With increased urbanization across the globe comes more invasive species. Humans accidentally bring pests with them when they travel across the world. The highly invasive Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, has been found in Wake County, North Carolina.
Emily Reed, a graduate student at NC State, collected mosquito eggs from 15 sites across Wake County using egg traps. She sequenced their DNA using a RADseq approach, which resulted in over 1,000 SNPs. After conducting several analyses that identify potential landscape features as barriers to gene flow, Emily found that developed open spaces facilitate gene flow. So yards, golf courses and parks appear to help mosquitos cross the landscape. However, impervious surfaces, which are highest in urban areas, act as barriers to gene flow.
I am interested in urban ecology and evolution. Urbanization can have drastic impacts on local ecosystems, both negative and positive, and creates a new environment for organisms to experience. To understand the impacts that urbanization plays on organisms, I look through the lense of population genetics and molecular evolution.
- Urban Observation of the Week: Golden Jackal - July 28, 2021
- Urban Observation of the Week: Bellflowers in Munich - July 21, 2021
- Urban Observation of the Week: So Many Plants - July 14, 2021
Leave a Reply