DISSERTATION RESEARCH: ROAD MEDIATED DIVERGENCE IN AN AMPHIBIAN

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A growing network of roads characterizes our natural landscapes. Temporary wetlands are often dramatically influenced by runoff from roads, exposing amphibian species to potentially toxic levels of contaminants. Because populations can vary dramatically in their responses to human altered environments, the ability to predict these responses depends critically on addressing local population level variation. The goal of this research is to examine the long-term consequences of roads on a wetland amphibian, the wood frog. The investigators will combine genomic, histological, and chemical approaches to evaluate local population structure of breeding adult wood frogs with respect to genetic composition, age, and bioaccumulation of runoff contaminants. Insight gained from this approach will significantly advance our understanding of the long-term fate of roadside environments. This research extends an emerging synthesis of ecology and evolutionary biology while simultaneously addressing a preeminent environmental challenge. The investigators will continue their involvement in the Evolutions after-school program at the Yale Peabody Museum. Evolutions provides after-school exposure to science for inner city youth from New Haven public schools. A portion of funding from this proposal will support semester internships for two high school students in Evolutions. The co-PI will present results to state agencies along with local conservation groups including a land preserve, a wetland society, and the Society of Soil Scientists of Southern New England.