This dissertation research conducted by Ms. Kimberly Sheldon under the direction of Dr. Joshua Tewksbury of the University of Washington, will investigate how temperature variation influences the thermal physiology of beetle species across a broad latitudinal gradient. Research will be conducted in Argentina in collaboration with Dr. Federico Ocampo, a researcher at the Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Aridas (IAIZA). Dr. Ocampo is an expert in South American beetles and will expand Ms. Sheldon?s knowledge of this system as her current advisory committee does not have expertise in the proposed taxa of study. Quantifying the relationship between temperature and latitude is critical for modeling impacts of climate change in tropical and temperate regions. Furthermore the research will investigate how temperature shapes altitudinal distributions and thereby will improve understanding on the impact of warming temperatures on current distributions of organisms.
This study will add thousands of specimens to beetle collections in Argentina, Ecuador, and the US, collected explicitly to provide a specimen-based record of community structure up tropical and temperate mountains. Currently there are few such collections, and most of these are local or regional, making broad comparisons across latitude impossible. This work will provide a comparative collection for teaching and scientific research into the future. Additionally this proposal will support international dissertation research for one U.S. graduate student and will also provide a research opportunity for an undergraduate student in Argentina.
