DISSERTATION RESEARCH: A Genomic Approach to Resolving the Origin of and Evolution of Turtles

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Turtles are some of the world's most recognizable animals however scientists have little idea about the relationships among turtles and other animals. Past work using morphological data indicate that turtles are the most ancient living reptile group although some DNA data conclude that turtles are a younger group more closely related to crocodiles and birds. While most of the current studies using DNA sequences include only a handful of genes, this project will develop a novel genomics approach to sequence 25 nuclear genes for fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. These DNA data, along with the use of fossils will help: 1) determine the position of turtles in the tree of life, 2) resolve relationships within turtles themselves, and 3) provide insight into the tempo and mode of turtle evolution.The project will incorporate the training of undergraduates from underrepresented groups and results will be used in public outreach to seventh graders. In addition, this work will help resolve a fundamental portion of the tree of life and will provide a framework of future research in comparative evolutionary biology. The DNA technique developed in this project will provide a simple, efficient method for small laboratories to begin collecting genomic-level data previously restricted to large, high-budget laboratories.