Theresa Cole

Dr Theresa Cole

ARC Grant-Funded Researcher A

School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

I study evolution and the ecological processes that shape life, with broad interests across evolutionary biology and ecology. I use genomic tools—including SNPs, whole genomes, and environmental DNA (modern and ancient)—to investigate how species adapt and persist in extreme environments like Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. My work includes reconstructing past Antarctic ecosystems using sedimentary ancient DNA from ornithogenic excreta, particularly to understand the ecology and population dynamics of penguins and snow petrels, and applying biogeography, speciation, and phylogenomics to explore Southern Hemisphere biodiversity.
 
I completed my undergraduate and Honours degrees in Adelaide, moved to New Zealand for my PhD and postdoctoral research, and was awarded a fellowship at the University of Copenhagen, though I stayed in New Zealand to start my family. After taking time away to raise my two children, I am now back in Adelaide, pursuing multidisciplinary, collaborative research that bridges genomics, ecology, palaeobiology, and conservation.
 
I am particularly focused on contributing to Australian and Antarctic conservation research and applying evolutionary and ecological insights to real-world biodiversity challenges. I am also committed to supporting students, early-career researchers, and families in academia, helping create inclusive, flexible environments where people can thrive.

KEY RESEARCH INTERESTS

                  •               Genomic adaptation to Antarctic climate and environmental change

                  •               Biogeography, speciation and phylogenomics of Southern Ocean assemblages

                  •               Comparative genomics and evolutionary biology of avifauna 

                  •               Conservation and management decisions for threatened wildlife

                  •               Southern Hemisphere Pleistocene and Holocene extinctions

Date Position Institution name
2026 - ongoing Ramsay Fellow/Lecturer Level B Adelaide University
2026 - 2026 Research Associate University of Adelaide
2025 - 2026 Research Assistant The University of Adelaide
2020 - 2021 Postdoctoral Researcher University of Copenhagen
2019 - 2020 Postdoctoral Contractor Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research

Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
2019 Award First Prize Image Award Genetics Society of Australasia Australia -
2019 Achievement Exceptional Doctoral Thesis in the Division of Sciences University of Otago New Zealand -
2019 Award Elizabeth Mason Prize University of Otago New Zealand -
2019 Award D. G. Catcheside Prize Genetics Society of Australasia Australia -
2019 Scholarship The University of Otago Publishing Bursary The University of Otago New Zealand -
2016 Scholarship Enderby Scholarship Enderby Trust New Zealand -
2015 Scholarship The University of Otago Postgraduate Scholarship The University of Otago New Zealand -
2014 Scholarship Australian Postgraduate Award Curtin University Australia -
2014 Scholarship Curtin University Postgraduate top-up Scholarship Curtin University Australia -
2012 Scholarship AJ and IM Naylon Honours Scholarship Flinders University of South Australia Australia -
2012 Recognition Chancellors Letter of Commendation, Flinders University of South Australia Flinders University of South Australia Australia -
2011 Scholarship Flinders University Student Exchange Scholarship Flinders University of South Australia Australia -

