Insects 'Down Under'– Diversity, endemism and evolution of the Australian insect fauna: examples from select orders

Abstract   The Australian insect fauna is highly endemic and characterised by numerous unique higher-level taxa. In addition, a number of groups are noticeably absent or depauperate on the continent. Many groups found in Australia show characteristic Gondwanan distribution patterns on the southern continents. There are extensive radiations on the plant families Myrtaceae and Mimosaceae, a specialised arid/semiarid fauna, and diverse taxa associated with rainforests and seasonally wet tropical regions. The fauna is also poorly studied, particularly when compared with the flora and vertebrate groups. However, studies in the last two decades have provided a more comprehensive picture of the size of the fauna, relationships, levels of endemism, origins and its evolution. Here we provide an overview of these and other aspects of Australian insect diversity, focusing on six groups, the Thysanoptera and the five megadiverse orders Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera.     

Rainforest ants of the Tiwi Islands: a remarkable centre of endemism in Australia’s monsoonal tropics

The small and isolated rainforest patches that are embedded in the predominantly savanna landscape of Australia’s monsoonal tropics support a highly distinctive and biogeographically significant ant fauna. This fauna features shade-tolerant taxa of Indo-Malayan origin, in contrast to the arid-adapted, endemic Australian taxa that dominate the surrounding savanna. The Tiwi Islands north of Darwin in the Northern Territory (NT) receive the highest mean annual rainfall (up to 2,000 mm) in monsoonal Australia, and have a particularly extensive rainforest estate that has been poorly surveyed for invertebrates. Here we describe results from intensive ant surveys at 17 sites representing the full range of Tiwi rainforest types, using subterranean traps, Winkler sacs, pitfall traps and arboreal traps, supplemented by opportunistic hand collections. Our surveys yielded a total of 87 species from 37 genera, with the richest genera being Pheidole (9 species collected), Polyrhachis (8), Camponotus (5), Rhytidoponera (5) and Strumigenys (5). The overall structure and diversity of the Tiwi rainforest fauna is comparable to that of rainforest ant faunas on the Australian mainland. However, the species have exceptional biogeographic significance. At least 21 species across 12 genera have apparently never previously been collected, three species from subcoastal northeastern Australia are recorded for the first time in the NT, and the genera Mesoponera and Onychomyrmex are documented for the first time in the NT. There was a very low incidence of exotic species, which further highlights the conservation values of this remarkable fauna.     

Parallel adaptive radiations in arid and temperate Australia: molecular phylogeography and systematics of the Egernia whitii (Lacertilia: Scincidae) species group

It has been an enduring belief that increasing aridity combined with Pliocene‐Pleistocene glacial cycles resulted in the formation of distinct arid zone and temperate zone faunas within Australia. We assembled a molecular phylogeny for the Egernia whitii species group, an endemic group of skinks that comprises representatives from arid and temperate Australia, in order to test several biogeographical hypotheses regarding the origin of the Australian arid zone fauna. Sequence data were obtained from ten of the 11 species within the species group, plus three other Egernia species and an outgroup (Eulamprus heatwolei). We targeted portions of the ND4 (696 base pairs) and 16S rRNA (500 bp) mitochondrial genes and the β‐Fibrinogen 7th Intron nuclear gene (648 bp). The edited alignment comprised 1844 characters, of which 551 (30%) were variable and 382 (69%) were parsimony informative. We analysed the data using maximum likelihood and Bayesian techniques and produced a single optimal tree. Our phylogeny strongly supports two major clades within the species group, corresponding to temperate‐adapted rock‐dwelling species and arid‐adapted obligate burrowing species. However, the phylogenetic affinities of E. pulchra were not resolved. Our topology indicates that the New South Wales population of E. margaretae is actually E. whitii and reveals that E. margaretae margaretae and E. m. personata are distinct species. There also appears to be a major phylogeographical break within E. whitii occurring in eastern Victoria. Although our data supported several previously proposed phylogenetic relationships, Shimodaira–Hasegawa tests soundly rejected several suggested affinities between certain species. The arid zone members of the E. whitii species group had been suggested to have originated as a result of multiple periods of colonization during the Pleistocene glaciation cycles. However, our genetic data suggest a single origin (presumably from a semiarid E. multiscutata‐like ancestor) for the arid zone members of the group prior to the Plio‐Pleistocene, probably during the late Miocene to early Pliocene. Our topology displays substantial sequence divergence between species with short internodes and long terminal branches, indicating rapid adaptive radiations within the arid and temperate zones. The presence of temperate‐adapted species within more mesic refugia of the arid zone suggests that the necessary adaptations to aridity for colonizing the dry interior of the continent have not evolved since the initial period of adaptive radiation, despite the long evolutionary history of the species group. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2004, 83 , 157–173.     

