CAREER: Population genetics of Pediculus humanus using coalescent approaches with multi-locus data

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Some of the most compelling questions in evolutionary biology concern the history of our own species. Fossil and genetic data have provided great insights into human evolutionary history, but many important questions remain unanswered. Parasites are closely associated with their hosts, but usually evolve more rapidly, so their genomes may record details of the history of the host that are not recorded clearly in the host's genome. This project examines three lineages of a human parasite to provide new insights into human evolution. The human parasite Pediculus humanus will be collected with the help of colleagues and medical clinicians worldwide. Their genetics will be examined using a suite of modern molecular and analytical methods to explore patterns of human evolution, human migration across the globe, and human demography. Specimen data, images, DNA sequence data, and other research findings will be made available via the Internet. A post-doctoral associate and several graduate students and undergraduates will be trained through participation in the research. The education portion of this project will train undergraduate and graduate students to effectively communicate basic science research findings to broad audiences, training that currently is lacking from most scientific education.