Simone Blomberg

Source: https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/428 Parent: https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/920

Simone Blomberg

Email: : s.blomberg1@uq.edu.au

Phone: : +61 7 336 52506

Positions

Associate Professor in Statistics : School of the Environment : Faculty of Science

Overview

Background

Methods and applications of statistics in evolutionary biology and population ecology.

My research involves the application and development of statistical methods in ecology, evolutionary biology, and general whole-organism biology. My two particular research foci are phylogenetic comparative methods and other uses of statistics in ecology, evolution, and systematics. I also have a strong interest in the application of Bayesian methods, and the statistical philosophy of the nature of evidence in whole-organism biology. How and why do scientists agree that certain data are evidence for or against a particular hypothesis?

I also provide a statistical consultation service for staff and students within the School of Biological Sciences

I am interested in taking graduate students at any level who are interested in quantitative methods in biology. Students in my lab will be able to (or be willing to learn) program computers in S (http://www.r-project.org), a compiled language such as C or Fortran, and/or a scripting language such as Python or Scheme in a Unix environment. Students are also encouraged to extend or develop their mathematical skills. A background in biology, statistics, mathematics, or computer science would be valuable. I can also co-supervise students who are interested in using quantitative methods for their thesis work, but for whom such methods are not a primary focus of research.

Availability

Dr Simone Blomberg is: : Available for supervision : Media expert

Fields of research

Ecology Environmental Sciences Zoology

Research interests

Models of Quantitative Trait Evolution

Macroevolution lacks mathematical theory. I am trying to develop new models of evolution and apply them to real data sets in order to bring the study of macroevolution into the 21st century. I concentrate on the use of diffusion processes as evolutionary models. Diffusions are a broad class of processes that have applications in finance, physics, and other quantitative disciplines. Their use in evolutionary studies has been at a fairly basic level, mainly using Brownian motion and the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. These two processes are simple but are not very realistic descriptions of how evolution occurs. I aim to provide more, better models together with methods to fit them to real data.

Works

Search Professor Simone Blomberg’s works on UQ eSpace

All (118) Journal Article (110) Other Outputs (1) Conference Publication (5) Book Chapter (2)

Featured

2020

Journal Article

Beyond Brownian motion and the ornstein-uhlenbeck process: stochastic diffusion models for the evolution of quantitative characters

Blomberg, Simone P., Rathnayake, Suren I. and Moreau, Cheyenne M. (2020). Beyond Brownian motion and the ornstein-uhlenbeck process: stochastic diffusion models for the evolution of quantitative characters. American Naturalist, 195 (2), 145-165. doi: 10.1086/706339

Beyond Brownian motion and the ornstein-uhlenbeck process: stochastic diffusion models for the evolution of quantitative characters

Featured

2014

Book Chapter

A primer on phylogenetic generalised least squares

Symonds, Matthew R. E. and Blomberg, Simon P. (2014). A primer on phylogenetic generalised least squares. Modern phylogenetic comparative methods and their application in evolutionary biology: concepts and practice. (pp. 105-130) edited by Laszlo Zsolt Garamszegi. Berlin Heidelberg, Germany: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-662-43550-2_5

A primer on phylogenetic generalised least squares

Featured

2012

Journal Article

Bayesian models for comparative analysis integrating phylogenetic uncertainty

de Villemereuil, Pierre, Wells, Jessie A., Edwards, Robert D. and Blomberg, Simon P. (2012). Bayesian models for comparative analysis integrating phylogenetic uncertainty. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 12 (1) 102, 102.1-102.16. doi: 10.1186/1471-2148-12-102

Bayesian models for comparative analysis integrating phylogenetic uncertainty

Featured

2012

Journal Article

Independent contrasts and PGLS regression estimators are equivalent

Blomberg, Simon P., Lefevre, James G., Wells, Jessie A. and Waterhouse, Mary (2012). Independent contrasts and PGLS regression estimators are equivalent. Systematic Biology, 61 (3), 382-391. doi: 10.1093/sysbio/syr118

Independent contrasts and PGLS regression estimators are equivalent

Featured

2010

Journal Article

Picante: R tools for integrating phylogenies and ecology

Kembel, Steven W., Cowan, Peter D., Helmus, Matthew R., Cornwell, William K., Morlon, Helene, Ackerly, David D., Blomberg, Simon P. and Webb, Campbell O. (2010). Picante: R tools for integrating phylogenies and ecology. Bioinformatics, 26 (11) btq166, 1463-1464. doi: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btq166

Picante: R tools for integrating phylogenies and ecology

Featured

2003

Journal Article

Testing for phylogenetic signal in comparative data: Behavioral traits are more labile

Blomberg, Simon P., Garland, Theodore Jr and Ives, Anthony R. (2003). Testing for phylogenetic signal in comparative data: Behavioral traits are more labile. Evolution, 57 (4), 717-745. doi: 10.1554/0014-3820(2003)057[0717:TFPSIC]2.0.CO;2

