A5058826489- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Marine animal studies overview
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
- Marine and fisheries research
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research
University of Florida
2015-2024
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
2024
Mineral Resources
2024
Florida Museum of Natural History
2023
University of Warsaw
2017
Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences
2017
Museum and Institute of Zoology
2017
Polish Academy of Sciences
2017
University of Newcastle Australia
2017
Mississippi State University
2007-2017
The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) is an ancient icon of both cultural and scientific interest. species emblematic the great civilizations River valley serves as a model for international wildlife conservation. Despite its familiarity, centuries-long dispute over taxonomic status remains unresolved. This not only confounds our understanding origins biogeography 'true crocodiles' crown genus Crocodylus, but also complicates conservation management this commercially valuable species. We...
Accurate species delimitation is a central assumption of biology that, in groups such as the Crocodylia, often hindered by highly conserved morphology and frequent introgression. In Africa, crocodilian systematics has been hampered complex regional biogeography confounded taxonomic history. We used rigorous molecular morphological methods to test hypothesis that slender-snouted crocodile (Mecistops cataphractus) composed multiple corresponding Congolian Guinean biogeographic zones....
Objectively delimiting species boundaries remains an important challenge in systematics and becomes urgent when unresolved taxonomy complicates conservation recovery efforts. We examined the imperiled freshwater mussel genus Cyclonaias (Bivalvia: Unionidae) using morphometrics, molecular phylogenetics, multispecies coalescent models to help guide pending assessments legislative decisions. Congruence across multiple lines of evidence indicated that current overestimates diversity C. pustulosa...
Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are the most widely distributed invasive wild ungulate in United States, yet factors that influence pig dispersal and colonization at regional level poorly understood. Our objective was to use a population genetic approach describe patterns of among populations gain greater understanding invasion process contributing expansion this species. We used 52 microsatellite loci produce individual genotypes for 482 swine sampled 39 locations between 2014 2016. data revealed...
Understanding dispersal and habitat selection behaviours is central to many problems in ecology, evolution conservation. One factor often hypothesized influence by dispersers the natal environment experienced juveniles. Nonetheless, evidence for effect of on dispersing, wild vertebrates remains limited. Using 18 years nesting mark-resight data across an entire North American geographical range endangered bird, snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis), we tested effects breeding-site its...
Movement is important for ecological and evolutionary theory as well connectivity conservation, which increasingly critical species responding to environmental change. Key outcomes of movement, such population growth gene flow, require effective dispersal: movement that followed by successful reproduction. However, the relative roles postmovement reproduction dispersal remain unclear. Here we isolate contributions immigrant across entire breeding range an endangered raptor, snail kite...
Abstract Sex‐biased dispersal is an important but unexplored area of amphibian ecology. We predicted female‐biased in the bullfrog ( Rana catesbeiana ) based on aspects their mating system and tested this prediction using data from seven polymorphic DNA microsatellite loci. Allelic F ‐statistics) genotypic [assignment index, AIc )] frequencies nine Ontario populations support our prediction, although significant sex differences inbreeding variance were not detected. The diversity systems...
Abstract Background Multi-character empirical studies are important contributions to our understanding of the process speciation. The relatively conserved morphology of, and importance mate recognition system in anurans, combined with phylogenetic tools, provide an opportunity address predictions about relative role each We examine relationship among patterns variation morphology, call characters, 16S gene sequences across seven populations a neotropical hylid frog, Hyla leucophyllata ,...
High-throughput sequencing affords a cost and time effective means of obtaining large numbers genetic markers for conservation studies. Here, we present thousands novel microsatellite loci developed the Okaloosa darter, Etheostoma okaloosae, an endangered percid fish. We sequenced more than 29 million bp using 454 whole genome shotgun employed free user-friendly bioinformatics tools to screen design appropriate primers. tested 39 primer sets polymorphism ran population-level analyses on...
Abstract Nonequilibrium conditions due to either allopatry followed by secondary contact or recent range expansion can confound measurements of gene flow among populations in previously glaciated regions. We determined the scale at which be estimated breeding aggregations bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) northern limit their Ontario, Canada, using seven highly polymorphic DNA microsatellite loci. first identified that likely share a common history, from pattern allelic richness, factorial...
Abstract Management of threatened species with conserved morphology is hindered by misidentification and potential hybridization in captivity. A frican crocodiles the genera O steolaemus , C rocodylus M ecistops were previously considered monotypic, but have recently been identified as consisting three, two cryptic species, respectively. Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I ( COI ) new published sequences from 310 wild‐caught specimens compared 71 US zoological to identify (barcode)...
Baker, P., Austin, J. D., Bowen, B. W., and S. M. 2008. Range-wide population structure history of the northern quahog (Merceneria merceneria) inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequence data. – ICES Journal Marine Science, 65: 155–163.
Abstract The effective population size ( N e ) is a critical evolutionary and conservation parameter that can indicate the adaptive potential of populations. Robust estimates endangered taxa have been previously hampered by estimators are sensitive to sample size. We estimated on two remaining populations Miami blue butterfly, formerly widespread taxon in Florida. Our goal was determine consistency various temporal point inferring utility this information for understanding role genetic...
Four extant subspecies of Terrapene carolina in eastern North America, bauri, carolina, triunguis, and major, are recognized based on morphological studies. A fifth subspecies, putnami, has been described from Pleistocene deposits but is very similar morphologically to T. c. major. Questions concerning the relationship Gulf Coast box turtle (T. major) other turtles have pervasive ever since it was described. We used a combined genetic analysis address status major lineages. triunguis...
Species of management concern that have been affected by human activities typically are characterized low genetic diversity, which can adversely affect their ability to adapt environmental changes. We used 18 microsatellite markers genotype 362 Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris), and investigated population structure, estimated genetically effective size (Ne). The observed expected heterozygosity average number alleles were 0.455 ± 0.04, 0.479 4.77 0.51, respectively. All...
Abstract Amphibians that primarily breed in ephemeral wetlands are especially vulnerable to climate change because they rely on rainfall or temperature initiate breeding and create suitable hydroregimes (water duration, timing, frequency, depth) for reproductive success. Hydroregime effects success likely differ among species of differences strategies: the length timing period, rate larval development, metamorphosis. We applied an information‐theoretic approach 22 consecutive years...
The Rana catesbeiana species group consists of seven species, each variously distributed across eastern North America. We estimated the evolutionary relationships among 31 exemplars and used phylogenetic hypothesis to examine potential modes speciation relative role dispersal in evolution zoogeography this group. Phylogenetic based on 1554 combined base pairs cytochrome b ND2 mitochondrial genes suggest that are closely related, having undergone rapid radiation from a common ancestor during...