Dissertation Research: Intraspecific Phylogenetics of a Crayfish: Testing a Nested Analysis of Population Structure in a one Dimensional Habitat.

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0073155CrandallThere are several phenomena that can lead to currently observed genetic patterns in natural populations. One powerful method that has been developed to choose among these various phenomena is the nested-analysis procedure. While this method has been utilized successfully in several organisms it has only been applied to land dwelling organisms. Certain modifications to the methodology may be needed when it is applied to organisms occupying aquatic habitats. The goals of this study are to examine the nested-analysis procedure for the case of aquatic organisms and outline the most appropriate ways to analyze data from these types of populations. This study will utilize DNA sequences from 60 different crayfish populations collected from throughout Missouri to test the appropriateness of modifying the procedure for aquatic organisms. Two variations of the procedure will be conducted: 1) the standard methodology (geographic coordinates) and 2) a modification for use with aquatic organisms (in-river distances). Results of the two methods will then be compared for significant deviations in the inferred phenomena. This study will allow for the proper extension of the nested-analysis procedure to aquatic organisms. Without such a study, the inferences made about the genetic structure of aquatic organisms using standard methodologies may be misleading.