My research and teaching interests focus on biodiversity: what's out there, how we discover and describe it, how it arises and adapts through time, and how we can conserve it.

I'm very interested in speciation and rapid adaptation, including to human-induced change like climate change and invasive species. To date, I've done a lot of evolutionary biology and species discovery but I'm increasingly focussing on conservation projects. My research methods include field data, genetics, and modelling. Many of my projects involve frogs and lizards because they show biogeographic patterns and evolutionary processes on a fine scale, and because Australia has a rich diversity. However, I'm interested in all groups and current projects include mammals (e.g., Spotted-tailed Quolls) and invertebrates (e.g., Drosophila experiments). 

Current projects include: phylogenetics and taxonomy of various reptile and frog groups; mating trait evolution in geckos, frogs and flies; speciation in hybrid zones; reinforcement and character displacement; conservation genetics of endangered frogs and mammals; climate change adaptation in native Drosophila; impacts of invasive geckos and toads; recovery of frogs from chytrid disease; and decline and threatened species recovery in all vertebrate groups.

Teaching

• BZ2725: Australian Terrestrial Diversity (Level 2; CNS & TSV)
• BZ3220: Population and Community Ecology (Level 3; TSV)
• BZ3450: Ecological and Conservation Genetics (Level 3; TSV)
• BZ3740: Wildlife Ecology and Management (Level 3; CNS & TSV)
• BZ5740: Wildlife Ecology and Management (Level 5; CNS & TSV)
• BZ5925: Australian Terrestrial Diversity (Level 5; TSV)

Interests

Research

• Biodiversity: what's out there, how we discover and describe it, how it arises and adapts throught time, and how we can conserve it.

Teaching

• Biodiversity: what's out there, how we discover and describe it, how it arises and adapts throught time, and how we can conserve it.

Experience

• 2011 to 2019 - ABRS Fellowship, Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, James Cook University (Townsville)
• 2007 to 2011 - ARC Fellowship, ARC postdoc, Australian National University (Canberra)
• 1996 to 2006 - Honours, PhD, Research Assistant on various projects, University of Queensland (Brisbane)

Research Disciplines

• Environmental management (4104)
• Evolutionary biology (3104)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Terrestrial systems and management (1806)

Awards

• 2009 - Eureka Prize - ABRS Early Career Species Discovery
• 2003 - Henry Seibert Award - Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (International)

Fellowships

• 2011 to 2014 - ABRS BushBlitz Research Fellowship (2011-2014)
• 2007 to 2010 - ARC Australian Postdoctoral (APD) Research Fellowship (2007-2010)

