My research interests lie at the intersection of evolutionary theory and ecological controls on the maintenance of small populations and the dynamics therein. I use (i) simulation-based studies to evaluate the ecological and life history components at play in small populations.
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The aim being :
(ii) to use empirically sourced data to better understand the observed variation in nature when it is accounted for within models and
(iii) use manipulative greenhouse studies to vary these components to test model predictions and assumptions.
My dissertation work relates to answering the question:
What are the factors that permit polyploid plants to exist and persist in nature?
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The aim being :
(ii) to use empirically sourced data to better understand the observed variation in nature when it is accounted for within models and
(iii) use manipulative greenhouse studies to vary these components to test model predictions and assumptions.
My dissertation work relates to answering the question:
What are the factors that permit polyploid plants to exist and persist in nature?
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Polyploidy
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Population Dynamics
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Modeling
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There are numerous consequences of polyploidization for life history (e.g. phenological shifts, physiological changes) and genetics (e.g. genome size enlargement, gene neo-functionalization, potential of lower inbreeding depression). Thus, polyploids have fascinated scientists for decades and continue to do so to this day. Modern methods (flow cytometry, WGS and great computational power) permit new questions to be asked and historical questions to be re-addressed. My interests with polyploidy are their methods of formation, their prevalence in nature and the ecological controls that contribute to some being successful, while others are not.
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PolyploidyPolyploidy, the occurrence and maintenance of more than two chromosome copies in an individual, is widespread in plants (instances in animals are less frequent but do occur). Current estimates are polyploidization has occurred at least once in all major lineages of plants, throughout their evolutionary history.
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Population Dynamics
Studies of population dynamics consider the size and age composition of populations through time as driven by various biological and environmental processes. Through my work, I aim to demonstrate and support why this should be extended to include cytotypic composition. As cytotypic composition fluctuates within a population, the effect and interaction of biological and environmental processes may also change. Additionally, investigating cytotypic composition, we must reconsider the models that can be used for population genetics when modeling population dynamics and making predications of outcomes.
For example, if a population of 10 diploid individuals passes through an environmentally driven population bottleneck to a size of 4 individuals, there can be at most 8 unique alleles present in the subsequent generation, at any given loci. However, if the same population was comprised of 10 tetraploid individuals to start, the same bottleneck could leave up to 16 unique alleles present in the subsequent generation. It is nontrivial to suggest too, that the tetraploid population may have a differential response to the same bottleneck, as has been outlined, there is a potential of greater allelic variation in that population to start. This hypothetical of course is a simplification and presents two populations at either extreme of cytotypic composition, but a point is demonstrated. The cytotypic composition of a population can lead to different outcomes for the population, even given the same environmental process are at work
Modeling
Construction of mathematical models based upon simplifying assumptions of nature permit researchers to deconstruct complex biological processes into their parts and investigate parameters that are crucial to the process. Investigations of some questions can only be done using models, as researchers are limited in the parameters, they are able to manipulate, do to many reasons (ethical concerns, temporal or monetary constraints or ability to manipulate at all).
I primarily use simulations to study different models and their key parameters in addressing answers to my research questions. It can become easy to get ‘lost in the weeds’ when running simulations or building models in the first place. I seek to continue to hone my model building skills through collaborating with others to develop theoretically sound and empirically backed models for their systems and research questions. |