Directional genetic differentiation and relative migration

Understanding the population structure and patterns of gene flow within species is of fundamental importance to the study of evolution. In the fields of population and evolutionary genetics, measures of genetic differentiation are commonly used to gather this information. One potential caveat is that these measures assume gene flow to be symmetric. However, asymmetric gene flow is common in nature, especially in systems driven by physical processes such as wind or water currents. As information about levels of asymmetric gene flow among populations is essential for the correct interpretation of the distribution of contemporary genetic diversity within species, this should not be overlooked. To obtain information on asymmetric migration patterns from genetic data, complex models based on maximum-likelihood or Bayesian approaches generally need to be employed, often at great computational cost. Here, a new simpler and more efficient approach for understanding gene flow patterns is presented. This approach allows the estimation of directional components of genetic divergence between pairs of populations at low computational effort, using any of the classical or modern measures of genetic differentiation. These directional measures of genetic differentiation can further be used to calculate directional relative migration and to detect asymmetries in gene flow patterns. This can be done in a user-friendly web application called divMigrate-online introduced in this study. Using simulated data sets with known gene flow regimes, we demonstrate that the method is capable of resolving complex migration patterns under a range of study designs.

Chinese Migrant Workers in Kenya: Their Health Status and Access to Health Care

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-06

Ecology and physical condition of red deer in the Iberian Peninsula: implications for management

The red deer (Cervus elaphus) is currently one of the most widespread and abundant wild ungulates in the Iberian Peninsula and is extremely important both ecologically, as a key species for the functioning of the ecosystems, and economically, as a major game species. In Iberia, red deer populations are subjected to different management systems that may affect the physical condition of the individuals, with further consequences for population dynamics. Studies investigating the effects of management practices and environmental conditions on the performance of red deer are still rare regarding Mediterranean ecosystems. Much of the knowledge concerning the ecology of red deer and the impact of management on its physical condition is based on studies conducted in northern and central regions of Europe, where climatological features and management practices differ from those observed in the Mediterranean areas of Iberia. Studies on a biogeographical scale can provide important insights into the relationships between species and a particular environment and contribute to the development of more targeted and appropriate management practices. The optimisation of sampling procedures and the fine-tuning of pre-existing analytical techniques are also fundamental to a more cost-effective monitoring and, therefore, are of enormous value to wildlife managers. In this context, the main aims of this thesis were: 1) to optimise the procedures used to assess the physical condition of red deer; and 2) to identify relevant management and environmental factors affecting the nutritional condition and stress physiology of red deer in the Mediterranean ecosystems of Iberia, as well as any potential interactions between those factors. Two studies with a methodological focus, presented in the first part of the thesis, demonstrated that the physical condition of red deer can be evaluated more simply, using more cost- and time-effective procedures than those traditionally used: i) it was shown that only one kidney and its associated fat is enough to assess nutritional condition in red deer; and ii) the feasibility of using near infrared spectroscopy to predict the concentrations of stress hormone metabolites was demonstrated using faeces of red deer for the first time. Subsequently, two large-scale observational studies, conducted in representative red deer populations found in Mediterranean Iberia, highlighted the importance of considering seasonal environmental variations and variables related to hunting management practices to better understand the nutritional and physiological ecology of red deer. High population densities had adverse effects on the nutritional condition of the deer and were associated with increased stress levels in natural populations without supplementary feeding. Massive hunting events involving the use of hounds were also identified as a potential source of chronic stress in red deer. The research presented in this thesis has clear implications regarding the management and monitoring of red deer populations in Mediterranean environments and is intended to help wildlife managers to implement more effective monitoring programmes and sustainable management practices.