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Geyle H, Hoskin C, Bower D, Catullo R, Clulow S, Driessen M, Daniels K, Garnett S, Gilbert D, Heard G, Hero J, Hines H, Hoffmann E, Hollis G, Hunter D, Lemckert F, Mahony M, Marantelli G, McDonald K, Mitchell N, Newell D, Roberts J, Scheele B, Scroggie M, Vanderduys E, Wassens S, West M, Woinarski J and Gillespie G (in press) Red hot frogs: identifying the Australian frogs most at risk of extinction. Pacific Conservation Biology,
• Lach L, Case D, Yeeles P and Hoskin C (2022) Invasive ants reduce abundance of small rainforest skinks. Biodiversity and Conservation, 31. pp. 739-755
• Legge S, Rumpff L, Woinarski J, Whiterod N, Ward M, Southwell D, Scheele B, Nimmo D, Lintermans M, Geyle H, Garnett S, Hayward-Brown B, Ensbey M, Ehmke G, Ahyong S, Blackmore C, Bower D, Brizuela-Torres D, Burbidge A, Burns P, Butler G, Catullo R, Chapple D, Dickman C, Doyle K, Ferris J, Fisher D, Gallagher R, Gillespie G, Greenlees M, Hohnen R, Hoskin C, Hunter D, Jolly C, Kennard M, King A, Kuchinke D, Law B, Lawler I, Lawler S, Loyn R, Lunney D, Lyon J, MacHunter J, Mahony M, Mahony S, McCormack R, Melville J, Menkhorst P, Michael D, Mitchell N, Mulder E, Newell D, Pearce L, Raadik T, Rowley J, Sitters H, Spencer R, Valavi R, West M, Wilkinson D and Zukowski S (in press) The conservation impacts of ecological disturbance: Time-bound estimates of population loss and recovery for fauna affected by the 2019-2020 Australian megafires. Global Ecology and Biogeography,
• Chapple D, Roll U, Böhm M, Aguilar R, Amey A, Austin C, Baling M, Barley A, Bates M, Bauer A, Blackburn D, Bowles P, Brown R, Chandramouli S, Chirio L, Cogger H, Colli G, Conradie W, Couper P, Cowan M, Craig M, Das I, Datta-Roy A, Dickman C, Ellis R, Fenner A, Ford S, Ganesh S, Gardner M, Geissler P, Gillespie G, Glaw F, Greenlees M, Griffith O, Grismer L, Haines M, Harris D, Hedges S, Hitchmough R, Hoskin C, Hutchinson M, Ineich I, Janssen J, Johnston G, Karin B, Keogh J, Kraus F, LeBreton M, Lymberakis P, Masroor R, McDonald P, Mecke S, Melville J, Melzer S, Michael D, Miralles A, Mitchell N, Nelson N, Nguyen T, de Campos Nogueira C, Ota H, Pafilis P, Pauwels O, Perera A, Pincheira-Donoso D, Reed R, Ribeiro-Júnior M, Riley J, Rocha S, Rutherford P, Sadlier R, Shacham B, Shea G, Shine R, Slavenko A, Stow A, Sumner J, Tallowin O, Teale R, Torres-Carvajal O, Trape J, Uetz P, Ukuwela K, Valentine L, Van Dyke J, van Winkel D, Vasconcelos R, Vences M, Wagner P, Wapstra E, While G, Whiting M, Whittington C, Wilson S, Ziegler T, Tingley R and Meiri S (2021) Conservation status of the world's skinks (Scincidae): taxonomic and geographic patterns in extinction risk. Biological Conservation, 257.
• Geyle H, Tingley R, Amey A, Cogger H, Couper P, Cowan M, Craig M, Doughty P, Driscoll D, Ellis R, Emery J, Fenner A, Gardner M, Garnett S, Gillespie G, Greenlees M, Hoskin C, Keogh J, Lloyd R, Melville J, McDonald P, Michael D, Mitchell N, Sanderson C, Shea G, Sumner J, Wapstra E, Woinarski J and Chapple D (2021) Reptiles on the brink: identifying the Australian terrestrial snake and lizard species most at risk of extinction. Pacific Conservation Biology, 27. pp. 3-12
• Hopkins J, Higgie M and Hoskin C (2021) Calling behaviour in the invasive Asian house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus) and implications for early detection. Wildlife Research, 48 (2). pp. 152-162
• Melville J, Chapple D, Keogh J, Sumner J, Amey A, Bowles P, Brennan I, Couper P, Donnellan S, Doughty P, Edwards D, Ellis R, Esquerré D, Fenker J, Gardner M, Georges A, Haines M, Hoskin C, Hutchinson M, Moritz C, Nankivell J, Oliver P, Pavón-Vázquez C, Pepper M, Rabosky D, Sanders K, Shea G, Singhal S, Wilmer J and Tingley R (2021) A return-on-investment approach for prioritization of rigorous taxonomic research needed to inform responses to the biodiversity crisis. PLoS Biology, 19 (6).
• Riedel J, Zozaya S, Hoskin C and Schwarzkopf L (2021) Parallel evolution of toepads in rock-dwelling lineages of a terrestrial gecko (Gekkota: Gekkonidae: Heteronotia binoei). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 193 (2). pp. 636-654
• Van Dyke J, Thompson M, Burridge C, Castelli M, Clulow S, DIssanayake D, Dong C, Doody J, Edwards D, Ezaz T, Friesen C, Gardner M, Georges A, Higgie M, Hill P, Holleley C, Hoops D, Hoskin C, Merry D, Riley J, Wapstra E, While G, Whiteley S, Whiting M, Zozaya S and Whittington C (2021) Australian lizards are outstanding models for reproductive biology research. Australian Journal of Zoology, 68 (4). pp. 168-199
• Villacorta-Rath C, Hoskin C, Strugnell J and Burrows D (2021) Long distance (>20 km) downstream detection of endangered stream frogs suggests an important role for eDNA in surveying for remnant amphibian populations. PeerJ, 9.
• Ward M, Carwardine J, Yong C, Watson J, Silcock J, Taylor G, Lintermans M, Gillespie G, Garnett S, Woinarski J, Tingley R, Fensham R, Hoskin C, Hines H, Roberts J, Kennard M, Harvey M, Chapple D and Reside A (2021) A national-scale dataset for threats impacting Australia's imperiled flora and fauna. Ecology and Evolution, 11 (17). pp. 11749-11761
• Gillespie G, Roberts J, Hunter D, Hoskin C, Alford R, Heard G, Hines H, Lemckert F, Newell D and Scheele B (2020) Status and priority conservation actions for Australian frog species. Biological Conservation, 247.

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 108+ research outputs authored by Dr Conrad Hoskin from 1999 onwards.

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

• Unravelling genomic patterns of population structure and fitness in the Australian koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Management of genetic diversity in Australian threatened species (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Conservation of the threatened Magnificent Broodfrog, Pseudophryne covacevichae (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Understanding the determinants of fine-scale distribution in microhylid frogs, to better predict future change (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Conservation genomics and population status of endangered Mahogany gliders (Petaurus gracilis) (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Biogeography, Speciation, and Systematics of a Tree Frog Species Complex in the Amazon Basin (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• The effect of the pasasite Waddycephalus on native reptile communities and the role of the invasive Asian House Gecko (Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• Cane toads in Wet Tropics upland rainforest and their current and potential impact on native fauna (Masters , Primary Advisor)
• Investigating the long term Viability and Resilience of the Northern Great Barrier Reef Green Turtle Population based on Hatchling Production and Hatchling Sex Ratio (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Using Pheromones to Understand Cryptic Lizard Diversity in Native Australian Gehyra Geckoes (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Characterizing the Genomic Signal of Speciation by Reinforcement (PhD , Secondary Advisor)

Completed

• Understanding range expansion of Asian house geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus) in natural environments (2017, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Using pheromones to understand cryptic lizard diversity (2020, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Adaptation under climate change (2021, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Species interactions and the evolution of plasticity in mating traits (2021, PhD , Secondary Advisor)

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.