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Author Archives: Rob Denton
A molecular how-to for hibernating this winter
As the academic semester ends, I see the tell-tale signs of the upcoming holiday hibernation. The weary eyes of teaching assistants peeking over piles of final exams. Students who may have mentally been on break before finals even started. A little … Continue reading
C.L. Gloger's favorite owl
Biologists love clines. We’ve been mentally masticating on clines for decades. Clines in body size. Clines in color. Clines in heart size! Clines that go in circles! Recognizing clinal patterns in phenotypes or genotypes is fun, but discovering the mechanisms behind … Continue reading
Posted in adaptation, Molecular Ecology, the journal, population genetics
Tagged ABC, Birds, Clines
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Isolation by environment explains why the grass isn't always greener
Ever since Sewall Wright introduced isolation by distance in 1943, the interplay between genetic differentiation and geographic distance has been a foundational, sometimes frustrating, aspect of population genetics studies. But distance isn’t just distance. The walk to my car isn’t any longer when … Continue reading
The big chief at Molecular Ecology Resources: Interviewing Shawn Narum
What are the most exciting parts of doing science? The first look at results? The sheen of your publication finally in print? That initial foray out into the field? What about the moment you figure out a way to make a … Continue reading
Posted in interview, methods, Molecular Ecology views, science publishing
Tagged interview, methods, Molecular Ecology Resources
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Growing the evolutionary relationship between green algae and salamanders
The presence of green algae within the developing egg masses of amphibians has been recognized since the early 1900s, but only recently have researchers discovered that the these algae (termed “Oophila”) persist in animal tissues far after leaving the egg. The … Continue reading
Posted in Coevolution, phylogenetics, speciation
Tagged Algae, Amphibians, coevolution, phylogeny
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Is genetics a requirement for restoration?
The fields of conservation and genetics have relied heavily on one another for quite a while now (they even made an aptly named journal together!). Using genetic information is now an accepted, and even expected, step in recognizing and protecting … Continue reading
The Tortoise Time Warp
Recent advances in genetic data analysis continue to provide the ability to reveal some amazingly detailed (and previously unattainable) information about species’ evolutionary history. In this recent study from Molecular Ecology, Dr. Ryan Garrick and colleagues use a variety of … Continue reading
Posted in Molecular Ecology, the journal, phylogenetics, speciation
Tagged ABC, microsatellite, radiation
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