Endemism in Tasmanian cool temperate rainforest: alternative hypotheses

Endemism in Tasmanian cool temperate rainforest: alternative hypotheseS. Evidence is presented which suggests that hypotheses presented by Kirkpatrick & Brown relating to endemic species in Tasmania are either invalid or of limited importance for woody rainforest species.
In their place three hypotheses are presented to account for the presence of endemic species in Tasmanian cool temperate rainforest on the basis of the fossil record and the distribution of species which are closely related to the endemics. The first two hypotheses relate to the presence of the endemic species in the general Tasmanian region. They are:

• 1. 

  Some species evolved in southeastern Australia during the Tertiary in response to the changing climate. Some of the ancestral species still occur in temperate rainforest at lower latitudes in Australia.
• 2. 

  Some species have remained essentially unchanged in Tasmania during the Tertiary and Quaternary climatic changes.

The third hypothesis relates to the restriction of these cool temperate rainforest species to Tasmania:

• 1. 

  Post-glacial climatic changes (especially a decrease in rainfall) and the human influence (especially land clearing and fire) may have combined to eliminate some cool temperate rainforest species from mainland Australia.

     

The steppe insect fauna in the Russian Far East: Myth or reality?

The fauna of Lepidoptera in the forest-steppe zone of southern plains of the Russian Far East is analyzed. The contribution of species with the optimal distribution in the steppe and forest-steppe zones of Eurasia into the above fauna is insignificant; eastern Asian temperate species dominate in the region. The classification analysis of lists of species from local steppe and forest-steppe faunas of both Far-Eastern humid “prairies” and southern Transbaikalian region is performed. In these regions, xerophilous species constitute the essential part of the local fauna. The necessity of revision of the present zoogeographical zoning of the Far East is substantiated.     

Spatio-temporal distribution patterns and conservation of fish assemblages in a Chilean coastal river

River environments are characterized by extreme spatial and temporal variation in the physical environment. The relationship of fish assemblages to environmental variation is poorly understood in many systems. In Chile zonation patterns of fish assemblages have been documented in several Andean river drainages. Coastal river drainages are comparatively small, but inordinately important because of their highly endemic flora and fauna and their proximity to major human populations. For conservation purposes it is important to understand what environmental factors affect assemblage structure of fishes especially in the comparatively high diversity coastal drainages. We studied patterns of fish distribution and abundance in three rivers of the coastal, Andalien drainage near Concepción, Chile. We used multi-dimensional scaling analyses to compare patterns among zones (rithron, transition and potamon) and high and low flow seasons. Species assemblages differed by zone, but not with season. Assemblages consisted of nested subsets of species characterized by their range of distribution among zones. One species group was composed of widespread species that occurred in all three zones, another species group consisted of species found only in transitional and potamal zones, and a final group was comprised of species found only in the potamal zone. The potamal zone contained the most diverse and abundant fish assemblage. Fish assemblages were related to both water quality and habitat structure variables. This study suggests that the key to conserving the diversity of native fish communities in coastal Chilean rivers is in the conservation of potamal regions. Unfortunately, most protected areas in Chile are in the depauperate headwaters of drainages. Protection of only headwaters is clearly inadequate and will not contribute to the conservation of this unique freshwater fish fauna.     

Aquatic invertebrates of Lake Gregory,northwestern Australia,in relation to salinity and ionic composition

Lake Gregory is a large semi-permanent lake system in arid north-western Australia. Its catchment extends into humid areas and as a result the lake has dried only twice in the last 25 years. Although the system is mostly fresh, parts of it become saline as they dry. We identified aquatic invertebrates and undertook chemical analysis of water samples from several sites at Lake Gregory in 1989, when the main water-body was saline, and in 1991 and 1993, after the system had flooded and was fresh. During the period 1989–1993, salinities varied from 0.1‰ to 82‰, and ionic composition ranged from strong sodium chloride dominance, in saline water and fresh water of the eastern part of the system, to bicarbonate dominance in fresh water of the western area. At least 174 invertebrate species were recorded, including two mollusc species that were never collected live. This species richness is much higher than that recorded from other Australian arid zone lakes, probably owing to long periods of inundation with fresh water. The fauna was dominated by insects (42 per cent of total species richness), crustaceans (27 per cent) and rotifers (22 per cent). Most species (160) were restricted to fresh water; only 12 species were found in saline water. Only one ostracod occurred in saline conditions, although ostracods are a dominant group in Australian saline lakes. Among species restricted to fresh water, the proportion of rotifer and protozoan fauna that occurred in bicarbonate-dominated water was greater than the proportion of insect, crustacean and hydracarine fauna that did so. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The distribution of phlebotomine sandflies in the principal ecological zones of Jordan

