DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Evolution of a Mesoamerican Rodent Clade: Phylogenetics and Testing Biogeographic Hypotheses

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This research has several objectives. The first is to develop a robust genealogy for a group of rodents (Handley?s mice) endemic to medium and high elevation forests in Central America and northern South America. DNA sequence data from 10 different genes will be used to estimate genealogical relationships among members of this rodent group. The evolutionary relationships recovered will be used to examine several important biological questions. During the evolutionary history of this group, have ecological requirements changed? Did ancestors of this rodent group evolve in Central America and then colonize South America or vice versa? What is/are the likely mode(s) of speciation among members of this group? How have past (and predicted future) climatic changes impacted the distributions of species of Handley?s mice? More broadly, the results of this study can be applied to other groups of organisms with similar distributions and evolutionary histories in order to increase our knowledge of the biogeography of Central America. This is particularly important because this region harbors more than its share of biological diversity and the landscape is rapidly be altered by deforestation. Research results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and a museum exhibit for the general public.