[Enviro-lunch] Fwd: (9/21): Lucy Tran, "Links between genomic and environmental variation in a mammalian geographic range expansion"

[Nate Bogie]

Dear all,

Please support our community in Earth and environmental sciences by
attending our weekly events. This Thursday's speaker in our Enviro-lunch
brown bag seminar series will be:



*Lucy A. P. Tran, Ph.D.*

Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, UC Berkeley

*Links between genomic and environmental variation in a mammalian
geographic range expansion*



*Abstract*: Both genetic drift and natural selection contribute to
variation in genes and morphology across a geographic range expansion.
During the course of an expansion novel ecological conditions encountered
by organisms can result in selection on traits, while the contribution of
genetic drift is important when founder events occur. Evidence of the
myriad neutral and selective forces acting on geographic range expansions
may be recorded in the genome. Here, we look at genomic variation in the
range-expanding nine-banded armadillo to uncover links between niche
differences and genetic changes. In the last 3 mya the species has
dispersed northward from its tropical origins in South America to first
reach Texas in 1849 and then from there to the South, Southeast, Great
Plains, and Midwest U.S. We use high-throughput genomic data to estimate
phylogenetic relationships of populations across the species' expansion
gradient and to infer its demographic history. We sampled historical museum
specimens as well as individuals at the expansion edge, which allows for an
analysis of genomic divergence across the species' broad range over a
127-year period. Preliminary findings suggest that patterns of genomic
variation differ between core and edge populations, with genomic divergence
tracking differences in climatic niche. Studying the relationship between
genomic and niche divergence will provide clues for understanding whether
and how the species has evolved as it expanded its range northward into
uncharted territory.



When: Sep. 21st, Thursday, 12pm – 1pm

Where: SE2-302



Coffee will be provided and please bring your own mugs.

We look forward to seeing you,



Organizers for 2017-18: Nate Bogie and Lixia Jin

Faculty coordinator: Asmeret Asefaw Berhe

_______________________________________________
Enviro-lunch mailing list
Enviro-lunch at lists.ucmerced.edu
http://lists.ucmerced.edu/mailman/listinfo/enviro-lunch
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.ucmerced.edu/pipermail/enviro-lunch/attachments/20170919/27c9bfc9/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: headshot_LT.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 46136 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.ucmerced.edu/pipermail/enviro-lunch/attachments/20170919/27c9bfc9/attachment-0001.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: PastedGraphic-1.png
Type: image/png
Size: 25776 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.ucmerced.edu/pipermail/enviro-lunch/attachments/20170919/27c9bfc9/attachment-0001.png>