Dissertation Research: Population Subdivision in Trimerotropis saxatilis (Acrididae)

本研究将探讨线粒体的变异， 岩生三节棱豆 这种蚱蜢是在 在其分布范围内细分种群。 生态 实验表明，种群规模小于 从以前的遗传学研究预期，并建议基因流是 根本不存在 线粒体DNA是一种非重组分子， 将构建线粒体单倍型的嵌套分支图 并在不同水平上测试了显著差异。 间接估算基因流的方法和基因融合 理论将被用来确定是否“历史事件” (e.g.瓶颈）发生在过去，或者基因 流动正在进行，但很少。 人口分布范围 T. saxatilis将被采样，以比较遗传 在范围的极端发现的变化， 中心 除了与T有关的问题之外。 saxatilis，这项研究具有更广泛的应用领域， 保护遗传学 T.萨克斯塔利斯种群经历了 在过去的几千年里，由于 气候变化 开发和使用的统计方法 该项目可用于评估遗传状态， 濒危物种

This study will investigate the mitochondrial variation of Trimerotropis saxatilis. This grasshopper is found in subdivided populations throughout its range. Ecological experiments have determined that population size is smaller than expected from previous genetic studies and suggest gene flow is nonexistent. Mitochondrial DNA is a non-recombining molecule, so nested cladograms of mitochondrial haplotypes will be constructed and tested for significant differences at a variety of levels. Indirect methods of estimating gene flow and the coalescent theory will be used to determine whether "historical events" (e.g. bottlenecks) have taken place in the past or whether gene flow is ongoing, but rare. Populations throughout the range of T. saxatilis will be sampled in order to compare the genetic variation found at the extremes of the range to that in the center. Aside from questions pertaining specifically to T. saxatilis, this study has broader applications to the field of conservation genetics. T. saxatilis populations have undergone habitat fragmentation in the last few thousand years due to climate change. The statistical methods developed and used in this project can be used to assess the genetic status of endangered species.