Deanne Cummins

Deanne has completed her undergraduate degree at UWA, majoring in zoology and genetics. She will be continuing in both of these areas this year by completing an honours project with a population genetics focus.

She is aiming to identify genetic variation, connectivity and local adaptation of Pseudophryne guentheri populations sampled across an environmental gradient. Knowledge of these genetic variables will be valuable in predicting population-level responses of P. guentheri to the directional change that is climate change. This species could provide a model to test the effectiveness of assisted gene flow as a conservation strategy for threatened amphibian species.