Dr Peter Cowman is an ARC DECRA Fellow at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. He is a previous recipient of the prestigious Donnelley Postdoctoral Environmental Fellowship (2014-2016) administered by the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies (YIBS). Dr Cowman is a leading authority on the phylogenetic systematics and evolutionary origins of coral reef-associated fishes. 

His research focuses on reconstructing the evolutionary history of diverse groups of fishes and corals that are associated with tropical reefs habitats and uses those phylogenetic hypotheses to explore macroevolutionary questions on topics ranging from the origins of trophic novelty, processes driving biodiversity patterns, and the ancestral biogeography of reef-associated lineages. In a parallel research theme, he explores the causative relationships between genomic change, processes of diversification and life history traits across the tree of life.

Teaching

• BC3101: Genes, Genomes and Development (Level 3; TSV)
• BC5101: Advanced Genes, Genomes and Development (Level 5; TSV)

Experience

• 2014 to 2016 - Postdoctoral Associate, Yale University (New Haven (USA))
• 2012 to 2014 - Postdoctoral Fellow, Australian National University (Canberra)

Research Disciplines

• Ecology (3103)
• Evolutionary biology (3104)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Expanding knowledge (2801)

Awards

• 2009 - Virginia Chadwick Award for Excellence in Publication
• 2017 to 2020 - ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA)

Fellowships

• 2017 to 2020 - ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
• 2014 to 2016 - Donnelley Environmental Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies

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

• Downie A, Leis J, Cowman P, McCormick M and Rummer J (in press) The influence of habitat association on swimming performance in marine teleost fish larvae. Fish and Fisheries, , DOI:10.1111/faf.12580.
• Hemingson C, Siqueira A, Cowman P and Bellwood D (2021) Drivers of eyespot evolution in coral reef fishes. Evolution, 75 (4), pp. 903-914, DOI:10.1111/evo.14197.
• Siqueira A, Morais R, Bellwood D and Cowman P (2021) Planktivores as trophic drivers of global coral reef fish diversity patterns. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118 (9), Article: e2019404118, DOI:10.1073/pnas.2019404118.
• Cowman P, Quattrini A, Bridge T, Watkins-Colwell G, Fadli N, Grinblat M, Roberts T, McFadden C, Miller D and Baird A (2020) An enhanced target-enrichment bait set for Hexacorallia provides phylogenomic resolution of the staghorn corals (Acroporidae) and close relatives. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 153, Article: 106944, DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106944.
• Hemingson C, Cowman P and Bellwood D (2020) Body size determines eyespot size and presence in coral reef fishes. Ecology and Evolution, 10 (15), pp. 8144-8152, DOI:10.1002/ece3.6509.
• Horowitz J, Brugler M, Bridge T and Cowman P (2020) Morphological and molecular description of a new genus and species of black coral (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Hexacorallia: Antipatharia: Antipathidae: Blastopathes) from Papua New Guinea. Zootaxa, 4821 (3), pp. 553-569, DOI:10.11646/zootaxa.4821.3.7.
• Quattrini A, Rodriguez E, Faircloth B, Cowman P, Brugler M, Farfan G, Hellberg M, Kitahara M, Morrison C, Paz-Garcia D, Reimer J and McFadden C (2020) Palaeoclimate ocean conditions shaped the evolution of corals and their skeletons through deep time. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 4, pp. 1531-1538, DOI:10.1038/s41559-020-01291-1.
• Siqueira A, Morais R, Bellwood D and Cowman P (2020) Trophic innovations fuel reef fish diversification. Nature Communications, 11, Article: 2669, DOI:10.1038/s41467-020-16498-w.
• Baraf L, Pratchett M and Cowman P (2019) Ancestral biogeography and ecology of marine angelfishes (F: Pomacanthidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 140, Article: 106596, DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2019.106596.
• Cowman P, Diversity of the Indo‐Pacific Network , Toonen R, Pandolfi J, Madduppa H, Ludt W, Liu S, Lessios H, Kochzius M, Gaither M, Horne J, DiBattista J, Connolly S, Barber P, Beger M, Treml E, Liggins L, Bird C, Riginos C, Crandall E, Magnuson S and Eble J (2019) The molecular biogeography of the Indo-Pacific: testing hypotheses with multispecies genetic patterns. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 28 (7), pp. 943-960, DOI:10.1111/geb.12905.
• Duong B, Blomberg S, Cribb T, Cowman P, Kuris A, McCormick M, Warner R, Sun D and Grutter A (2019) Parasites of coral reef fish larvae: its role in the pelagic larval stage. Coral Reefs, 38 (2), pp. 199-214, DOI:10.1007/s00338-019-01766-z.
• Feeney W, Brooker R, Johnston L, Gilbert J, Besson M, Lecchini D, Dixson D, Cowman P and Manica A (2019) Predation drives recurrent convergence of an interspecies mutualism. Ecology Letters, 22 (2), pp. 256-264, DOI:10.1111/ele.13184.

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

• Drivers of Biodiversity on Coral Reefs - the role of Antipatharians Supporting Species Richness and Abundance on Shallow and Mesophotic Reefs (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Predicting 'The Unknown Unknowns' in the Global Oceans: Increasing Certainty of Species Distributions to Inform Conservation in Marine Ecosystems (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Role of Hybridization in Evolutionary History of Scleractinian Corals (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Biogeography, reproductive biology and early development in scleractinian corals (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• An integrated taxonomic approach to understanding the diversity and biogeography of corals on the Great Barrier Reef. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Phylogenomics and Whole Genome Assembly of Marine Angelfishes: The Evolutionary History of an Iconic Reef Fish Family (PhD , Primary Advisor)

Completed

• The colours of coral reef fishes (2021, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• How do coral reef fishes develop into athletes? (2021, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• The evolution, macroecology and biogeography of coral reef fishes: a trophic perspective (2021, PhD , Primary Advisor)

These are the most recent metadata records associated with this researcher. To see a detailed description of all dataset records, visit Research Data Australia.

• Hemingson, C. (2020) Data from: Body size determines eyespot size and presence in coral reef fishes. James Cook University
• Siqueira Correa, A. (2020) Data from 'Trophic innovations fuel reef fish diversification'. James Cook University
• Siqueira Correa, A. (2019) Data from 'Historical biogeography of herbivorous coral reef fishes: the formation of an Atlantic fauna'. James Cook University
• Hemingson, C. (2018) Data from: Colour pattern divergence in reef fish species is rapid and driven by both range overlap and range symmetry. James Cook University

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