DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The geographic mode, ecological mechanisms, as well as genetic basis of local adaptation and ecological reproductive isolation

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One of the major goals of evolutionary biology is to understand the connection between adaptation and the formation of new species. To this end the investigators will focus on divergence of coastal and inland subspecies of the monkey flower (Mimulus guttatus). The investigators have shown that both subspecies are adapted to their respective habitat. In the proposed study, the investigators will determine what ecological pressures contribute to the divergence of the subspecies. The investigators will also determine the genetic mechanisms that underlie the divergence of the subspecies and test if the same mechanisms are responsible for divergence of the subspecies over the range of their distribution. Finally, the investigators will conduct a novel field experiment to test whether particular genomic regions contribute to the separation of the subspecies.The proposed research will determine the ecological and genetic basis of adaptation and species formation in the context of large-scale geographic heterogeneity. The investigators will develop and implement novel methods at the intersection of the fields of genetics, ecology, and evolution in order to conduct the proposed studies. In addition, the study will contribute to the training of minority undergraduate students in North Carolina and the involvement of local ranchers from California.