Dissertation Research: Population Genetics and Historical Biogeography of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh.

由于人类继续干扰其环境，它们不仅影响动植物物种的分布，而且影响这些物种中个体(以及它们的基因组)的分布。许多杂草物种经常会被人类有意或无意地远距离移动，了解人类活动在多大程度上可以洗牌给定物种的基因库是很重要的。早期的研究表明，在人类活动相对较高的欧洲，植物模式生物拟南芥(Arabiopsis Thaliana)的基因组可能在地理上发生了洗牌，但在中亚，人类活动相对较少。这项研究将通过对遗传变异进行分型来识别不同的拟南芥基因组，并将检查这些基因组的地理位置，以了解自然和人类对其基因库的影响。自然影响包括在更新世冰川进退期间拟南芥活动范围的收缩和扩大；人类影响包括上述人为运动。这项研究的更广泛影响将包括强调人类活动可以影响其他物种的程度，这是一个关键问题，因为我们继续深刻地改变环境。这项研究还将通过确定其基因库受人类影响最小的地理区域，并将这些区域的种子提供给全球研究界，来加强拟南芥作为模式生物的地位。

As human beings continue to disturb their environments, they impact not only the distribution of plant and animal species, but also the distribution of individuals (and thus their genomes) within these species. Many "weedy" species can frequently be moved long distances intentionally or unintentionally by humans, and it is important to understand the extent to which human activity can shuffle the gene pool of a given species. Earlier studies have shown that genomes in the plant model organism thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) may be geographically shuffled in Europe, an area experiencing relatively high levels of human activity, but geographically structured in central Asia, with relatively low levels of human activity. This study will identify different Arabidopsis thaliana genomes by typing genetic variation, and will examine the geographic location of these genomes in order to understand both natural and human impacts on its gene pool. Natural impacts include the contraction and expansion of Arabidopsis thaliana's range during the advance and retreat of Pleistocene glaciers; human impacts include the human caused movement described above. Broader impacts of this study will include highlighting the extent to which human activities can affect other species, a critical issue as we continue to profoundly alter environments. This study will also enhance Arabidopsis thaliana as a model organism by identifying geographic areas in which its gene pool has been minimally impacted by humans, and providing seed from these areas to the global research community.