Year Citation
2025 Wood, J. R., Zhou, C., Cole, T. L., Coleman, M., Anderson, D. P., Lyver, P. O., . . . Zhang, G. (2025). Sedimentary DNA insights into Holocene Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) populations and ecology in the Ross Sea, Antarctica.. Nat Commun, 16(1), 1798.
DOI Scopus1 WoS2
2025 Rawlence, N. J., Lubbe, P., Adams, A. L., Shepherd, L. D., Cole, T. L., Knapp, M., . . . Tennyson, A. J. D. (2025). Ancient DNA and morphometrics reveal a new species of extinct insular shelduck from Rēkohu Chatham Islands. ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, 204(3), 16 pages.
DOI
2024 Rawlence, N. J., Verry, A. J. F., Cole, T. L., Shepherd, L. D., Tennyson, A. J. D., Williams, M., . . . Mitchell, K. J. (2024). Ancient mitogenomes reveal evidence for the Late Miocene dispersal of mergansers to the Southern Hemisphere. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 202(4), 10 pages.
DOI Scopus4 WoS4
2023 Heenan, P. B., Smissen, R. D., Cole, T. L., & Wood, J. R. (2023). Plastid DNA sequence data of the extinct <i>Logania depressa</i> (Loganiaceae) from New Zealand confirm its generic placement. New Zealand Journal of Botany, 61(2-3), 191-199.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2022 Cole, T. L., Zhou, C., Fang, M., Pan, H., Ksepka, D. T., Fiddaman, S. R., . . . Zhang, G. (2022). Genomic insights into the secondary aquatic transition of penguins.. Nat Commun, 13(1), 13 pages.
DOI Scopus36 WoS34 Europe PMC29
2022 Heenan, P. B., Smissen, R. D., Cole, T. L., & Wood, J. R. (2022). Plastid DNA from the extinct Trilepidea adamsii confirms its close relationship to Alepis and Peraxilla (Loranthaceae). NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF BOTANY, 63(1), 8 pages.
DOI
2022 Masello, J. F., Ryan, P. G., Shepherd, L. D., Quillfeldt, P., Cherel, Y., Tennyson, A. J. D., . . . Moodley, Y. (2022). Independent evolution of intermediate bill widths in a seabird clade. Molecular Genetics and Genomics, 297(1), 183-198.
DOI Scopus11 WoS11
2022 Fiddaman, S. R., Vinkler, M., Spiro, S. G., Levy, H., Emerling, C. A., Boyd, A. C., . . . Smith, A. L. (2022). Adaptation and Cryptic Pseudogenization in Penguin Toll-Like Receptors. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 39(1), 17 pages.
DOI Scopus12 WoS11 Europe PMC11
2021 Frugone, M. J., Cole, T. L., López, M. E., Clucas, G., Matos-Maraví, P., Lois, N. A., . . . Vianna, J. A. (2021). Taxonomy based on limited genomic markers may underestimate species diversity of rockhopper penguins and threaten their conservation. Diversity and Distributions, 27(11), 2277-2296.
DOI Scopus8 WoS8
2021 Wood, J. R., Vermeulen, M. J., Bolstridge, N., Briden, S., Cole, T. L., Rivera-Perez, J., . . . Wilmshurst, J. M. (2021). Mid-Holocene coprolites from southern New Zealand provide new insights into the diet and ecology of the extinct little bush moa (Anomalopteryx didiformis). Quaternary Science Reviews, 263, 106992-1-106992-12.
DOI Scopus8 WoS8
2021 Seersholm, F. V., Grealy, A., McDowell, M. C., Cole, T. L., Arnold, L. J., Prideaux, G. J., & Bunce, M. (2021). Ancient DNA from bulk bone reveals past genetic diversity of vertebrate fauna on Kangaroo Island, Australia. Quaternary Science Reviews, 262, 1-9.
DOI Scopus12 WoS11
2021 De Pietri, V. L., Worthy, T. H., Scofield, R. P., Cole, T. L., Wood, J. R., Mitchell, K. J., . . . Wragg, G. M. (2021). A new extinct species of Polynesian sandpiper (Charadriiformes: Scolopacidae: Prosobonia) from Henderson Island, Pitcairn Group, and the phylogenetic relationships of Prosobonia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 192(4), 1045-1070.
DOI Scopus11 WoS9
2021 Wood, J. R., Burge, O. R., Bolstridge, N., Bonner, K., Clarkson, B., Cole, T. L., . . . Wilmshurst, J. M. (2021). Vertical distribution of prokaryotes communities and predicted metabolic pathways in New Zealand wetlands, and potential for environmental DNA indicators of wetland condition. PLoS ONE, 16(1 January), 1-20.
DOI Scopus4 WoS2 Europe PMC1
2020 Pilcher, N., Gaw, S., Eisert, R., Horton, T. W., Gormley, A. M., Cole, T. L., & Lyver, P. O. B. (2020). Latitudinal, sex and inter-specific differences in mercury and other trace metal concentrations in Adélie and Emperor penguins in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 154, 9 pages.
DOI Scopus19 WoS18 Europe PMC11
2020 Lescroël, A., Lyver, P. O. B., Jongsomjit, D., Veloz, S., Dugger, K. M., Kappes, P., . . . Ballard, G. (2020). Inter-individual differences in the foraging behavior of breeding Adélie penguins are driven by individual quality and sex. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 636, 189-205.
DOI Scopus15 WoS15
