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)
• BZ3450: Ecological and Conservation Genetics (Level 3; TSV)
• BZ5450: Ecological and Conservation Genetics (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 (0602)
• Evolutionary Biology (0603)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity (9608)

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

• 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.
• Crandall E, Riginos C, Bird C, Liggins L, Treml E, Beger M, Barber P, Connolly S, Cowman P, DiBattista J, Eble J, Magnuson S, Horne J, Kochzius M, Lessios H, Liu S, Ludt W, Madduppa H, Pandolfi J, Toonen R, Diversity of the Indo‐Pacific Network and Gaither M (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.
• Hemingson C, Cowman P, Hodge J and Bellwood D (2019) Colour pattern divergence in reef fish species is rapid and driven by both range overlap and symmetry. Ecology Letters, 22 (1), pp. 190-199, DOI:10.1111/ele.13180.
• Jaspers C, Fraune S, Arnold A, Miller D, Bosch T, Voolstra C, Adamska M, Ainsworth T, Ball E, Boote C, Bourne D, Butterfield N, Chan C, Cooke I, Cowman P, Darling A, Davy S, Mohamed A, Fabricius K, Valero Fortunato S, Hernandez Agreda A, Hoogenboom M, Moya A, Pita L, Ragan M, Robbins S, Andrade Rodriguez N, Sakamaki K, Schoepf V, Seemann T, Shinzato C, Stolarski J, Strugnell J, Takahashi S, Tang S, Webster N, Whitelaw B and Ying H (2019) Resolving structure and function of metaorganisms through a holistic framework combining reductionist and integrative approaches. Zoology, 133, pp. 81-87, DOI:10.1016/j.zool.2019.02.007.
• Siqueira A, Bellwood D and Cowman P (2019) Historical biogeography of herbivorous coral reef fishes: the formation of an Atlantic fauna. Journal of Biogeography, 46 (7), pp. 1611-1624, DOI:10.1111/jbi.13631.
• Siqueira A, Bellwood D and Cowman P (2019) The evolution of traits and functions in herbivorous coral reef fishes through space and time. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Biological Sciences, 286 (1897), Article: 20182672, DOI:10.1098/rspb.2018.2672.
• Dibattista J, Alfaro M, Sorenson L, Choat J, Hobbs J, Sinclair-Taylor T, Rocha L, Chang J, Luiz O, Cowman P, Friedman M and Berumen M (2018) Ice ages and butterflyfishes: phylogenomics elucidates the ecological and evolutionary history of reef fishes in an endemism hotspot. Ecology and Evolution, 8 (22), pp. 10989-11008, DOI:10.1002/ece3.4566.
• Floeter S, Bender M, Siqueira A and Cowman P (2018) Phylogenetic perspectives on reef fish functional traits. Biological Reviews, 93 (1), pp. 131-151, DOI:10.1111/brv.12336.
• Nowicki J, O'Connell L, Cowman P, Walker S, Coker D and Pratchett M (2018) Variation in social systems within Chaetodon butterflyfishes, with special reference to pair bonding. PLoS ONE, 13 (4), Article: e0194465, DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0194465.

Book Chapters

• Pratchett M, Thompson C, Hoey A, Cowman P and Wilson S (2018) Effects of coral bleaching and coral loss on the structure and function of reef fish assemblages. In: Coral Bleaching: patterns, processes, causes and consequences. Ecological Studies, 233. Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 265-293

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 32+ research outputs authored by Dr Peter Cowman from 2009 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

• Drivers of Biodiversity on Coral Reefs - the role of Antipatharians Supporting Species Richness and Abundance on Shallow and Mesophotic Reefs (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• How Do Coral Reef Fishes Develop Into Athletes (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)
• Regulators of coral reef diversity in deep time and space (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• The Evolution, Biogeography and Ecological Significance of Colour in Coral Reef Fishes (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Gene Expression of Sex Change in Ctenactis Echinatar and Fungia Fungites Corals (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Role of Hybridization in Evolutionary History of Scleractinian Corals (PhD , Secondary Advisor)

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

• 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

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.