Molecular phylogeny and speciation within a regional fauna

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The central goal of my research program is to understand the origins and persistence of biodiversity at multiple levels - from allelic variation at specific genetic loci to the assemblage of species at a biogeographic scale. Specifically, the long-term themes of my research program are to: (i) document the patterns of evolutionary divergence within and among natural populations, (ii) test hypotheses concerning the origins and persistence of this variation and its relevance to processes such as local adaptation and speciation, and (iii) to apply this knowledge to the conservation of biodiversity. I use freshwater and marine fishes, principally in northwestern North America and the Arctic, as model systems to address these themes which constitute central inquiries in organismal and evolutionary biology. My research poses questions such as: what are the evolutionary interrelationships amongst species and what biogeographic processes (e.g., tectonics, sea level changes, climate change) have shaped extant diversity? What processes influence the extent and outcome of hybridization between species? What habitat features influence the extent and patterns of adaptive and neutral variation among populations? We integrate studies of processes acting over millions of years to those acting across single years and generations. We employ both genetic and ecological methods in hypothesis testing. The significance of the proposed research involves: (i) addressing a fundamental query in evolution - what processes generate and sustain biodiversity?, (ii) providing much needed training in taxonomy and organismal diversity in Canada, (iii) providing some emphasis for (i) and (ii) in northern and Arctic areas which are relatively poorly known ecosystems, and (iv) applying all of the knowledge in (i)-(iii) in the effective design of conservation programs in the face of human-induced environmental change.