A5028420872- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Plant and animal studies
- Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Gut microbiota and health
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Morphological variations and asymmetry
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
University of New Mexico
2020-2025
Texas Tech University
2025
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
2023
The ecoevolutionary drivers of species niche expansion or contraction are critical for biodiversity but challenging to infer. Niche may be promoted by local adaptation constrained physiological performance trade-offs. For birds, evolutionary shifts in migratory behavior permit the broadening climatic into varied, seasonal environments. Broader niches can short-lived if diversifying selection and geography promote speciation subdivision across gradients. To illuminate breadth dynamics, we ask...
Abstract Hybridization, introgression, and reciprocal gene flow during speciation, specifically the generation of mitonuclear discordance, are increasingly observed as parts speciation process. Genomic approaches provide insight into where, when, how adaptation operates after can measure historical modern introgression. Whether adaptive or neutral in origin, hybridization cause discordance by placing mitochondrial genome one species (or population) nuclear background another species. The...
Seasonal migration of Nearctic-Neotropical passerine birds may have profound effects on the diversity and abundance their host-associated microbiota. Migratory experience seasonal change in environments diets throughout course annual cycle that, along with recurrent biological events such as reproduction, significantly impact In this study, we characterize intestinal microbiota four closely related species migratory Catharus thrushes at three time points cycle: during spring migration,...
Islands have long represented natural laboratories for studying many aspects of ecology and evolutionary biology, from speciation to community assembly. One aspect that has been well documented is the correlation between island size taxonomic diversity, likely due decreased complexity population on small islands. This same logic can apply genetic which should predictably decrease with effective size. The size-diversity received support over years but often focuses single metrics diversity....
Secondary contact between previously allopatric lineages offers a test of reproductive isolating mechanisms that may have accrued in isolation. Such instances can produce stable hybrid zones-where isolation further develop via reinforcement or phenotypic displacement-or result the merging. Ongoing secondary is most visible continental systems, where steady input from parental taxa occur readily. In oceanic island however, closely related species birds relatively rare. When observed on...
Vertebrate lungs contain diverse microbial communities, but little is known about the drivers of community composition or consequences for health. Microbiome assembly by processes such as dispersal, coevolution, and host-switching can be probed with comparative surveys; however, few studies exist lung microbiomes, particularly fungal component, mycobiome. Distinguishing among taxa that are generalist specialist symbionts, potential pathogens, incidentally inhaled spores urgent because...
Islands were key to the development of allopatric speciation theory because they are a natural laboratory repeated barriers gene flow caused by open water gaps. Despite their proclivity for promoting divergence, little empirical work has quantified extent among island populations. Following classic biogeographic theory, two metrics interest relative size and distance. Fiji presents an ideal system studying these dynamics, with four main islands that form large-small pairs. We sequenced...
Genomic approaches to phylogeography routinely reveal that our estimates of species level diversity within island systems are woefully underappreciated. A recent analysis population genetics, and historical demography two pied monarchs (Monarchidae), the Spectacled (Symposiachrus trivirgatus) Spot-winged Monarchs (S. guttula), uncovered unexpected instances paraphyly genetic diversity. Here, we discuss taxonomic implications for these complexes recommend recognising three what has been...
Abstract Pleistocene sea‐level change played a significant role in the evolution and assembly of island biotas. The formation land bridges between islands during Quaternary glacial maxima, when sea levels were more than 120 metres below present‐day levels, often facilitated historical dispersal gene flow that are today geographically disconnected. Despite importance change, few software packages exist model effects this phenomenon standardised generalised manner. Here, we present...
Abstract Giant hummingbirds ( Patagona spp.) are extraordinarily large whose taxonomy has been muddled for two centuries. systematics were recently redefined in a study of migration, physiology, and genomics, revealing species: the Southern Hummingbird Northern Hummingbird. Here, we re-evaluate nomenclature genus light its newly-clarified biology species limits, analyzing data from 608 specimens wild-caught individuals spanning 1864–2023. The forms gigas peruviana both described based on...
Secondary contact between previously allopatric lineages offers a test of reproductive isolating mechanisms that may have accrued in isolation. Such instances can produce stable hybrid zones-where isolation further develop via reinforcement or phenotypic displacement-or result the merging. Ongoing secondary is most visible continental systems, where steady input from parental taxa occur readily. In oceanic island however, closely related species birds relatively rare. When observed on...
<title>Abstract</title> Vertebrate lungs contain diverse microbial communities, but little is known the causes of community composition or its consequences for health. Lung microbiome assembly by processes such as dispersal, coevolution, and host-switching can be elucidated with comparative surveys. However, few surveys exist lung microbiomes, particularly fungal component, mycobiome. Distinguishing taxa that are generalist specialist symbionts, potential pathogens, incidentally inhaled...
Hybridization can have profound effects on biological diversity. However, predictable inheritance of plumage traits remains poorly understood, especially for rare hybrids. We reviewed the literature and compiled a comprehensive list hybrids from New World warbler family Parulidae, diverse radiation songbirds with divergent traits. used our compilation to analyze modes in wing bar patterns carotenoid coloration. Finally, we describe an unusual hybrid University Mexico Albuquerque, Mexico,...
Abstract Pleistocene sea-level change played a significant role in the evolution and assembly of island biotas. The formation land bridges between islands during Quaternary glacial maxima, when sea levels were up to 120 metres below present-day levels, often facilitated historical dispersal gene flow that are today geographically disconnected. Despite this, relatively few studies have attempted quantify effects on species assemblages. Here we present PleistoDist, an R package allows users...
Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) threaten human wildlife health, but their movement through food webs remains poorly understood. Contamination of the physical environment is widespread, particularly concentrated at military installations. Here we measured 17 PFAS in wild, free-living mammals migratory birds Holloman Air Force Base (AFB), New Mexico, USA, where wastewater catchment lakes form biodiverse oases. concentrations were among highest ever reported animal tissues,...