Ellie Armstrong from Washington State University and the University of California at Riverside will be giving a seminar in the School of Life Sciences on Friday, April 12 at 1 p.m. in White Hall 197.

"Chromosomes, carnivores, and conservation: applications of genomics in the Anthropocene"

Abstract: Rapid global change is outpacing evolution for long-lived species of conservation concern, making it critical to understand the possible genomic consequences of population declines and local extinctions, as well as develop robust genomic tools for monitoring. I will discuss several ongoing projects which focus on both methods development and use empirical data to investigate ongoing declines in various populations of large carnivores. Specifically, I will present results which explore the mathematical constraints and recommendations of designing single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panels for species of conservation concern. I will then discuss preliminary results for an ongoing project investigating the decline and fragmentation of lion populations in East Africa using both modern and historical samples, including specimens collected by President Teddy Roosevelt between 1909-1911.