A survey of the sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) of Jordan increased the number of species known from the country from three to thirteen. Composition of the phlebotomine fauna and the relative abundance of sandfly species differ among the six climatic zones, with a general distinction between the dry desert zones and the more humid Mediterranean zones. Species of Phlebotomus predominate in the former and Sergentomyia in the latter. Within the desert zone some species are restricted to the eastern desert and others to the Jordan Valley in the west.     

气候变化背景下中国南方地区季节性干旱特征与适应Ⅴ.南方地区季节性干旱特征分区和评述

在干旱特征研究的基础上开展季节性干旱分类分区,可为不同干旱区域应对全球气候变化、制定抗旱减灾对策和防控技术提供理论依据.以国家标准中的气象干旱、农业干旱指标为主要依据,利用南方地区268个气象台站1959-2008年的气候资料,在分析南方地区季节性干旱的气候背景和分布特征的基础上,采用综合因子与主导因子相结合方法、逐级指标筛选法,综合灾害分析和聚类分析方法,对季节性干旱进行3级分区.一级分区以年干燥度和季干燥度为主要指标,以年尺度和主要作物生长季的降水量为辅助指标,将南方区域分为半干旱区、半湿润区、湿润区和极湿润区4个一级区;在此基础上再划分为川滇高原山地温凉半干旱区,江北温暖半湿润区、华南暖热半湿润区和西南高原温凉半湿润区3个半湿润区,长江流域温热湿润区、华南暖热湿润区和西南山地温暖湿润区3个湿润区,以及华南暖热极湿润区和江南西南山区温凉极湿润区2个极湿润区,共9个二级干旱分区.最后基于多个干旱指标的干旱频率和干旱强度,将南方区域分成29个三级干旱区.在分区基础上对不同季节性干旱特征分区分布情况、干旱特点及对农业生产影响进行评述,并提出了防旱避灾措施.     

Oviposition response of scarabaeids: does ‘mother knows best’ about rainfall variability and soil moisture?

Abstract.  The effect of soil moisture on ovipositional preference is studied for four melolonthine scarabaeids, Holotrichia reynaudi , Holotrichia serrata and Dermolepida albohirtum , which are endemic to the semiarid tropics of India ( Holotrichia spp.) and Australia, and Heteronyx piceus , which is endemic to the temperate and subtropical regions of Australia. As predicted by the preference-performance hypothesis, the three tropically adapted species show little or no ovipositional preference for soil moistures between permanent wilting point (−1500 kPa) and field capacity (−10 kPa) under either choice or no-choice conditions in their endemic soils, whereas H.   piceus shows a clear preference to oviposit in drier soils (−1500 to −200 kPa). The ovipositional soil-moisture preferences of D.   albohirtum and H.   serrata are much narrower in geographically adjacent non-endemic soils (between −1500 to −200 kPa) than in their endemic soils. An analysis of daily rainfall determined the rainfall variability within the endemic areas of each species. The semiarid tropics are highly variable, with rainfall at the time of oviposition being a poor predictor of the future rain required for successful larval development, whereas the rainfall in the subtropics is much more reliable. The absence of a clearly preferred soil moisture for oviposition in the tropically adapted species appears to be a life-history strategy that allows these species to live in environments where rainfall is highly variable, and soil moisture at time of oviposition is a poor predictor of future environmental suitability for plant growth, and thus larval survival.     

