touchdown

uninterrupted joy

I started making desktop art... I have a few more to post.

Can host plant specialization lead to speciation in herbivorous insects?

That's the main question to the research I am conducting now. I am interested in population genetics and evolutionary ecology, and the mechanisms of species divergence. I am studying the role and importance of host plant specialization as a barrier to gene flow in the juniper hairstreak butterfly, Mitoura gryneus. Mitoura use trees in the family Cupressaceae, including Juniperus ashei, J. virginiana, and J. pinchotii as host plants in different regions of Texas. I am comparing populations in terms of host plant preference and fitness on the preferred host, as well as genetic differentiation, for host-associated populations that occur together and in geographically separate areas. If specialization and assortative mating on the natal host plant is occurring, then patterns of neutral genetic variation should reflect this.
On a larger (temporal/geographic) scale, I would like to examine Mitoura throughout North America in terms of explaining biogeographic patterns. I want to examine specialization, host switches, adaptive radiation and speciation in some kind of a macroevolutionary framework, and I think giving attention to these little buggies might prove fruitful in this regard.

Ta-daaaa! Three years later, you're still alive...

Wow. I thought I would have more discipline than that. Well, better late than never? I couldn't just up and create a new one. Re-use, re-cycle! I'm so happy it's still here.
I went through Yahoo! 360, I went through MySpace, and most recently, have entertained myself on FaceBook. But I forgot about little ol' Blogger. I'm back.
I'm very interested in the ScienceBlogs site and perhaps if I keep up the good work I will find myself over there someday.
But I'm going to have to get to work over here. I've been a bit of a slacker and let myself get distracted...

Why you double-crossing...

Two-timing rat... I'm cheating on this blog. I have another one now, as evidenced by the link above.
NOPE... it is no longer...!
[Ah well... This will always be the original, and as long as I keep logging into it occasionally, I can keep it. Perhaps I will even take up leading a double life... a life with two blogs. Wouldn't be unusual in my case...]