2020 Pan, H., Cole, T. L., Bi, X., Fang, M., Zhou, C., Yang, Z., . . . Zhang, G. (2020). Erratum: High-coverage genomes to elucidate the evolution of penguins (GigaScience (2019) 8:9 (giz117) DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giz117). Gigascience, 9(3), 2 pages.
DOI WoS1
2019 Pan, H., Cole, T. L., Bi, X., Fang, M., Zhou, C., Yang, Z., . . . Zhang, G. (2019). High-coverage genomes to elucidate the evolution of penguins. Gigascience, 8(9), 17 pages.
DOI Scopus18 WoS16 Europe PMC19
2019 Cole, T. L., Dutoita, L., Dussex, N., Hart, T., Alexander, A., Younger, J. L., . . . Waters, J. M. (2019). Receding ice drove parallel expansions in Southern Ocean penguins. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 116(52), 26690-26696.
DOI WoS31
2019 Cole, T. L., Dutoit, L., Dussex, N., Hart, T., Alexander, A., Younger, J. L., . . . Waters, J. M. (2019). Receding ice drove parallel expansions in Southern Ocean penguins. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116(52), 26690-26696.
DOI Scopus34 Europe PMC24
2019 Frugone, M. J., López, M. E., Segovia, N. I., Cole, T. L., Lowther, A., Pistorius, P., . . . Vianna, J. A. (2019). More than the eye can see: Genomic insights into the drivers of genetic differentiation in Royal/Macaroni penguins across the Southern Ocean. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 139, 12 pages.
DOI Scopus19 WoS21 Europe PMC11
2019 Masello, J. F., Quillfeldt, P., Sandoval-Castellanos, E., Alderman, R., Calderón, L., Cherel, Y., . . . Russo, C. (2019). Additive Traits Lead to Feeding Advantage and Reproductive Isolation, Promoting Homoploid Hybrid Speciation. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 36(8), 1671-1685.
DOI Scopus23 WoS22 Europe PMC13
2019 Rawlence, N. J., Tennyson, A. J. D., Cole, T. L., Verry, A. J. F., & Scofield, R. P. (2019). Evidence for breeding of Megadyptes penguins in the North Island at the time of human arrival. New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 46(2), 165-173.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3
2019 Cole, T. L., Ksepka, D. T., Mitchell, K. J., Tennyson, A. J. D., Thomas, D. B., Pan, H., . . . Waters, J. M. (2019). Mitogenomes uncover extinct penguin taxa and reveal island formation as a key driver of speciation. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 36(4), 784-797.
DOI Scopus38 WoS39 Europe PMC26
2019 Díaz, F. P., Latorre, C., Carrasco-Puga, G., Wood, J. R., Wilmshurst, J. M., Soto, D. C., . . . Gutiérrez, R. A. (2019). Multiscale climate change impacts on plant diversity in the Atacama Desert. Global Change Biology, 25(5), 1733-1745.
DOI Scopus60 WoS52 Europe PMC25
2018 Cole, T. L., Rawlence, N. J., Dussex, N., Ellenberg, U., Houston, D. M., Mattern, T., . . . Waters, J. M. (2018). Ancient DNA of crested penguins: Testing for temporal genetic shifts in the world's most diverse penguin clade. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 131, 72-79.
DOI Scopus11 WoS11 Europe PMC7
2018 Cole, T. L., Waters, J. M., Shepherd, L. D., Rawlence, N. J., Joseph, L., & Wood, J. R. (2018). Ancient DNA reveals that the 'extinct' Hunter Island penguin (Tasidyptes hunteri) is not a distinct taxon. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 182(2), 459-464.
DOI Scopus11 WoS11
2018 Heenan, P. B., Wood, J. R., & Cole, T. L. (2018). A partial cpDNA trnL sequence from the extinct legume Streblorrhiza speciosa confirms its placement in the tribe Coluteae (Fabaceae). Phytotaxa, 374(1), 87-91.
DOI Scopus3 WoS2
2018 Cole, T. L., & Wood, J. R. (2018). The ancient DNA revolution: the latest era in unearthing New Zealand’s faunal history. New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 45(2), 91-120.
DOI Scopus9 WoS10
2018 Seersholm, F. V., Cole, T. L., Grealy, A., Rawlence, N. J., Greig, K., Knapp, M., . . . Bunce, M. (2018). Subsistence practices, past biodiversity, and anthropogenic impacts revealed by New Zealand-wide ancient DNA survey. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115(30), 7771-7776.
DOI Scopus69 WoS65 Europe PMC25
2016 Cole, T., Hammer, M., Unmack, P., Teske, P., Brauer, C., Adams, M., & Beheregaray, L. (2016). Range-wide fragmentation in a threatened fish associated with post-European settlement modification in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia. Conservation Genetics, 17(6), 1377-1391.
DOI Scopus30 WoS29
2016 Wood, J. R., Crown, A., Cole, T. L., & Wilmshurst, J. M. (2016). Microscopic and ancient DNA profiling of Polynesian dog (kurī) coprolites from northern New Zealand. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 6, 496-505.
DOI Scopus27 WoS25
2015 Moodley, Y., Masello, J. F., Cole, T. L., Calderon, L., Munimanda, G. K., Thali, M. R., . . . Quillfeldt, P. (2015). Evolutionary factors affecting the cross-species utility of newly developed microsatellite markers in seabirds. Molecular Ecology Resources, 15(5), 1046-1058.
DOI Scopus24 WoS23 Europe PMC14

