The New Science of Molecular Ecology

David Lambert was born in Toowoomba, Australia and his initial degrees were at the University of Queensland. He later studied at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg for his PhD. He was appointed at the University of Auckland in 1980 and was, until recently, Leader of the Ecology and Evolution Research Group in the School of Biological Sciences and Director of Auckland University’s Centre for Conservation Biology. David Lambert has now taken up the post of Professor and Head of the Department of Ecology at Massey University, Palmerston North. His early research was in the area of evolutionary cytogenetics of Drosophila (Australia) and Anopheles mosquitoes (Africa). Since then his interests have included evolutionary theory generally and the use of DNA tools to answer a broad range of questions in conservation and ecology. In particular Prof. Lambert’s research group has studied a range of New Zealand animal species including insect groups, the kiore, Antarctic fish and a range of birds. A recent focus has been the use of minisatellite DNA technology to study parentage in species such as pukeko and skuas and to estimate levels of genetic variation in tuatara and the endangered Chatham Island black robin. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________