Author Archives: Rob Denton

Toying with eigenvectors

Posted on 4 Mar, 2015 by Rob Denton

There are few things I enjoy more than when someone takes the time to clearly communicate a complex idea. The whole “you don’t know it until you teach it” phenomenon gives me the utmost respect for those who put effort into … Continue reading →

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The conservation genomics gap

Posted on 25 Feb, 2015 by Rob Denton

Is genomic data a boon or a hurdle for conservation? Aaron Shafer and Jochen Wolf take a strong stance on the issue in a newly-published review in Trends in Ecology and Evolution: genomic data could be really useful for conservation, but not … Continue reading →

Posted in conservation, genomics | Tagged | 6 Comments

Comparing runs and counting K

Posted on 18 Feb, 2015 by Rob Denton

If you are someone who has any interaction with population genetics, the letter K may cause you a distinct feeling of uneasiness. Identifying the number of distinct genetic clusters (often represented as K) in a data set is a primary component in … Continue reading →

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How do you unite the stage and actors of the evolutionary play?

Posted on 11 Feb, 2015 by Rob Denton

When you are forced to give your one sentence, off-the-cuff response to “what kind of scientist are you?”, who do you become? A landscape geneticist? Community geneticist? Landscape epidemiologist? A new opinion in Trends in Ecology and Evolution by Brian … Continue reading →

Posted in community ecology, evolution, genomics, population genetics | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Mike Sovic on what comes AftrRAD

Posted on 4 Feb, 2015 by Rob Denton

We’ve recently been highlighting some discussions comparing different protocols for restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq). We’ve seen the pros and cons of multiple techniques, but what happens when you finally have thousands of shiny SNPs sitting on your hard drive? Multiple … Continue reading →

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Estimating the ticks and tocks of molecular clocks

Posted on 28 Jan, 2015 by Rob Denton

Like many undergraduate students, I learned about the linear, universal molecular clock: the homogeneous rate of nucleotide change over time. When I sat down to actually do analyses of molecular data, I was confounded by the array of options to treat DNA … Continue reading →

Posted in evolution, Molecular Ecology, the journal, mutation, software | Tagged | Leave a comment

The imitation game: simulating the genetics of large populations

Posted on 21 Jan, 2015 by Rob Denton

Computational simulations of genetic data are such a powerful and flexible tool for carrying out studies in molecular ecology. Do you want to know how much explanatory power your data provides? Simulate it! Predict the future response of species to … Continue reading →

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A current review of modern and ancient eDNA

Posted on 14 Jan, 2015 by Rob Denton

There is something romantic about environmental DNA. The ability to discover the presence of almost any species just by detecting the microscopic bread crumbs they leave behind? That is really just a deerstalker and pipette away from Sherlock-level science. But if … Continue reading →

Posted in DNA barcoding, genomics, metagenomics, Paleogenomics | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Totally RAD, Part 2

Posted on 7 Jan, 2015 by Rob Denton

Edit (8/20/15): I used the wrong web address for Kimberly Andrews! Go check out her work here. Sorry Kim! Restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) is quickly becoming the go-to methodology for collecting population genetic data, and the methodological difficulties of … Continue reading →

Posted in genomics, Molecular Ecology views, next generation sequencing, population genetics | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The best of TME (for the last two months)

Posted on 24 Dec, 2014 by Rob Denton

I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for year-end lists. Ten biggest science discoveries. Fifty best albums of 2014. They make fantastic procrastination fodder, and I’ll comb through each one that crosses my desktop before the New Year. In the same spirit, … Continue reading →

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