UST Bulletin Today, Minnesota
09-12-06
‘Contemporary Morphological Evolution in Pupfish Refuge Populations’ is focus
of biology seminar Sept. 15
Dr. Michael Collyer of the Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology
Department at Iowa State University, will speak at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, in
Room 313, O’Shaughnessy Science Hall. His talk is titled “Contemporary
Morphological Evolution in Pupfish Refuge Populations. Come early for free
“grub” at 2:45 p.m.
About Collyer’s presentation
North American pupfishes are renowned for their diversification in ecologically
diverse desert aquatic habitats, their ability to survive harsh environmental
conditions and their many conservation issues. Because of small ranges, high
levels of endemism and the threats from the influence of humans on nature, most
pupfishes receive state or federal protection, and are managed actively.
The creation of “refuge” populations is an often-used conservation strategy,
providing a hedge against local extinctions. In this talk, Collyer presents an
example of contemporary morphological evolution in a refuge population of the
White Sands pupfish (Cyprinodon tularosa). He also examines whether this
occurrence is unique for the White Sands pupfish or common in other pupfishes
as well, based on an ecological morphology study with six related pupfish
species.
Results from Collyer’s research demonstrate that pupfish morphological diversity
is consistent with an ecological divergence model of evolution. These results are
discussed with implications for establishing refuge populations as a conservation
strategy.
Information on Collyer is available in the seminar display case on the second
floor, Owens Science Hall.