Population Genetics & Genomics
using molecular tools to gain insights regarding the demographic history and evolutionary potential of populations at-risk
American pika (Ochotona princeps)One of only 30 pika species worldwide, the American pika (Ochotona princeps), a small alpine mammal, is a talus (rocky slopes) obligate found in the alpine regions of the American west.
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It is well-accepted that climate restricts the distribution of the pika, a non-hibernating organism whose resting body temperature is close to its lethal maximum. Therefore, pikas specialize on taluses, boulder-fields, lava beds, and other habitats where blocky debris traps cooler air in pockets between the rocks.
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Range-wide population genomicsRecent advances in genomic techniques has made it possible to estimate gene flow, levels of genome-wide genetic variation, and , using a genotyping-by-sequencing approach.
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Local genetic erosionThis project focuses on examining changes in pika movement patterns over a 17-70 year time scale from a large portion of the pika's range. By comparing historical and contemporary genetic samples from the same populations, we can determine whether changes in habitat quality have resulted in consequences for movment dynamics.
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Nevada's native fishesMany of the samples that come through the lab are focused on conservation of freshwater fish species through an
understanding of population genetic structure, gene flow across fragmented habitat, and hybridization threats from non-native species |
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