Ecological and evolutionary effects of dispersal on freshwater zooplankton

A recent focus on contemporary evolution and the connections between communities has sought to more closely integrate the fields of ecology and evolutionary biology. Studies of coevolutionary dynamics, life history evolution, and rapid local adaptation demonstrate that ecological circumstances can dictate evolutionary trajectories. Thus, variation in species identity, trait distributions, and genetic composition may be maintained among ecologically divergent habitats. New theories and hypotheses (e.g., metacommunity theory and the Monopolization hypothesis) have been developed to understand better the processes occurring in spatially structured environments and how the movement of individuals among habitats contributes to ecology and evolution at broader scales. As few empirical studies of these theories exist, this work seeks to further test these concepts. Spatial and temporal dispersal are the mechanisms that connect habitats to one another. Both processes allow organisms to leave conditions that are suboptimal or unfavorable, and enable colonization and invasion, species range expansion, and gene flow among populations. Freshwater zooplankton are aquatic crustaceans that typically develop resting stages as part of their life cycle. Their dormant propagules allow organisms to disperse both temporally and among habitats. Additionally, because a number of species are cyclically parthenogenetic, they make excellent model organisms for studying evolutionary questions in a controlled environment. Here, I use freshwater zooplankton communities as model systems to explore the mechanisms and consequences of dispersal and to test these nascent theories on the influence of spatial structure in natural systems. In Chapter one, I use field experiments and mathematical models to determine the range of adult zooplankton dispersal over land and what vectors are moving zooplankton. Chapter two focuses on prolonged dormancy of one aquatic zooplankter, Daphnia pulex. Using statistical models with field and mesocosm experiments, I show that variation in Daphnia dormant egg hatching is substantial among populations in nature, and some of that variation can be attributed to genetic differences among the populations. Chapters three and four explore the consequences of dispersal at multiple levels of biological organization. Chapter three seeks to understand the population level consequences of dispersal over evolutionary time on current patterns of population genetic differentiation. Nearby populations of D. pulex often exhibit high population genetic differentiation characteristic of very low dispersal. I explore two alternative hypotheses that seek to explain this pattern. Finally, chapter four is a case study of how dispersal has influenced patterns of variation at the community, trait and genetic levels of biodiversity in a lake metacommunity.

Investigations on growth ecology and reproduction of Sargassum sp. and Gracilaria on intertidal region in Bandar Lenge

Investigations on growth and quantity of phycocolloids of Sargassum sp. and Gracilaria corticata was done on field and laboratorial works over one year from January 2003 to May 2004. Sargassum thalli began growth from January. The highest biomass value recorded 1611.04 gm^-2 was obtained in November. The receptacles appeared on November and released eggs. The senescence of Sargassum thalli was in December and the new thallus began to grow from January, The highest relative growth rate (6.74 percent) was in February. The relative growth rate showed significant correlation (p<0,05) with temperature. The highest value of alginate was in November (10.02 percent). Alginat content showed significant correlations (p<0.05) with Sargassum biomass. There was no significant effect of environmental factors on alginate content. The highest biomass of Graciiaria was in Match (49.88 gm^-2). Maximum relative growth rate of Gracilara (2 percent) was in December. Relative growth rate of Gracilaria (2.8 percent) was in December. Relative growth rate of Gracilaria showed significant correlations (p<0.05) with temperature. There was significant effect of ammonium (p<0.05) on growth factors of Gracilaria, maximum agar content was in August {10.005 percent). The yield of agar showed significant correlation (p<0.05) with Gracilaria biomass and ammonium in field and laboratory.

Horæ evangelicæ : or, the internal evidence of the Gospel history, being an inquiry into the structure and origin of the four Gospels, their historical consistency, and the characteristic design of each narrative /

Mode of access: Internet.

Urban hazards : spatial ecology and survivorship of a turtle in an expanding suburban environment

A VOICE OF THEIR OWN: MUSIC AND SOCIAL COHESION IN TURKISH ALEVI LIFE

This dissertation examines the role that music has played in the expression of identity and revitalization of culture of the Alevis in Turkey, since the start of their sociocultural revival movement in the late 1980s. Music is central to Alevi claims of ethnic and religious difference—singing and playing the bağlama (Turkish folk lute) constitutes an expressive practice in worship and everyday life. Based on research conducted from 2012 to 2014, I investigate and present Alevi music through the lens of discourses on the construction of identity as a social and musical process. Alevi musicians perform a revived repertoire of the ritual music and folk songs of Anatolian bards and dervish-lodge poets that developed over several centuries. Contemporary media and performance contexts have blurred former distinctions between sacred and secular, yet have provided new avenues to build community in an urban setting. I compare music performances in the worship services of urban and small-town areas, and other community events such as devotional meetings, concerts, clubs, and broadcast and social media to illustrate the ways that participation—both performing and listening—reinforces identity and solidarity. I also examine the influence of these different contexts on performers’ musical choices, and the power of music to evoke a range of responses and emotional feelings in the participants. Through my investigation I argue that the Alevi music repertoire is not only a cultural practice but also a symbol of power and collective action in their struggle for human rights and self-determination. As Alevis have faced a redefined Turkish nationalism that incorporates Sunni Muslim piety, this music has gained even greater potency in their resistance to misrecognition as a folkloric, rather than a living, tradition.