This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2014, International. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host international laboratory for the Fellow. The title of the research plan for this fellowship to Eric N. Rittmeyer is "Genomic Inference of Comparative Biogeography across Multiple Barriers in Reptiles and Amphibians of the Sahul Shelf." The host institution for this fellowship is the Australian National University, and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Craig Moritz.
Isolation across barriers to dispersal is a powerful driver of evolution. Often, the evolutionary history of multiple co-occurring species may be impacted by multiple shared barriers and shared historic events (such as sea level change). However, current analyses do not enable multiple barriers to be examined in multiple species simultaneously, nor do they allow for the analysis of large-scale, genomic datasets collected using new next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. This project develops novel analytical methods for comparative biogeography that enable researchers to examine shared evolutionary histories and test for simultaneous divergence among multiple taxa and across multiple barriers using NGS data. These methods are being tested using a genomic dataset collected using NGS of ultraconserved elements for 14 species of herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians) co-distributed across the Sahul Shelf region of Australia and New Guinea. This project also investigates how incorporating multiple barriers into a single analysis impacts inferences, and how differential ecology, such as species living in different habitats or with different dispersal capabilities, impacts divergence across barriers to dispersal. These data provide extensive insight into the evolutionary impacts of the physical features of barriers, the ecological traits of taxa, and the dynamic interactions of multiple barriers.
Training objectives involve developing the bioinformatic, programming, and genomic skills necessary for modern research in evolutionary biology. Broader impacts include the development of novel analyses made freely available as open-source software, the collection of museum specimens and genetic samples that are a valuable resource for future research on reptiles and amphibians, and fostering international collaboration among researchers from Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the United States. The Fellow is involved in outreach activities, including the distribution of educational materials to local villagers in Papua New Guinea. Combined, these efforts on a broad variety of fronts promise a lasting, positive effect on collaborative relationships, research in New Guinea, and public awareness of biodiversity and biological research.
