Range expansion and evolution

Range expansion is a ubiquitous process across species. While the tempo of expansion events can vary remarkably, extra-tropical species are particularly likely to have experienced recent expansions in response to global shifts in habitat following the Last Glacial Maximum. Such range expansion events may directly influence the distribution of genotypes and phenotypes within a species in predictable ways. We are using these predictions to understand how molecular evolution is affected during expansion events.

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Project overview

Our range expansion research focuses on amphibian and reptile species from North America. These species vary in their natural history including dispersal ability, desiccation tolerance, thermal physiology, and fecundity. Over a series of projects we will leverage these variable natural histories to differentiate species-specific and ubiquitous range expansion characteristics.  

Related Publications:

Streicher, J.W., McEntee, J.P., Dzrich, L.C., Card, D.C., Schield, D.R., Smart, U., Parkinson, C.L., Jezkova, T., Smith, E.N. and T.A. Castoe. Online Early. Genetic surfing, not allopatric divergence, explains spatial sorting of mitochondrial haplotypes in venomous coralsnakes. Evolution 70: 1435-1449 [DOI:10.1111/evo.12967]

Moseley, M.A.*, Cox, C.L.*, Streicher, J.W.*, Roelke, C.E. and P.T. Chippindale. 2015. Phylogeography and lineage-specific patterns of genetic diversity and molecular evolution in North American skinks. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 116: 819–833  [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12626] (*equal contribution)

Streicher, J.W., Cox, C.L., Campbell, J.A., Smith, E.N. and R.O. de Sá. 2012. Rapid range expansion in the Great Plains narrow-mouthed toad (Gastrophryne olivacea) and a revised taxonomy for North American microhylids. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 64: 645–653. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2012.05.020]

Collaborators

Todd Castoe, Assistant Professor, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
Christian Cox, Assistant Professor, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia, USA
Jay McEntee, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
Rafael de Sa, Professor, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, USA
Eric Smith, Associate Professor, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA