My primary research interests focus on the evolutionary forces that influence genetic variation within and among populations. DNA sequences of mitochondrial, chloroplast, and nuclear genes, and electrophoretic variation of proteins are used to characterize variation in populations of plants and animals. Phylogeographic studies are used to describe patterns of variation and to make historical inferences about glacial refugia and routes of migration. RNA-Seq studies of Engelmann spruce and limber pine have been successfully conducted and each reveals over 10,000 genetic markers; these are now being examined to look for genetic polymorphisms that play a role in adaptation.
keywords
Ecological and evolutionary genetics, adaptive genetic variation, natural selection
