DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Patterns of Adaptive Radiation in Sphaerodactylus Geckos

University Of Rochester, Rochester NY

Investigators

Abstract

Adaptive radiation is the diversification of an ancestral lineage into a multitude of ecologically adapted species. This study will use the West Indian radiation of Sphaerodactylus geckos to investigate two hypotheses emerging from recent work on adaptive radiation: (1) adaptation is replicated among radiations isolated by time or geography, and (2) access to ecological opportunity drives diversification. Sphaerodactylus is an ideal group to test these hypotheses because multiple evolutionarily independent radiations occur across the West Indies. This study will address each hypothesis by combining morphological and habitat-use data with phylogenetic comparative methods and geometric morphometrics, to assess the extent of replicated adaptation and the importance of access to ecological resources in the diversification of Sphaerodactylus. Throughout this project, undergraduate assistants will be trained in a variety of field, laboratory, and analytical techniques. Results from this study will be disseminated through scholarly journals and conferences, as well as through journals and symposia organized by gecko enthusiasts. Furthermore, results from this study will be incorporated into a pre-collegiate summer program at the University of Rochester, to expose students to both emerging research and applied science. Finally, this study will contribute to the conservation of these poorly known geckos.