Tag Archives: review

Making ecology “count”: a review of the why and how of molecular ecology  

Posted on 25 Oct, 2016 by Kelle Freel

It’s likely that everyone has been asked by either a friend or family member “What do you do?” Which, depending on what level of detail you shoot for, might be relatively straight forward. The follow-up question, however, can be a … Continue reading →

Posted in bioinformatics, community, community ecology, metagenomics | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The biggest problem in landscape genetics and how to fix it

Posted on 11 Dec, 2015 by Rob Denton

Landscape genetics is a field that has expanded rapidly in recent years, but that doesn’t mean that it hasn’t gone without criticism. Perhaps the largest problem with landscape genetics (LG) studies is one of timing. If you observe genetic differentiation … Continue reading →

Posted in methods, Molecular Ecology, the journal, population genetics | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Dispersal by land or by sea

Posted on 15 Jul, 2015 by Rob Denton

Here, we compare and contrast the traits and selective forces influencing the evolution of dispersal in marine and terrestrial systems. From this comparison, a unifying question emerges: when is dispersal for dispersal and when is dispersal a by-product of selection … Continue reading →

Posted in population genetics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Reviewing the reviews: Twelve years of Landscape Genetics

Posted on 18 Mar, 2015 by Rob Denton

Landscape genetics has grown feverishly since its first formal definition in 2003 (Manel et al). The beauty of combining genetic, environmental, and spatial variation to answer biological questions sure is alluring, and the quest for improving the methodology of landscape … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 5 Comments

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

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

Isolation by environment explains why the grass isn't always greener

Posted on 3 Dec, 2014 by Rob Denton

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 →

Posted in methods, Molecular Ecology, the journal, population genetics | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Is genetics a requirement for restoration?

Posted on 12 Nov, 2014 by Rob Denton

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 →

Posted in community ecology, conservation, Molecular Ecology, the journal, natural history, population genetics | Tagged , , | 1 Comment