© K. Klitz
We are generally interested in patterns of differentiation among populations or species of reptiles and amphibians; the common theme in our lab is the interest in identifying and measuring the processes that underlie diversity in these groups.
To do so we address questions at various scales, ranging from the individual (studies of mating systems, relatedness, or reproductive success in breeding groups) to the species (studies of higher-level systematics).
Some examples of evolutionary questions our lab is investigating:
1) We characterize mating sytems and the determinants of reproductive success, and measure the degree of reproductive skew in natural systems. We also integrate within-populations processes with measurements of gene flow and dispersal among populations to assess the relative contribution of these microevolutionary processes to population differentiation.
2) We test hypotheses about character evolution in various groups using phylogenetic methods. We are particularly interested in the evolution of derived morphology, life-history, and behavior.
3) We investigate patterns of population differentiation across ranges of reptiles and amphibians (phylogeographies) with particular attention to taxa with widespread distributions.
4) We use genetic techniques to characterize population structure, inbreeding, and other population parameters in threatened or endangered taxa to guide management and conservation efforts.