Oceanic and temperate rainforest climates and their epiphyte indicators in Britain

A biogeographic zone with high oceanicity is a well described feature of the European Atlantic region. This oceanic zone intersects with a zone of European temperate rainforest that has received increasing conservation recognition. Although having a degree of spatial overlap, the terminology applied to these different zones is not synonymous. Temperate rainforest is one example of an oceanic system, alongside others such as blanket bog or liverwort heath. Conversely, oceanic systems provide one type of climatic setting suitable to the development of temperate rainforest, alongside other and contrasting landscapes such as the orographic climate of continental mountains. Zones of high oceanicity and temperate rainforest are both strongly represented in the British Isles, and this study examines the degree of spatial overlap in Britain for standard definitions of each. Lichen epiphyte indicators associated with zones of oceanic woodland or temperate rainforest were quantified, and subsequently tested for conservation priority Atlantic oakwoods (Annex 1 Habitat Code 91A0: old sessile oak woods with Ilex and Blechnum in the British Isles). Discrepancies between oceanic woodland and temperate rainforest led to slightly different sets of indicator species that could be applied in biodiversity and habitat quality assessments. The definition of oceanic systems appeared to include warmer and lowland situations for example in coastal Wales and south-west England. In contrast, temperate rainforest extended to cooler upland areas in north-eastern Scotland. The species indicators for oceanic and temperate rainforest were nevertheless effective in identifying sites with different conservation priorities, such as for protection or restoration.     

Conservation status of ants in an iconic region of monsoonal Australia: levels of endemism and responses to fire in the eastern Kimberley

The remote and sparsely populated Kimberley region is a major centre of endemism in the Australian monsoonal tropics that is threatened by uncontrolled fire following the disruption of Aboriginal burning practices. A recent study of the ant fauna of the Mitchell Falls area of the northern Kimberley revealed that 44 % of the species are known only from the Kimberley region. The fauna appeared to be highly resilient in relation to fire. Levels of endemism in the Mitchell Falls region are likely to be particularly high because it occurs in a high rainfall zone (>1,200 mm per year) that is isolated from similar zones elsewhere in northern Australia. In contrast, the lower rainfall eastern and southern Kimberley form part of continuous climatic bands that extend right across northern Australia, and so species from these areas might be expected to be more widely distributed. Here we describe the ant fauna of Mirima National Park in the eastern Kimberley, in the context of a broader biogeographic analysis of the Kimberley ant fauna and an understanding of its response to wildfire. We specifically test two hypotheses: first, that the ant species of Mirima tend to be more widely distributed across northern Australia than those of Mitchell Falls; and, second, that Mirima ant communities are highly resilient in relation to fire, as revealed by a weak relationship with time-since-fire. Analysis of distributional ranges revealed that 24 % of Mirima ant species are known only from the Kimberley, which, as hypothesized, is substantially lower than at Mitchell Falls (44 %). Also as we hypothesized, the Mirima ant fauna shows little relationship with time since fire, with no systematic variation in ant species richness between sites with 1–4 years since fire, and no relationship between time since fire and site similarity based on overall ant species composition. Although our study indicates that levels of endemism in the ant fauna of the eastern Kimberley are lower than those in the northern Kimberley, they are still extremely high. It seems that at least a quarter of all Kimberley ant species are endemic to the region. This confirms the Kimberley as a highly significant region for ant biodiversity. We have also shown that the regional ant fauna is highly resilient in relation to the key threatening process in the region.     

Helminth infracommunities in Litoria genimaculata (Amphibia: Anura) from Birthday Creek, and upland rainforest stream in Northern Queensland, Australia

The helminth fauna of Litoria genimaculata, a rainforest frog from northern Queensland, was quantified from 53 adult male frogs collected at monthly intervals between April 1990 and March 1991. The helminth fauna of this species was depauperate (6 species: Mesocoelium sp., Parapolystoma bulliense, Austraplectana sp., Onchocercidae gen. sp., Cosmocerca sp. and an unidentified nematode larva). The most commonly encountered species was P. bulliense, but the intestinal infracommanity was dominated by the digenean Mesocoelium sp. Fifty-five per cent of frogs were infected with only 1 helminth species and only 1 frog had more than 2 species, resulting in low diversity values. These results support previous studies which indicate that amphibians have depauperate helminth communities.     

The amphibians of the relict Betampona low-elevation rainforest,eastern Madagascar: an application of the integrative taxonomy approach to biodiversity assessments

The Strict Nature Reserve of Betampona protects one of the last remaining relicts (about 2,228 ha) of low elevation rainforests in eastern Madagascar. Yet little has been previously published about the amphibian fauna of this rainforest. During 2004 and 2007, Betampona was surveyed over a total period of 102 days. Frogs were searched by opportunistic searching, pitfall trapping and acoustic surveys. The survey work confirmed the occurrence of 76 taxa, of which 36 are currently candidate species and about 30% were first considered as undescribed species. The identification of species included a multidimensional and integrative approach that links morphology, bioacoustics, ecology and genetics. Of these taxa, 24 species are potentially endemic to this low elevation eastern region. Considering the relatively small area of the Betampona forest, and its narrow elevational range, 76 amphibian species represents an unusually high richness compared to other sites in Madagascar. Although the eastern region is now largely deforested, our results reveal the importance of this relict forest, which is protecting a diverse amphibian fauna that includes many potentially endemic species.     

