NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2012

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Impacts of stochastic ecological immigration history on evolutionary diversificationThe determinants of biodiversity are of central interest to evolutionary biology. While it is understood that the processes of evolutionary diversification and extinction, coupled with ecological immigration, contribute to diversity in biological communities, the nature of how these processes interact to shape diversity is not clear. These complex interactions require both theoretical and detailed experimental investigations. This research investigates how immigration history impacts the evolutionary diversification process. Large-scale microcosm experiments in a bacterial experimental adaptive radiation in the laboratory will test how elements of immigration history influence the rate and extent of diversification. The development a synthetic model of evolutionary community assembly incorporating effects of immigration and applying analytical tools from physics and applied mathematics, will enable the identification of parameter combinations significantly contribute to the dynamics of diversification.Training objectives include learning and applying modeling approaches from physics and applied mathematics, such as stochastic differential equations and branching processes, to address the complex biological phenomena. Understanding the forces that generate and eliminate diversity in communities is of critical importance for the conservation and restoration of native habitats. Broader impacts include actively mentoring and advising undergraduate students and K-12 educational outreach.