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受到其与共享其环境的其他物种的相互作用的影响。种间相互作用强烈影响进化模式的一个最好的例子是宿主和寄生虫之间的关系。 研究宿主-寄生虫相互作用的研究发现，高度宿主特异性的寄生虫和它们的宿主之间通常共享相似的进化历史，而通才寄生虫几乎独立于它们的宿主进化。这就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？ 本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，探讨寄生虫之间的差异如何影响它们在宿主上的进化。该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及其寄生虫之间的关系。该项目提供了一个新的系统，在其中研究宿主-寄生虫相互作用。比较海峡群岛上寄生虫及其宿主的共同进化将有助于梳理出影响宿主-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很重要。 此外，这项工作将提供宝贵的人口遗传信息的海峡群岛鹿鼠，一种特别关注的物种在加州，它将提供实地研究培训机会，为当地的本科生。

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.