Testing for phylogenetic signal in comparative data: Behavioral traits are more labile

Featured

2002

Journal Article

Tempo and mode in evolution: phylogenetic inertia, adaptation and comparative methods

Blomberg, S. P. and Garland, T. (2002). Tempo and mode in evolution: phylogenetic inertia, adaptation and comparative methods. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 15 (6), 899-910. doi: 10.1046/j.1420-9101.2002.00472.x

Tempo and mode in evolution: phylogenetic inertia, adaptation and comparative methods

2025

Journal Article

Multivariate trait evolution: models for the evolution of the quantitative genetic G-matrix on phylogenies

Blomberg, Simone P, Muniz, Michelle, Bui, Mai Ngoc and Janke, Cooper (2025). Multivariate trait evolution: models for the evolution of the quantitative genetic G-matrix on phylogenies. Evolution Letters, 9 (6), 706-718. doi: 10.1093/evlett/qraf037

Multivariate trait evolution: models for the evolution of the quantitative genetic G-matrix on phylogenies

2025

Journal Article

Using a null hypothesis framework to test expectations of disparity in an adaptive radiation

Garcia, Vhon Oliver, Riginos, Cynthia, Blomberg, Simone and Cook, Lyn G. (2025). Using a null hypothesis framework to test expectations of disparity in an adaptive radiation. Royal Society Open Science, 12 (10) 250353, 250353. doi: 10.1098/rsos.250353

Using a null hypothesis framework to test expectations of disparity in an adaptive radiation

2025

Journal Article

Several candidate size metrics explain vital rates across multiple populations throughout a widespread species' range

Baudraz, Maude E. A., Childs, Dylan Z., Kelly, Ruth, Smith, Annabel L., Villellas, Jesus, Andrzejak, Martin, Bachelot, Benedicte, Benedek, Lajos K., Blomberg, Simone P., Bodis, Judit, Brearley, Francis Q., Bucharova, Anna, Caruso, Christina M., Catford, Jane A., Coghill, Matthew, Compagnoni, Aldo, Csergő, Anna Mária P., Duncan, Richard P., Dwyer, John, Ehrlén, Johan, Elderd, Bret D., Finn, Alain, Fraser, Lauchlan, García, Maria B., Gremer, Jennifer R., Groenteman, Ronny, Hamre, Liv Norunn, Helm, Aveliina, Höhn, Maria ... Buckley, Yvonne M. (2025). Several candidate size metrics explain vital rates across multiple populations throughout a widespread species' range. Journal of Ecology, 113 (11) 1365-2745.70148, 3159-3176. doi: 10.1111/1365-2745.70148

Several candidate size metrics explain vital rates across multiple populations throughout a widespread species' range

2025

Journal Article

Artificial light influences urban habitat use by insectivorous bats

Davis, Rani, Van Rensburg, Berndt J., Haddock, Joanna, Blomberg, Simone, Dayanandra, Buddhi, Buelow, Christina, Ford, Greg and Reside, April E. (2025). Artificial light influences urban habitat use by insectivorous bats. Landscape Ecology, 40 (8) 161, 1-18. doi: 10.1007/s10980-025-02176-z

Artificial light influences urban habitat use by insectivorous bats

2025

Journal Article

Synergistic and additive effects of multiple threats erode phylogenetic and life history strategy diversity in testudines and crocodilia

Rodríguez‐Caro, R. C., Gumbs, R., Graciá, E., Blomberg, S. P., Cayuela, H., Grace, M. K., Carmona, C. P., Pérez‐Mendoza, H. A., Giménez, A., Davis, K. J. and Salguero‐Gómez, R. (2025). Synergistic and additive effects of multiple threats erode phylogenetic and life history strategy diversity in testudines and crocodilia. Ecology Letters, 28 (6) e70147, e70147. doi: 10.1111/ele.70147

Synergistic and additive effects of multiple threats erode phylogenetic and life history strategy diversity in testudines and crocodilia

2025

Journal Article

Diel activity correlates with colour pattern morphology of heterobranch sea slugs

van den Berg, Cedric P., Hassler, Gabriel W., Blomberg, Simone P., Wilson, Nerida G., Suchard, Marc A. and Cheney, Karen L. (2025). Diel activity correlates with colour pattern morphology of heterobranch sea slugs. Journal of Animal Ecology, 94 (6), 1165-1179. doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.70036

Diel activity correlates with colour pattern morphology of heterobranch sea slugs

2025

Journal Article

The fallacy of single imputation for trait databases: Use multiple imputation instead

Blomberg, Simone P. and Todorov, Orlin S. (2025). The fallacy of single imputation for trait databases: Use multiple imputation instead. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 16 (4), 658-667. doi: 10.1111/2041-210x.14494

The fallacy of single imputation for trait databases: Use multiple imputation instead

