PhD Research Proposals

Proposal 1: Study #1: Evolution of Anolis in response to xeric-mesic gradients

Questions: (I) Are xeric and mesic populations of A. gingivinus and A. pogus different
morphologically (i.e. color, scalation, skeletal structure) and ecologically (i.e. abundance,
diet, perch behavior)? (III) What are the cellular and genetic underpinnings of these
differences? (II) Are these differences consistent with differences observed in other
species of Anolis in the Lesser Antilles?

 

Proposal 2: Study #2: Comparative phylogeography of Leeward Island amphibians and reptiles

Questions: (I) How are populations within a species related across the Lesser Antilles?
(II) How is genetic diversity distributed across and within islands? (III) What is the
colonization history and timing of each species throughout the Lesser Antilles and how
does that relate to the volcanic history of the region? (IV) Are phylogeographic patterns,
i.e. Questions I-III, consistent across species? (V) Is there cryptic diversity within
species?

 

Referenced in BioNews 32 article "Unlocking the Evolutionary Secrets of Local Amphibians and Lizards"

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