  • Ramsay Fellowship 2026 - 48 month fellowship for “Sentinels of change: probing the past lives of Antarctic seabirds to understand the resilience of cold ecosystems in a warming world” at Adelaide University.

  • Graduate Women SA (GWSA) Postdoctoral Grant 2025 - AUD$5000 to attend the 2026 International Penguin Congress and to visit sample collections in Hobart.

  • Adelaide University SET Early-Mid Career Research Grant 2025 - AUD$10,000 for project funding “Ancient DNA from snow petrel mumiyo: a new window into past marine ecosystems of Antarctica.

  • Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship 2020 - 24 months [EUR€219,312.00] funding for “From the sky to the sea: genomic insights into the evolution, diversification and adaptation of modern penguins” at the University of Copenhagen) – declined due to pandemic travel restrictions and parental commitments.

  • University of Otago Postgraduate Conference Grant 2019 - NZD$2000 to attend the Genetics Society of Australia conference, Melbourne, Australia.

  • Otago Community Trust Grant 2019 - NZD$520 to attend the 10th International Penguin Conference, Dunedin, New Zealand.

  • Birds New Zealand Research Fund Award 2017 - NZD$3000 for project funding “Population genomics of New Zealand crested penguins”.

  • Royal Society of New Zealand Hutton Fund Award 2017 - NZD$1000 for project funding “Cold birds in a warming world: Adaptation of subantarctic crested penguins to climate change”.

  • Alumni of the University of Otago in America Research Fund 2016 - NZD$3000 for project funding “Ancient and modern genetics of Eudyptes [crested penguins]”.

  • Otago University Ecology Trust Fund 2016 - NZD$200 to attend the 10th Oamaru Penguin Symposium, Oamaru, New Zealand.

  • Australasian Seabird Group Grant 2016 NZD$500 stipend.

I support the delivery of echidna metagenomics lab sessions for Genetics 3 (2025)

Date Role Committee Institution Country
2017 - 2017 Council Conference of Australasian Vertebrate Evolution, Palaeontology and Systematics Organising Committee Member New Zealand

Date Role Membership Country
2020 - ongoing Member IUCN Penguin Specialist Group Australia

Date Event Name Event Type Institution Country
2018 - 2018 NSF Early-Career Advanced Training Workshop in Antarctic Biology Workshop United States National Science Foundation Antarctica

Date Title Type Institution Country
2025 - ongoing Australian Journal of Zoology Editorial Australian Journal of Zoology -

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