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Terry TophamI am studying how ploidy and gene composition impact the morphology of the unisexual ambystoma complex of Pelee Island, Ontario. Due to their unique reproductive method, unisexual salamanders follow a genetic gradient between their two host species; the blue spotted salamander, and the small mouthed salamander. This makes the unisexuals and the hosts visually indistinguishable in the field outside of the breeding season. Oftentimes we require timely and costly genetic tests to determine genomotype. While there have been previous studies done using hand measurements to test the visual differentiation of these salamanders, the addition of photographic analysis will allow for the detection of facial traits that cannot be detected with calipers. Therefore, I use a combination of traditional measurements and geometric morphometrics to fully understand how ploidy and genome dosage shapes morphology in species complexes. This will allow us to untangle how ploidy and genome dosage in particular influence development, growth patterns, and trait expression, providing insights relevant to evolution and conservation. Furthermore, we can determine if any visual differences exist within these salamanders which may help with future field identification.
Education B.Sc. Biology – Trent University, 2024 Contact [email protected] |