Dissertations and Theses
Date of Award
2022
Document Type
Thesis
Department
Biology
First Advisor
Ana Carnaval
Second Advisor
Robert Anderson
Third Advisor
David Lohman
Abstract
Intraspecific genetic variation is an integral component of diversification and the accumulation of biodiversity. The degree to which isolated populations of the same species are genetically structured in geographical space is impacted by a variety of mechanisms. In this study, I document patterns and discuss possible drivers of genetic structure within Ecpleopus gaudichaudii, a lizard species endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. For that, I assembled ddRadseq sequences from 48 individuals across much of the range of the E. gaudichaudii and analyzed its population structure. I created an intraspecific phylogeny for this group utilizing RAxML and conducted a principal component analysis to identify genomic clusters. Combining locality data and environmental descriptors, I also used species distribution models to generate a map of the species potential range, which guided my interpretation of the intraspecific patterns of genomic diversity. Together, the data identify a phylogenomic barrier at the Doce River, located in the state of Espírito Santo. This result agrees with a larger body of research indicating patterns of genetic divergence around this river in other taxa.
Recommended Citation
Garretson, Alexander J., "Population structure of the lizard Ecpleopus gaudichaudii coincides with a biogeographic barrier - the Doce River" (2022). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/1088
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Biodiversity Commons, Bioinformatics Commons, Evolution Commons, Genomics Commons, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Population Biology Commons