NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2015

Bay Rachael A, Pacific Grove CA

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2015, Research Using Biological Collections. The fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow to take transformative approaches to grand challenges in biology that employ biological collections in highly innovative ways. The title of the research plan for this fellowship to Rachael Bay is "Elucidating population history and migration patterns of yellow warblers through DNA analysis." The host institution for this fellowship is the University of California Los Angeles, and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Thomas Smith. The fellowship research uses cutting-edge DNA sequencing technology to elucidate migration patterns of the yellow warbler and measure changes in population size and structure over time. Understanding the distribution of genetic diversity across space and time helps explain animal movement and evolutionary capacity, both important considerations in species conservation. The research capitalizes on the wealth of information available through genomic sequencing and the depth provided by extensive biological collections. The yellow warbler has experienced population declines, likely due to habitat fragmentation and destruction. Using DNA extracted from an extensive feather collection housed at the Center for Tropical Research at UCLA permits measurement of migratory connectivity which, although important for predicting the broader impacts of local disturbance, is difficult to measure using traditional non-genetic methods. In addition, using museum specimens from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California at Berkeley, changes in population structure and genetic diversity over time are being measured, allowing direct measurement of the evolutionary consequences of habitat destruction and development and informaing conservation decisions. Training goals include gaining new skills in emerging genomic techniques and the use of collections samples to add a temporal depth not available through sampling existing populations. Educational outreach involves training for undergraduate researchers as well public outreach through the Audubon Society and similar groups. Finally, the project itself has far-reaching conservation implications. Understanding the distribution of genetic diversity and how it has changed along with habitat loss and fragmentation helps inform management plans, for example by conserving habitat for evolutionarily important lineages or preserving wildlife corridors between isolated populations.