Presentation Title
Exploring the Biogeographic History and Phylogenetic Relationships of Caribbean Spiders in the Genus Eriophora
Abstract
The source of the Caribbean’s vast biodiversity has been a hotly researched topic. Until now, these inquiries have been largely vertebrate focused. This study exists as part of Dr. Agnarsson’s expansive arthropod-focused Caribbean Island Biogeography (CarBio) project, and explicitly explores the colonization history and pattern diversity of spiders in the genus Eriophora. This study investigates the phylogenetic relationships of these spiders and tests several hypotheses concerning their mode of dispersal throughout the Caribbean. One such hypothesis tested is the heavily debated GAARlandia land-bridge hypothesis. The CO1 and ITS2 genes of Eriophora specimens were investigated using DNA extractions and polymerase chain reactions (PCR), to produce gene sequences for each specimen. These sequences were then used to synthesize a new statistically supported phylogeny, which fills the holes in our knowledge concerning this group’s history of colonization in the Caribbean.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Ingi Agnarsson
Graduate Student Mentors
Lisa Chamberland, Laura Caicedo-Quiroga
Faculty/Staff Collaborators
Ingi Agnarsson (Faculty Mentor), Lisa Chamberland (Graduate Student Mentor), & Laura Caicedo-Quiroga (Graduate Student Mentor)
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Arts and Sciences
Program/Major
Zoology
Primary Research Category
Biological Sciences
Exploring the Biogeographic History and Phylogenetic Relationships of Caribbean Spiders in the Genus Eriophora
The source of the Caribbean’s vast biodiversity has been a hotly researched topic. Until now, these inquiries have been largely vertebrate focused. This study exists as part of Dr. Agnarsson’s expansive arthropod-focused Caribbean Island Biogeography (CarBio) project, and explicitly explores the colonization history and pattern diversity of spiders in the genus Eriophora. This study investigates the phylogenetic relationships of these spiders and tests several hypotheses concerning their mode of dispersal throughout the Caribbean. One such hypothesis tested is the heavily debated GAARlandia land-bridge hypothesis. The CO1 and ITS2 genes of Eriophora specimens were investigated using DNA extractions and polymerase chain reactions (PCR), to produce gene sequences for each specimen. These sequences were then used to synthesize a new statistically supported phylogeny, which fills the holes in our knowledge concerning this group’s history of colonization in the Caribbean.