Jon Waters
@jon_waters_nz
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Professor of Zoology in NZ: ecology and evolution; genomics; natural history; conservation
University of Otago
Joined August 2013
Thrilled to see this work published @ScienceMagazine @peterkdearden @GrahamMcC_NZ @ludo_dutoit @TK_Dunedin @BrodieFoster @GracieKroos @Mei_Peng_Otago Human-driven evolution of color in a stonefly mimic | Science
science.org
Rapid adaptation is thought to be critical for the survival of species under global change, but our understanding of human-induced evolution in the wild remains limited. We show that widespread...
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A famous case of frequency-dependent selection
science.org
Genetic insights into the breaking of bilateral symmetry in a textbook example.
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Our new eDNA article in Restoration Ecology - how do exotic plantations in NZ impact freshwater biodiversity? @GrahamMcC_NZ
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Widespread deforestation has impacted biodiversity patterns globally, but the potential for forest plantations to restore biodiversity remains unclear. Here we used environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis...
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Exciting collaboration with @docgovtnz @wilderlabnz shows the value of targeted eDNA for biodiversity management and population genetics @GrahamMcC_NZ McCulloch - 2025 - Ecology and Evolution -
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
We developed new species-specific eDNA primers to detect Zelandoperla maungatuaensis, a rare, flightless insect restricted to a 4-km stretch of the Maungatua range (South Island, New Zealand). eDNA...
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Fluorescent millipede Motyxia is a genus of cyanide-producing millipedes with the ability to glow brightly under UV light [📹 Nick Tobler / cowturtle9427] https://t.co/dUKj2qIqpM
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“From sewage and scum to swimming in ‘blue gold’: how Switzerland transformed its rivers”. Could New Zealand do the same?
theguardian.com
In the 1960s, the Swiss had some of the dirtiest water in Europe. Now, their cities boast pristine rivers and lakes – and other countries are looking to follow their lead
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NZ's glaciers have lost nearly a third of their ice
rnz.co.nz
Almost 300 glaciers have now vanished completely from New Zealand's mountains.
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❤️😍💞 Wisdom, the world’s oldest known wild bird, returned to her nest on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge last week to care for her new chick! At an age of at least 74, the queen of seabirds is estimated to have produced 50-60 eggs and as many as 30 chicks that fledged.⤵️
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Not an ancient relic: the endemic Livistona palms of arid central Australia could have been introduced by humans | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
royalsocietypublishing.org
Livistona mariae is an endemic palm localized in arid central Australia. This species is separated by about 1000 km from its congener L. rigida, which grows distantly in the Roper River and Nichols...
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There’s still time to vote for our amazing #stonefly in NZ Bug of the Year 2025 https://t.co/wEE4396xn9
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Pollination in walnuts and pecans occurs through a genetically controlled temporal flowering dimorphism. Two distinct morphs alternate their phases of male and female flowering across the season, promoting outcrossing that has maintained a stable equilibrium throughout tens of
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Congrats Anran fan on the first publication from your MSc @Zoology_Otago #eDNA #biodiversity
https://t.co/THL8OFsbVg
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Excellent news - congrats @GrahamMcC_NZ on your Mana Tūānuku Research Leader Fellowship!
royalsociety.org.nz
2024: Dr Graham McCulloch of Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka University of Otago has been awarded a New Zealand Mana Tūānuku Research Leader Fellowship to investigate how widespread human-induced deforestation...
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One never knows how much can be learned from studying the details of small fishes. Trichomycterus guianensis.
Phylogenetics and Biogeography of the Guiana Shield Pencil Catfishes, Genus Trichomycterus by Daniel R Akin @DamDanielULL, Courtney A Weyand, Matthew D Buehler, and Jonathan W Armbruster Open Access DOI link: https://t.co/8HsyR5qeJt
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How do insects adapt to harsh alpine conditions? Our new research reveals strikingly different responses to elevation in two closely related stoneflies. @Ecol_Evol @jon_waters_nz @BrodieFoster @MarsdenFund
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Alpine ecosystems present many challenges for flighted insects. Some insects have adapted to these conditions by undergoing dramatic wing reduction while others have evolved larger wings. Here we...
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The famous colour polymorphism in pocket mice! - textbook example of adaptive melanism linked to habitat contrasts) - thanks to @MichaelNachman2 @MVZUCB @mvz.berkeley.edu #evolution #ecology
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Spring Cavefish (Forbesichthys agassizii, top) are pigmented and have functional eyes; most of the relatives to springfishes and swampfishes are cavefishes that do not exhibit much in the way of pigments and do not have eyes-Southern Cavefish (Typhlichthys subterraneus, bottom).
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Out today in @ScienceAdvances. We trace the evolutionary history of a trait under sexual selection in a genus of dancing manakins. Co-led with @hawchuan. https://t.co/iJp2V9rkjz
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