| Abstract Detail
Phylogeography of northern North America with insights from paleontological, geological, and molecular data Carstens, Bryan [1]. Shifting Paradigms in Phylogeographic Research. The archetypal phylogeographic investigation gathered sequence data from some organellar gene and interpreted the recent demographic history of a species in the context of its geographic distribution. A series of criticisms derived from population genetic theory have called the appropriateness of this approach into question, and consequently an explosion of novel research questions, sources of data, and methodologies has occurred in the last several years. Phylogeography is changing from a descriptive discipline to one where the predictions of a priori hypotheses are tested using rigorous statistical methods. Nowhere are these changes more evident than in comparative studies, where the incorporation of ecological data, sophisticated models based on coalescent theory, and the increased statistical power provided by genomic data allow researchers to rigorously compare the demographic history of any set of organisms with congruent distributions. Here I highlight recent advances in the field of phylogeography, and demonstrate some of these new approaches using comparative data from the Pacific Northwest mesic forests. Genetic data from organisms as diverse as willows and salamanders can be used to test general regional hypotheses, and these tests provide a consistent metric for comparison among members of the ecosystem with disparate life-history traits. When sampled from across an ecosystem, these data provide insight into the evolution of ecological communities and the processes that promote speciation. Log in to add this item to your schedule
Related Links: Bryan Carstens
1 - Louisiana State University, Biological Sciences, 202 Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808, USA
Keywords: comparative phylogeography coalescent Niche modeling.
Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation Session: S2 Location: Room 4/Woodward Date: Monday, July 28th, 2008 Time: 8:15 AM Number: S2002 Abstract ID:117 |