Biological Sciences student, Kailah Thorn, is one of eight finalists in the Three-Minute Thesis Competition Final, due to take place on 1 September.

Her thesis is focused on the fossil origins of Australia’s most iconic lizard, the Bluetongue.

Found across the Australian continent in many different shapes and sizes, from giant forms in northern Queensland to pygmies in South Australia, little is known about how and when the Bluetongue’s ecology, behaviour and physiology came to be.

Kailah’s PhD project explores the fossil history of Bluetongues and their nearest relatives in the Egernia group (skinks).

Kailah aims to build an ‘evolutionary tree’ using modern analytical methods with a combination of morphological and molecular data to map the history of the Bluetongue.

Don’t miss Kailah’s presentation on 1 September in Law Commerce Lecture Theatre 4 at 2.30pm.

Staff and students can register their attendance via the 3MT web-page.

More information about the 3MT Final is available in Grad News.