DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Behavioral, Genetic, and Ecological Dynamics of a Woodrat (Neotoma lepida) Hybrid Zone in California

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Hybrid zones are unique arenas in which to study a variety of evolutionary mechanisms. The proposed project aims to build on traditional methods of hybrid zone research by integrating genetic, environmental, and behavioral components to study a recently described hybrid zone between two subspecies of the Desert Woodrat, Neotoma lepida. The project will quantify the frequency of hybridization using genetic data, will determine how female mating preferences influence the production of hybrid offspring, will establish whether habitat variation is associated with hybridization, and will compare survivorship and reproductive success between hybrid and non-hybrid individuals. Both undergraduate and advanced high school students will assist in field and laboratory data collection, including rural and local Native American students who are the first members of their families to attend college.