Is the matrix a sea? Habitat specificity in a naturally fragmented landscape

Abstract.  1. Metapopulation and island biogeography theory assume that landscapes consist of habitat patches set in a matrix of non-habitat. If only a small proportion of species conform to the patch–matrix assumptions then metapopulation theory may only describe special cases rather than being of more general ecological importance.
2. As an initial step towards understanding the prevalence of metapopulation dynamics in a naturally fragmented landscape, the distribution of beetle species in three replicates of three habitat types was examined, including rainforest and eucalypt forest (the habitat patches), and buttongrass sedgeland (the matrix), in south-west Tasmania, Australia.
3. Ordination methods indicated that the buttongrass fauna was extremely divergent from the fauna of forested habitats. Permutation tests showed that the abundance of 13 of 17 commonly captured species varied significantly among habitats, with eight species confined to eucalypts or rainforest, and three species found only in buttongrass. Approximately 60% of species were confined to forested habitat implying that metapopulation theory has the potential to be very important in the forest–buttongrass landscape.
4. Although floristically the rainforest and eucalypts were extremely distinct, the beetle faunas from eucalypts and rainforests overlapped substantially. Therefore rainforest patches connected by eucalypt forest represent continuous habitat for most species.
5. Other studies report a wide range of values for the proportion of patch-specific species in fragmented landscapes. Understanding the environmental or historical conditions under which a high proportion of species become patch specialists would help to identify where spatial dynamic theory may be especially applicable, and where habitat loss and fragmentation poses the greatest threat to biodiversity.     

Biogeographical patterns of endemic diversity and its conservation in Australia's artesian desert springs

Aim

Springs in the Australian arid zone are distinct from other waterways because they house a large number of endemic species. We aimed to assess spatial patterns in endemic diversity at a basin‐wide scale and whether environmental features can help to explain them. In doing so, we take the opportunity to summarize the current state of conservation in the system.

Location

Great Artesian Basin (GAB), arid and semiarid regions of eastern Australia

Methods

We combine data regarding the location of springs with published GIS layers regarding environmental characteristics and a literature review of all species and subspecies documented in the published literature to be endemic to GAB springs.

Results

We found evidence of 96 species and subspecies of fishes, molluscs, crustaceans and plants endemic to these springs. The majority of endemic species are invertebrates with geographical distributions limited to a single spring complex (<61 km²). Endemic taxa are concentrated in 75 of the 326 spring complexes. Spring complexes with a large number of springs, high connectivity via drainage basins and low rainfall were more likely to contain endemic taxa, but environmental models were poor predictors of diversity. Only 24% spring complexes with high conservation value are within conservation reserves, and the majority of endemic species are unassessed under the IUCN and Australian conservation legislation, particularly the invertebrates.

Main conclusions

Diversity in this system is underestimated given the current rate of species discovery and prevailing data deficiency for many taxa. Historical processes and species‐specific environmental requirements may be more important for explaining why diversity is concentrated in particular complexes. Almost a decade after this system was listed as endangered, most complexes of high conservation value remain outside of conservation reserves, and the endangered species status of many taxa, and particularly the invertebrates, remain unassessed.

     

The patterns of genetic diversity in Carpentaria acuminata (Arecaceae), and rainforest history in northern Australia

Carpentaria acuminata occurs in monsoon rainforest and is endemic to the Northern Territory, Australia. The genetic diversity of C. acuminata populations was surveyed across the geographical range of the species using isozyme analysis. Genetic diversity within C. acuminata populations ( H _E = 0.143) was typical of rainforest species and woody angiosperms generally. Genetic diversity was not correlated with rainforest patch size. However, there was significant heterogeneity among populations ( F _ST = 0.379), with infrequent effective gene flow among populations ( Nm = 0.39). Genetic diversity was negatively correlated with increasing distance between neighbouring C. acuminata populations, but geographical distance was not a good predictor of genetic similarity. C. acuminata is a favoured food of mobile frugivores such as Torres Strait pigeons and flying foxes. The decreased diversity with decreasing density of populations indicated that seed dispersal by frugivores has been important for the maintenance of diversity in this species. Populations known to have originated on relatively young, Holocene landforms were not necessarily genetically depauperate. Gene flow by pollen is apparently limited because C. acuminata populations are significantly inbred regardless of genetic diversity ( F = 0.641). The distribution and diversity of rare alleles, i.e. those occurring in few populations, is consistent with the theory of rainforest contraction during the Pleistocene.     

