DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Gene Trees vs. Species Trees:Deciphering Species Limits in a Contact Zone Between Fence Lizards in the Sceloporus undulatus Species Complex

本文研究的目的是在亚利桑那州两个假定的栅栏蜥蜴物种之间的接触区破译物种限制。该项目将强大的新基因组尺度方法与传统的形态学和染色体技术相结合，以解决基因型和表型之间不一致的变异模式。本研究整合了多个数据集，跨越了系统生物学、群体遗传学和系统遗传学的学科，以确定形态和分子之间不一致的来源，以及哪些因素足以在不同水平的遗传分化中保持不同的谱系。这种方法增强了现有自然历史收藏在科学研究中的效用，并有助于初级PI在系统生物学、生态学和进化中的分子和形态学技术以及数据分析方面的培训和教育。

The objective of this dissertation research is to decipher species limits in a contact zone between two putative species of fence lizards in Arizona. This project combines powerful new genomic-scale approaches with traditional morphological and chromosomal techniques to resolve discordant patterns of variation between genotypes and phenotypes. This research integrates multiple data sets and crosses the disciplines of systematic biology, population genetics, and phylogenetics to determine the source of discordance between morphology and molecules, and which factors are sufficient to maintain distinct lineages at varying levels of genetic divergence.This approach enhances the utility of preexisting natural history collections for scientific research and contributes to the training and education of the junior PI in systematic biology, molecular and morphological techniques in ecology and evolution, and data analysis.