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Anne Gaskett - PhD Student
Thesis now under examination (March 2008)
Furniss Foundation/American Orchid Society Research Fellow
Visiting Fellow Australian National University
Postal address:
Department of Biological Sciences,
Macquarie University,
NSW 2109, Australia
Email: click here
Australia's sexually deceptive Cryptostylis orchids lure pollinators by mimicking the signals of female insects. Male insects can't resist mating with orchid flowers and they unwittingly collect & distribute the orchid pollinia
Click here for a video of a wasp mating with an orchid (.avi)
Cryptostylis orchids are marvellous for investigating the evolution of deception, mimicry, and signalling in multiple sensory modes
I'm also interested in spider sex pheromones & mating systems (my review here)
My supervisor is Dr Marie Herberstein (Macquarie University)
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Cryptostylis subulata and pollinator photo copyright Simone Cottrell Botanic Gardens Trust
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2005-07 Furniss Foundation/American Orchid Society Research Fellowship
2007 Australasian Student Assistance Grant (Society for the Study of Evolution)
2006 Deputy Vice Chancellor Research Commendation (Macquarie University)
Postgraduate Research Fund Grant (Macquarie University)
2005 Ethel Mary Read Research Grant: Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales
2004 Munich Reinsurance Postgraduate Supplementary Award
Macquarie University Students Abroad Travel Grant
2002 European Society of Arachnology Conference Travel Grant
2000 American Arachnology Society Research Grant
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Cryptostylis orchid textures Photo by Ron Oldfield, Macquarie University |
| Orchids & Floral Signals | Spider Mating & Pheromones | Frogs on Farms |
AC Gaskett, CG Winnick & ME Herberstein (2008) Orchid sexual deceit provokes ejaculation. American Naturalist 171(6):E206-E212 (PDF)
AC Gaskett & ME Herberstein 2006 Flowering, pollination, and fruit set in Tongue Orchids Cryptostylis spp. The Victorian Naturalist 123(3):129-133 [PDF]
AC Gaskett, E Conti & Schiestl, FP 2005 Floral odor variation in two heterostylous species of Primula. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 31, 1223-1228 [PDF]
Spider mating systems & pheromones
AC Gaskett 2007 Spider sex pheromones: emission, reception, structures and functions Biological Reviews 82:27-48 [PDF of uncorrected proof] {contact Biological Reviews or me for the definitive PDF}
AC Gaskett 2007 Book Review: Dicke & Takken (2006) 'Chemical Ecology: From Gene to Ecosystem' ISBE Newsletter 19(1):13-14
ME Herberstein, AC Gaskett, NGF Vella & MA Elgar 2005 Limits to male copulation frequency: sexual cannibalism and sterility in St Andrew’s Cross spiders (Araneae, Araneidae). Ethology, 111, 1050-1061 [PDF]
AC Gaskett, ME Herberstein, B Downes & MA Elgar 2004 Changes in male mate choice in a sexually cannibalistic orb-web spider (Araneae: Araneidae). Behaviour, 141, 1197-1210 [PDF]
MA Elgar, MJ Bruce, FDE Champion de Crespigny, AC Cutler, CL Cutler, AC Gaskett, ME Herberstein, S Ramamurthy & JM Schneider 2003 Male mate choice and patterns of paternity in the polyandrous, sexually cannibalistic orb-web spider, Nephila plumipes. Australian Journal of Zoology, 51: 357-351 [PDF]
ME Herberstein, AC Gaskett, D Glencross, S Hart, S Jaensch & MA Elgar 2000 Does the presence of potential prey affect web design in Argiope keyserlingi (Araneae, Araneidae)? The Journal of Arachnology, 28: 346-350 [PDF]
AC Gaskett, C Bulman, X He & SD Goldsworthy 2001 Diet composition and guild structure of mesopelagic and bathypelagic fishes near Macquarie Island, Australia. New Zealand Journal of Marine Freshwater Research, 35, 469–476 [PDF]
A Gaskett 1999 Creating frog-friendly farms. Australian Landcare, September
I am the course coordinator for BIOL 316 Invertebrates: Evolution, Behaviour and Diversity
Course material for BIOL316 available here (requires login & password)
I also present guest lectures in ELS 203 The Science of Sex and BIOL 208 Animal Structure and Function
Contact me via email here
2008
New Scientist "Orchid's sexual deception triggers ejaculation" (Ewen Callaway, 10 April 08)
ScienceFlash - Dutch PBS TV segment via YouTube (Frederique Melman, 16 April 08)
Der Speigel "Betrügerischer Blümchensex" (April 08)
Der Standard "Die erotischste Pflanze der Welt" (Klaus Taschwer, 30 April 08)
Fox News "Australian wasp fooled into having sex with flowers" (Charles Choi, 30 April 08)
Yahoo News "Bug has sex with orchids" (Charles Choi, 28 April 08)
Stuff.co.nz "Sexy orchids don't just embarrass wasps" (8 May 08)
China Daily "Sexy orchids do more than embarrass wasps?" (8 May 08)
Quirks & Quarks, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation "The love flower" (10 May 08, go here for MP3 file)
Daily Times, Pakistan "Do sexy orchids do more than embarrass wasps?" (12 May 08)
Globe & Mail, Canada "Nature's own honeytrap" (8 May 08)
Sonnentag Blick, Germany
Australia
Townsville Bulletin "Deceptive orchids embarrass male wasps to enhance pollination" (10 May 08)
Daily Liberal, Dubbo (10 May 08)
Central Western Daily, Orange "Waspish Behaviour" (9 May 08)
Courier Mail, Brisbane "Seduced by Exotica" (9 May 08)
2007
ABC News Online "Joy of sex turns male wasps colourblind" (Dani Cooper, 21 Aug 07)
Sydney Morning Herald "Too overcome by allure to sniff the truth" (Richard Macey, 25 Aug 07)
coverstory: Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses (2007) 'Floral arms race seduces insects', 97: 19-21.