Phylogeography is the study of genetic relationships among populations of a species across a region. This tells us about how frequently individuals from one area disperse to another, or conversely, how long populations in different areas have been isolated from each other. This information is very important to conservation as it helps guide the protection of maximal genetic diversity in each species.

In this project we are examining phylogeographic relationships of about 30 different species found throughout southern California. By comparing genetic relationships across all these species we can uncover deep historical patterns resulting from major geological events such as mountain uplift, sea level flucutation, and climatic shifts. Understanding how species responded to such events in the past, we may begin to predict how they might respond to changes in the future.

Listed below are all species being examined in the phylogeographic study. Species names are linked to images (images will open in a new window).