am interested in how organisms adjust to seasonal variation in environmental temperature via the acclimation (or reversible plasticity) of whole-animal performance traits. For my PhD research I have been examining the evolution of thermal acclimation of locomotor and behavioural traits in the zebrafish (Danio rerio). Reversible thermal acclimation responses are often tested at a small number of temperatures and currently, little is known of the genetic variation in any acclimation response. By examining performance traits as functions of environmental temperature within a quantitative genetic framework, we have been able to examine the genetic basis of thermal acclimation in zebrafish.

A female zebrafish and her offspring, about 24 hrs post-fertilisation.

Previously, I investigated the benefit of thermal acclimation in female eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). Gambusia are a particularly interesting study animal not least because of the curious sneaky-mating strategy that males exclusively employ to mate with females. I examined whether thermal acclimation altered the female ability to escape male harassment and avoid sneaky-matings. Females were found to actually resist less after warm acclimation -- a surprising result given that females never appear to co-operate with males. You can read more about this project and other work on acclimation in Gambusia on the project page.

Candice, me and Billy in New York observing the strange phenomenon of cold weather

Contact details
School of Biological Sciences,
The University of Queensland,
St Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia
Ph: +617 3365 4720 c.condon@uq.edu.au

Publications

Wilson, R.S., Condon, C.H., David, G., FitzGibbon, S., Niehaus, A.C. and Pratt, K. 2010. Females prefer athletes, male fear the disadvantaged: different signals used in female choice and male competition have varied consequences. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 227, 1689, pp 1923-1928. pdf

Wilson, R.S., Condon, C.H. and I.A. Johnston. 2007. Consequences of thermal acclimation for the mating behaviour and swimming performance of female mosquito fish. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society 362: 2131-2139. pdf

Condon, C. H. & Wilson, R. S. 2006. Effect of thermal acclimation on female resistance to forced matings in the eastern mosquitofish. Animal Behaviour, 72, 585-593. pdf

Conference presentations

C.H. Condon, S.F. Chenoweth & R.S. Wilson. 2010. Genetic variation in the plasticity of thermal performance in the zebrafish, Danio rerio. Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology, Seattle, Jan3-7. Abstract

C.H. Condon, S.F. Chenoweth & R.S. Wilson. 2009. Mixed signals: thermal performance of zebrafish Danio rerio in uncertain environments. Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology, Boston, Jan 3-7. Abstract Division of Ecology and Evolution Best Student Paper.

C.H. Condon, S.F. Chenoweth & R.S. Wilson. 2008. Thermal performance of zebrafish Danio rerio in uncertain environments. Australian and New Zealand Society of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry, Sydney, Dec 8-10.

C.H. Condon, S.F. Chenoweth & R.S. Wilson. 2008. Coping with change: thermal acclimation of zebrafish Danio rerio in uncertain environments. Ecological Society of Australia, Sydney, Dec 4-8.

C.H. Condon & R.S. Wilson. 2004. Effect of thermal acclimation on female resistance to forced matings in the eastern mosquitofish. Australian and New Zealand Society of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry, Wollongong NSW, Dec 4-7.