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Genetics Program |
I am a postdoctoral fellow in the molecular
genetics lab. My primary research interest is the evolution and adaptive radiation
of birds. I use genetic data, including DNA sequences, to reconstruct evolutionary
relationships among living and recently-extinct bird species. Here at the Zoo,
I am working on a group of extinct rails endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Rails
are secretive, terrestrial birds, with strong legs and short tails, most often
found in marshes. The accompanying picture shows a painting of one of the extinct
Hawaiian species, the Hawaiian Rail. I am extracting DNA from bones of the extinct
birds and sequencing pieces of the DNA. I am using the sequence data (1) to
determine the closest living relative(s) of the extinct rails and (2) to reconstruct
the history of colonization of the islands by this group.
Beth Slikas is now at the MVZ at UC Berkeley
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