DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Factors Influencing the Coevolution of Peromyscus maniculatus and its Ectoparasites on the California Channel Islands

一个物种的进化成功在很大程度上取决于它与其他共享其环境的物种的相互作用。受种间相互作用强烈影响的进化模式最好的例子之一是寄主和它们的寄生虫之间的关系。对寄主-寄生虫相互作用的研究发现，高度特定于宿主的寄生虫和它们的宿主之间最常见的是相似的进化史，而多面性寄生虫的进化几乎独立于它们的宿主。这提出了一个重要的问题：是什么因素驱动了宿主和寄生虫之间的共同进化模式？这项研究以加州海峡群岛上的鹿鼠及其体外寄生虫为模型系统，研究寄生虫之间的差异如何影响它们在宿主身上和与宿主之间的进化。这项研究还将研究不同岛屿上替代宿主的可用性如何影响鹿鼠和它们的寄生虫之间的关系。该项目提供了一种研究宿主-寄生虫相互作用的新系统。比较英吉利海峡群岛寄生虫及其宿主的共同进化，将有助于梳理影响宿主-寄生虫系统进化的基本因素，这对野生动物保护和疾病生态学的研究都将是重要的。此外，这项工作将为加利福尼亚州特别关注的物种海峡群岛鹿鼠提供有价值的种群遗传信息，并将为当地本科生提供实地研究培训机会。

The evolutionary success of a species is greatly influenced by its interactions with other species sharing its environment. One of the best examples of evolutionary patterns strongly influenced by interspecific interactions is the relationship between hosts and their parasites. Studies examining host-parasite interactions have found that similar evolutionary histories are most often shared between highly host-specific parasites and their hosts, while generalist parasites evolve almost independently from their hosts. This raises an important question: What factors drive patterns of coevolution between hosts and their parasites? Using the deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus, and its ectoparasites on the California Channel Islands as a model system, this study will investigate how differences between parasites affect their evolution on and with their hosts. The study will also examine how the availability of alternative hosts on different islands affects the relationship between deer mice and their parasites. This project provides a novel system in which to study host-parasite interactions. Comparing the coevolution of parasites and their hosts on the Channel Islands will help tease apart the basic factors influencing evolution in host-parasite systems, which will be important for the study of both wildlife conservation and the ecology of diseases. Additionally, this work will provide valuable population genetic information for Channel Islands deer mice, a species of special concern in California, and it will provide field research training opportunities for a local undergraduate.