WildlifeSNPits

WildlifeSNPits is looking for:

• Guest Writers

Welcome to our blog: WildlifeSNPits! We aim to blog at the intersection of conservation and evolution. Each of our writers works in these two fields while varying in degrees, with some more focused on conservation and others evolution. Our primary aim is to discuss contemporary issues in conservation and evolution along with comments on science outreach, education, and policy as well.

Without further ado, we are:

Emily Puckett

I am an Assistant Professor at the University of Memphis.  My interests center on phylogeography and spatial-temporal population genomics across species ranges.  My dissertation focused on the American black bear (Ursus americanus) and my postdoc on brown rats (Rattus norvegicus). My evolutionary interests relate to population-level diversity in functional traits and how that diversity varies over geographic space. My conservation interests center around the trade (both legal and illegal) of wildlife goods and how international policies and the luxury goods industry effect trade volume and the species involved.
Find me on: Twitter || My Website || Google Scholar || Instagram

Anna MacDonald

My research interests focus on molecular ecology, conservation and population genetics, with an emphasis on using genetic data to inform wildlife management. I’m currently at the Australian National University as the project coordinator for the Oz Mammals Genomics Initiative, an Australia-wide collaboration tackling genomics, evolution and conservation in Australian native mammals. Previously, my postdoc work at the Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, focused on genetics of native Australian vertebrates and introduced species such as foxes and cats. I’m really interested in using environmental DNA to tackle ecological questions, for example using DNA to detect predators and their prey from faeces. My PhD research involved the development and application of population genetic markers for the tammar wallaby, and fostered my interest in using sex chromosome markers in population genetics. I also analysed wallaby sperm DNA to study mutations and evolutionary processes affecting a type of repetitive DNA known as microsatellite repeats.
Find me on: Twitter || My Website || Google Scholar || Instagram

Guest Posts
If you are interested in writing a guest post at WildlifeSNPits, please email us (wildlifesnpits at gmail dot com). Please include a pitch for a blog post aimed at the intersection of evolution and conservation. While our current bloggers focus on animals, our definition of wildlife includes plants, invertebrates, and fungi too!