Jane Melville

Biography

Jane is Senior Curator, Terrestrial Vertebrates, at Museums Victoria, and an associate professor in the school of biological sciences. Her research combines field-based studies on reptiles and amphibians across conservation, genetics, ecology, taxonomy and evolution. Currently, her research focuses on revising the taxonomy of agamid lizards by integrating genetic and morphological information. She is also studying the evolutionary basis of morphological and ecological diversity in dragon lizards. Other projects include investigating the impacts of habitat disturbance, particularly the recent Victorian bushfires, on frog populations in the Kinglake region and running genetics projects aimed at the conservation of endangered reptiles and frogs, such as grassland earless dragons and growling grass frogs.