2024

Journal Article

Parental care reduces parasite-induced mortality in a coral reef fish

Grutter, Alexandra S., Blomberg, Simone P., Duong, Berilin, Fargher, Bronwyn E., Feeney, William E., McCormick, Mark I., Nicholson, Matthew D., Sikkel, Paul C., Warner, Robert R. and Kuris, Armand M. (2024). Parental care reduces parasite-induced mortality in a coral reef fish. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 291 (2033) 20241966. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2024.1966

Parental care reduces parasite-induced mortality in a coral reef fish

2024

Other Outputs

Data for 'Diel Activity Correlates with Colour Pattern Morphology of Heterobranch Sea Slugs'

Cedric P. van den Berg, Gabriel Hassler, Simone Blomberg, Nerida G. Wilson, Marc A. Suchard and Karen L. Cheney (2024). Data for 'Diel Activity Correlates with Colour Pattern Morphology of Heterobranch Sea Slugs'. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/a36c277

Data for 'Diel Activity Correlates with Colour Pattern Morphology of Heterobranch Sea Slugs'

2024

Journal Article

Manganese exacerbates seasonal health declines in a suicidally breeding mammal

Nasir, Ami F. Amir Abdul, Niehaus, Amanda C., Cameron, Skye F., Ujvari, Beata, Madsen, Thomas, von Hippel, Frank A., Gao, Sisi, Dillon, Danielle M., Buck, C. Loren, Charters, Jordan, Heiniger, Jaime, Blomberg, Simone and Wilson, Robbie S. (2024). Manganese exacerbates seasonal health declines in a suicidally breeding mammal. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 43 (1), 74-86. doi: 10.1002/etc.5753

Manganese exacerbates seasonal health declines in a suicidally breeding mammal

2023

Journal Article

Potential for host-symbiont communication via neurotransmitters and neuromodulators in an aneural animal, the marine sponge Amphimedon queenslandica

Xiang, Xueyan, Vilar Gomez, Arturo A., Blomberg, Simone P., Yuan, Huifang, Degnan, Bernard M. and Degnan, Sandie M. (2023). Potential for host-symbiont communication via neurotransmitters and neuromodulators in an aneural animal, the marine sponge Amphimedon queenslandica. Frontiers in Neural Circuits, 17 1250694, 1-12. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1250694

Potential for host-symbiont communication via neurotransmitters and neuromodulators in an aneural animal, the marine sponge Amphimedon queenslandica

2023

Journal Article

Is mushy tuna syndrome a growing problem for the tuna industry?

Peter, Soni Maria Jacob, Blomberg, Simone P., Holden, Matthew H., Hoffman, Louwrens C. and Tibbetts, Ian R. (2023). Is mushy tuna syndrome a growing problem for the tuna industry?. Foods, 12 (19) 3590, 1-11. doi: 10.3390/foods12193590

Is mushy tuna syndrome a growing problem for the tuna industry?

2023

Journal Article

Anthropogenic impacts on threatened species erode functional diversity in chelonians and crocodilians

Rodríguez-Caro, R. C., Graciá, E., Blomberg, S. P., Cayuela, H., Grace, M., Carmona, C. P., Pérez-Mendoza, H. A., Giménez, A. and Salguero-Gómez, R. (2023). Anthropogenic impacts on threatened species erode functional diversity in chelonians and crocodilians. Nature Communications, 14 (1) 1542, 1-10. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-37089-5

Anthropogenic impacts on threatened species erode functional diversity in chelonians and crocodilians

Funding

Past funding

2022 - 2025

Ancestral state reconstruction and the evolution of Australian marsupials (ARC Discovery Project administered by Queensland University of Technology)

Queensland University of Technology

Open grant - 2020

A new molecular/morphological view of animal evolution based on marsupials (ARC Discovery Project administered by Flinders University)

Flinders University

Open grant - 2017 - 2020

A new molecular/morphological view of animal evolution based on marsupials

ARC Discovery Projects

Open grant - 2016 - 2019

The ecology of trace metal contamination in native Australian mammals

ARC Linkage Projects

Open grant - 2014 - 2019

Fitting non-Gaussian diffusion models to evolutionary data: towards a generalized framework for phylogenetic comparative analyses.

ARC Discovery Projects

Open grant - 2012 - 2017

Population fluctuations: models, mechanisms and management

ARC Discovery Projects

Open grant - 2008 - 2010

Advances in Phylogenetic Comparative Methods.

ARC Discovery Projects

Open grant

View all 7 past funded projects View less

Supervision

Availability

Dr Simone Blomberg is: : Available for supervision

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Available projects

Models of Evolution and the Fossil Record

Current theory suggests that including fossils in macroevolutionary studies greatly improves the identifiability of models. However, it is not known how many fossils are necessary, where they should be placed in the tree (near the tips or near the root?), and how this interacts with tree shape and tree size. Also, are the fossils more important for ancestral character recosntruction, hypothesis testing, or model selection? This project will examine these factors in detail using simulations, with the possibility of examining case studies of taxa with good fossil records.