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

• Evolutionary Biology (0603)
• Ecology (0602)
• Environmental Science and Management (0502)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity (9608)
• Expanding Knowledge (9701)

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

• 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
• Floeter S, Bender M, Siqueira A and Cowman P (2018) Phylogenetic perspectives on reef fish functional traits. Biological Reviews, 93 (1). pp. 131-151
• 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).
• Rabosky D, Chang J, Title P, Cowman P, Sallan L, Friedman M, Kaschner K, Garilao C, Near T, Coll M and Alfaro M (2018) An inverse latitudinal gradient in speciation rate for marine fishes. Nature, 559 (7714). pp. 392-395
• Cowman P, Parravicini V, Kulbicki M and Floeter S (2017) The biogeography of tropical reef fishes: endemism and provinciality through time. Biological Reviews, 92 (4). pp. 2112-2130
• Leprieur F, Descombes P, Gaboriau T, Cowman P, Parravicini V, Kulbicki M, Melián C, de Santana C, Heine C, Mouillot D, Bellwood D and Pellissier L (2016) Plate tectonics drive tropical reef biodiversity dynamics. Nature Communications, 7. pp. 1-8
• Leprieur F, Colosio S, Descombes P, Parravicini V, Kulbicki M, Cowman P, Bellwood D, Mouillot D and Pellissier L (2016) Historical and contemporary determinants of global phylogenetic structure in tropical reef fish faunas. Ecography, 39 (9). pp. 825-835
• Mouillot D, Parravicini V, Bellwood D, Leprieur F, Huang D, Cowman P, Albouy C, Hughes T, Thuiller W and Guilhaumon F (2016) Global marine protected areas do not secure the evolutionary history of tropical corals and fishes. Nature Communications, 7. pp. 1-8
• Siqueira A, Oliveira-Santos L, Cowman P and Floeter S (2016) Evolutionary processes underlying latitudinal differences in reef fish biodiversity. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 25 (12). pp. 1466-1476
• Bromham L, Hua X, Lanfear R and Cowman P (2015) Exploring the relationships between mutation rates, life history, genome size, environment, and species richness in flowering plants. American Naturalist, 185 (4). pp. 507-524

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
• Bellwood D, Goatley C, Cowman P and Bellwood O (2015) The evolution of fishes on coral reefs: fossils, phylogenies and functions. In: Ecology of Fishes on Coral Reefs. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp. 55-63

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 24+ 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

• 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)
• Gene Expression of Sex Change in Ctenactis Echinatar and Fungia Fungites Corals (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• The Evolution, Biogeography and Ecological Significance of Colour in Coral Reef Fishes (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.

• 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.