DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The Evolutionary History of Lagenorhynchus Inferred from Nested Phylogeography of Nuclear and Mitochondrial Loci

罗德尼·L博士获得了一笔赠款。Honeycutt和April D.哈林在德克萨斯州农工大学研究了黑海豚遗传变异的全球模式。 这种小而杂技海豚出现在新西兰，南非，阿根廷和秘鲁南岛海岸的深水沃茨。 DNA序列形式的遗传信息将用于估计每个地理区域内的遗传变异水平，并比较区域间的总体差异水平。 这项研究的主要目标是重建这种广泛分布但高度细分的海洋哺乳动物的遗传历史，以重建导致其目前分布和遗传变异总体水平的事件。 此外，深色海豚的信息将与南美洲或北方其他地区的相关物种进行比较。该项目支持的研究具有更广泛的科学价值和影响。 与类似的研究不同，这项研究涉及一种生态多样性和广泛分布的海豚物种，收集的遗传信息将代表对任何小型海洋哺乳动物的最彻底评估。 在新西兰，黑海豚是具有重要经济意义的生态旅游业的焦点。 该物种的遗传信息将有助于在该物种分布范围的所有部分制定保护战略。 拟议的研究也有很强的国际组成部分，将促进与包括秘鲁在内的几个国家的科学家的合作。 此外，这项赠款支持的活动将有助于研究生和本科生代表性不足的群体的职业发展和科学培训。 由于海豚是公众普遍感兴趣的，因此这项研究的结果可以通过使用多种媒体来源和与K-12教育相关的活动用于非正式的科学教育。

A grant has been awarded to Dr. Rodney L. Honeycutt and Ms. April D. Harlin at Texas A&M University to examine worldwide patterns of genetic variation of the dusky dolphin. This small and acrobatic dolphin occurs in deep waters off the coasts of the south island of New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, and Peru. Genetic information in the form of DNA sequences will be used to estimate levels of genetic variation within each geographic region as well as to compare overall levels of divergence between regions. The primary goal of the study is to reconstruct the genetic history of this widely distributed, yet highly subdivided, marine mammal in an effort to reconstruct events responsible for its current distribution and overall levels of genetic variation. Furthermore, information from the dusky dolphin will be compared to related species occurring either in South America or other regions of the Northern Hemisphere.The research supported by this project has broader scientific merit and impact. Unlike similar studies, this research pertains to an ecologically versatile and broadly distributed dolphin species, and the genetic information collected will represent the most thorough assessment of any small-bodied marine mammal. In New Zealand dusky dolphins are the focus of an ecotourism industry of economic importance. Genetic information from this species will be useful for developing conservation strategies in all parts of the species' range. The proposed research also has a strong international component that will foster collaboration with scientists from several countries including Peru. Additionally, activities supported by this grant will contribute to the career development and scientific training of underrepresented groups of graduate and undergraduate students. Because dolphins are of general interest to the public, results from this research can be used for informal science education through the use multiple media sources and activities associated with K-12 education at the investigators'