This research examines the role of hybridization in the evolution of slender salamanders of the genus Batrachoseps, a member of the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae). Preliminary data suggest that hybridization between deeply differentiated lineages has occurred repeatedly in Batrachoseps and that it affects morphological variation. Opportunities for hybridization are common in slender salamanders because of the numerous instances of geographic contact between independent lineages. This research will use DNA sequence data to further investigate the evolutionary history of slender salamanders and identify instances of hybridization. It will use morphometric data to characterize morphological variation, and to quantify the impact of hybridization on this variation. The work proposed here will have broader impacts for conservation and the training of future scientists, as well as for evolutionary biology. Almost half of all Batrachoseps species are considered of special concern, threatened, or endangered, and this work directly addresses current conservation issues by determining species boundaries and distributions. The grant also offers the opportunity for training of a graduate student (who will be trained to do the morphological work) and a postdoctoral researcher (who will do the bulk of the molecular work), and includes a series of independent projects designed for undergraduate participation.
