Dissertation Research: Phylogeography of Tympanuchus Cupido

生境破碎化和小种群规模可能导致遗传变异减少，从而降低种群的长期生存能力。 新的分子遗传学技术已经开发出来，以确定随着时间的推移，从当代样本的遗传变异的变化。 然而，这些技术很少在已知历史和当代遗传变异模式的物种中进行测试。这项研究将研究这些技术的力量，以重建大草原鸡的遗传变异的历史模式，这是一种松鸡，以前发生在整个北美中西部的大草原，现在发现在分散的种群，其中一些面临灭绝的威胁。遗传变异的历史模式将从博物馆标本的线粒体DNA序列中获得，这些标本是在栖息地破碎化和人口减少（1872-1950）之前收集的。 这些将与已经分析的当代人群的序列进行比较。当代和历史种群的分析将为新分子技术的几个关键假设提供实证支持，并为受威胁物种衰退期间的种群过程提供非常详细的描述。 从保护的角度来看，这些信息也将是必不可少的划定管理单位，并确定人口，可能适合易位计划。

Habitat fragmentation and small population size may lead to a decrease in genetic variation and, consequently, the long-term viability of populations. New molecular genetic techniques have been developed to identify changes in genetic variation over time from contemporary samples. However, these techniques have rarely been tested in species in which both historic and contemporary patterns of genetic variation are known. This research will examine the power of these techniques to reconstruct historic patterns of genetic variation in greater prairie chickens, a species of grouse that formerly occurred throughout the prairies of midwestern North America and is now found in fragmented populations, some of which are threatened with extinction. Historic patterns of genetic variation will be obtained from mitochondrial DNA sequences of museum specimens collected prior to habitat fragmentation and population decline (1872-1950). These will be compared to already analyzed sequences from contemporary populations. This analysis of both contemporary and historic populations will provide empirical support for several critical assumptions of new molecular techniques and an extraordinarily detailed picture of population processes during the decline of a threatened species. From a conservation perspective, this information will also be essential for delineating management units and identifying populations that may be suitable for translocation programs.