Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
9-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Program
Biology
Advisor
Michael J. Hickerson
Committee Members
Ana C. Carnaval
Phillip P.A. Staniczenko
Katharine A. Marske
Peter L. Ralph
Subject Categories
Biodiversity | Bioinformatics | Computational Biology | Evolution | Genetics | Genomics | Integrative Biology | Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Population Biology
Keywords
phylogeography, brazil, population genetics, macroecology, macrogenetics, software development
Abstract
The spatial distribution of genetic diversity is of interest to biodiversity scientists and conservationists and is a fundamental metric of biodiversity. Genetic diversity patterns across spatial and taxonomic scales contain information about population and assemblage dynamics that can convey their resilience to environmental change. Ectotherms are especially linked to their environments and may be especially sensitive to fluctuations in the environment over time. Herein, I investigate global and regional patterns of genetic diversity in two groups of ectotherms, insects and lizards, to understand the relationship between environmental change and genetic diversity, from populations to assemblages. Overall, my research aims to answer: what is the relationship between assemblage-wide genetic diversity and environmental change, and what can genetic diversity convey about the processes underlying species responses to climate change? I address these questions using environmental data, genomics, and integrative spatial ecological modeling. Additionally, I create a novel computational tool to facilitate integrative modeling of species responses to environmental change. I find that global patterns of insect assemblage-wide genetic diversity differ from patterns found in vertebrates and high-elevation lizard species may have broader environmental tolerances than low-elevation species. Additionally, I introduce a software package that makes integrative modeling more accessible.
Recommended Citation
French, Connor M., "The Influence of Environmental Change on Genetic Diversity Across Spatial and Taxonomic Scales" (2024). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/5945
Included in
Biodiversity Commons, Bioinformatics Commons, Computational Biology Commons, Evolution Commons, Genetics Commons, Genomics Commons, Integrative Biology Commons, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Population Biology Commons