Efforts to restore habitat connectivity for an upland tropical rainforest fauna: A trial of underpasses below roads

Summary Four large underpasses, specifically designed for movements by fauna, form part of a major road upgrade project on the Atherton Tablelands in northeast Queensland, Australia. We describe the design and rationale of a project to test their effectiveness in restoring habitat continuity for tropical rainforest fauna. The large blocks of upland rainforest divided by the road are recognized for their high faunal conservation significance, forming habitat for many rare or threatened species. Ecologists, road engineers and the Atherton Tablelands conservation community have united with a common conservation goal: to design the 'furniture' within the underpasses and accomplish rainforest revegetation to provide protective cover and attract fauna to underpass entrances. Prior to construction, small mammals were trapped weekly for several months in habitats close to the road upgrade. The small mammal community comprised grassland species in abandoned pasture and differed significantly from the rainforest specialists found in three closed canopy habitats: rainforest edge, rainforest interior and Lantana shrubland. Rainforest restoration works designed to restore connectivity for rainforest fauna across this abandoned pastureland (via the underpasses to major rainforest blocks to the north and south of the road) are currently in progress. Monitoring of the effectiveness of the underpasses in allowing faunal movements will involve the use of infra-red-triggered cameras within the underpasses and near underpass entrances, and a survey of road-killed fauna both prior to and postconstruction. Further examination of small mammal community structure and movements, with respect to both the new road and the underpasses, will be undertaken once rainforest plantings have become established. This evaluation should provide insights for further road-associated restoration projects in rainforest regions.     

Values of weedy regrowth for rainforest restoration

Can weedy regrowth be sometimes useful in restoration? Former pastures, created historically by deforestation and other interventions but then retired from agricultural use, now provide a major opportunity for forest restoration. Globally, forest has begun to regenerate spontaneously at large scales on many such retired pasture lands. Additionally, non‐native species are increasingly often the first trees and shrubs to establish in this situation. Here, I consider the ecological processes that enable some of these species to be useful in restoring diverse rainforest communities of flora and fauna to disused pasture and other agricultural lands; in terms of both the generalised ecological mechanisms involved and specific cases in rainforest landscapes of eastern Australia. Ecological research has shown that regrowth trajectories which begin with dominance by non‐native trees and shrubs may of themselves sometimes transition over several decades towards dominance by native rainforest species, and that these novel ecosystems provide significant habitat for native fauna, as well as a range of ecosystem services. Their destruction in the name of weed control is likely to have an immediate adverse ecological impact. Alternatively, they could be managed and harnessed as a useful part of the practitioners' toolkit for rainforest restoration.     

Phylogeography of Eastern Grey Kangaroos,Macropus giganteus,Suggests a Mesic Refugium in Eastern Australia

Phylogeographic studies around the world have identified refugia where fauna were able to persist during unsuitable climatic periods, particularly during times of glaciation. In Australia the effects of Pleistocene climate oscillations on rainforest taxa have been well studied but less is known about the effects on mesic-habitat fauna, such as the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus). The eastern grey kangaroo is a large mammal that is common and widespread throughout eastern Australia, preferring dry mesic habitat, rather than rainforest. As pollen evidence suggests that the central-eastern part of Australia (southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales) experienced cycles of expansion in mesic habitat with contraction in rainforests, and vice versa during glacial and interglacial periods, respectively, we hypothesise that the distribution of the eastern grey kangaroo was affected by these climate oscillations and may have contracted to mesic habitat refugia. From 375 mitochondrial DNA control region sequences from across the distribution of eastern grey kangaroos we obtained 108 unique haplotypes. Phylogenetic analysis identified two clades in Queensland, one of which is newly identified and restricted to a small coastal region in southern Queensland north of Brisbane, known as the Sunshine Coast. The relatively limited geographic range of this genetically isolated clade suggests the possibility of a mesic habitat refugium forming during rainforest expansion during wetter climate cycles. Other potential, although less likely, reasons for the genetic isolation of the highly distinct clade include geographic barriers, separate northward expansions, and strong local adaptation.