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Alexander RobertsonI am interested in the relationships animals hold with their environment, and the niches they carve out for themselves. My Master's project focuses on the differences in microhabitat use by an all-female, "unisexual" complex of mole salamanders and one of their genetically similar parental species, Small-mouth salamanders. Unisexuals are reproductively reliant on their parental species, and as Small-mouth salamanders are federally endangered, their extirpation from the island would mean the end of the unisexual complex as well. Microhabitat is a limited resource and a potential point of conflict for animals with similar needs, and the unisexuals in this complex have a gradient of "relatedness" to their parent species based on the genetic gradient of their hybrid nuclear genome and their differing ploidy levels. This project will test whether unisexuals use different microhabitat based on their multiple genetic differences, as well as if they use differing microhabitat from their sexual hosts, which could imply niche partitioning as a peaceful and sustainable mode of coexistence. Through this research we are afforded a lens with which to gain insights about parent-hybrid dynamics, but with a unique genetic spin more commonly seen in plants than animals. The reproductive nature of this complex also allows us to broaden our understanding of parasite-host relationships, and the adaptive strategies that parasites can use to ensure the long-term survival for both them and their hosts.
Education BSc, Trent University Contact [email protected] |