Dissertation Research: Ecology and Population Structure: are Species Convergent in Habitat use also Convergent in Degree of Population Subdivision?

分子标记(线粒体DNA序列)被用来量化地理上分布的大安的列斯群岛四个岛屿上的Anolis蜥蜴(Anoles)物种的种群遗传结构。加勒比变种提供了一个绝佳的机会，可以利用重复观测来测试生态专门化对其他类似物种遗传结构的影响。在大安的列斯群岛的四个岛屿上，类似的栖息地专家都在Anoles中独立进化。这些专家在生态上不同，但在被认为影响种群结构的其他因素(即生活史、地理分布、出生年龄、生殖行为)方面是相似的。一个物种的遗传结构对其生物学的许多方面都有重要的影响，包括它产生新物种或灭绝的可能性。这项研究的结果评估了生境专门化对生态群落生物多样性生产和维持的重要性，以及生境专门化作为保护实践中考虑的优先事项。

Molecular markers (mitochondrial DNA sequences) are used to quantify population genetic structure in geographically widespread species of Anolis lizards (anoles) on each of four islands in the Greater Antilles. Caribbean anoles provide an outstanding opportunity for testing the impact of ecological specialization on genetic structures of otherwise similar species using replicated observations. Similar kinds of habitat specialists have evolved independently in anoles on each of the four islands in the Greater Antilles. These specialists differ ecologically but are similar with regard to other factors thought to affect population structure (i.e. life history, geographic distribution, age of origin, reproductive behavior). A species' genetic structure has important consequences for many aspects of its biology, including its probability of giving rise to new species or going extinct. The results of this study assess the importance of habitat specialization for production and maintenance of biodiversity in ecological communities, and the priority of habitat specialization as a consideration in conservation practices.