Year: 2022, 2022
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): McFarlane, Samantha Amy, Thesis advisor (ths): Wilson, Paul J, Thesis advisor (ths): Manseau, Micheline, Degree committee member (dgc): Bowman, Jeff, Degree committee member (dgc): Steenweg, Robin, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Variation in habitat quality and disturbance levels can strongly influence a species' distribution, leading to spatial variation in population density and influencing population dynamics. It is therefore critical to understand how density can lead to variability in demographic responses for effective conservation and recovery of species. My dissertation illustrates how density and… more Full Text: LANDSCAPE FITNESS: INTEGRATING DENSITY, FAMILIAL NETWORKS AND POPULATION DYNAMICS FOR THE CONSERVATION OF BOREAL WOODLAND CARIBOU A dissertation submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Forensic epistemology is the study of knowledge as it relates to forensic science and can be broken into four sources; intuitive, authoritative, logical and empirical. In a four-phase research approach, I explored reasoning skills (logical knowledge) used by crime scene experts and methods (empirical knowledge) for forensic case-specific experimentation. First, the reasoning skills of… more Full Text: FORENSIC EPISTEMOLOGY: STUDYING THE CRIME SCENE A dissertation submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences TRENT UNIVERSITY …
Year: 2020, 2020
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Species ranges are changing and the rate at which the climate is warming is faster than anything previously seen in the past, consequently species will need to adapt quickly, track the climate or perish. Cold adapted terrestrial species are the most vulnerable, because they are limited by the availability of land at the cold edge of their range. This means that many alpine, boreal and… more Full Text: Range dynamics of two closely related felids A dissertation submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts and Science Trent University Peterborough, …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Introgressive hybridization between northern (Glaucomys sabrinus) and southern flying squirrels (G. volans) has been observed in some areas of Canada and the USA. However, existing molecular markers lack the resolution to discriminate late-generation introgressants and describe the extent to which hybridization influences the Glaucomys gene pool. I report the first North American flying… more Full Text: De novo transcriptome assembly, functional annotation, and SNP discovery in North American flying squirrels (genus Glaucomys) A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of …
Year: 2018, 2018
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>To better understand species' resilience to climate change and implement solutions, we must conserve environments that maintain standing adaptive genetic variation and the potential generation of new beneficial alleles. Coding trinucleotide repeats (cTNRs) providing high-pace adaptive capabilities via high rates of mutation are ideal targets for mitigating the decline of species at… more Full Text: TIME TO ADAPT: CHARACTERIZING ADAPTIVE GENETIC VARIATION OF CANADA LYNX USING CODING TRINUCLEOTIDE REPEATS A dissertation submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in …
Year: 2017, 2017
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The release of domestic organisms to the wild is considered a threat to </p><p>biodiversity because the introduction of domestic genes through interbreeding can </p><p>negatively impact wild conspecifics via outbreeding and local extinction. In North </p><p>America, captive American mink (Neovison vison) are frequently escaping into the wild, </p… more Full Text: Functional Genetic Diversity in American Mink (Neovison vison) A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT UNIVERSITY …
Year: 2017, 2017
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Mountain ranges are often thought to restrict movement of wildlife, yet previous studies evaluating the role of the Rocky Mountains as a dispersal barrier for Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) have been contradictory. Our study uses neutral microsatellite loci to evaluate the role of the Rocky Mountains as a barrier to gene flow for lynx. Although lynx exhibited low genetic differentiation,… more Full Text: ASSESSING CANADA LYNX DISPERSAL ACROSS AN ELEVATION BARRIER: GENETIC STRUCTURE IN LIGHT OF HABITAT HETEROGENEITY A thesis submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the …
Year: 2017, 2017
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Polar bears are generally described as solitary, but features of their life cycles and </p><p>habitats regularly necessitate interaction. Effective conspecific assessment, including accurate </p><p>recognition and discrimination, likely confers benefits, especially to females accompanied by </p><p>dependent young. Individuals in the Southern (SH) and… more Full Text: Social discrimination by female polar bears (Ursus maritimus) when accompanied by dependent offspring during the ice-free season in southern and western Hudson Bay and James Bay A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The recent northward expansion of the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) in response to climatic changes provides a natural experiment to explore potential adaptive genetic variation within the clock gene Per1 in Peromyscus undergoing latitudinal shifts, as well as, the possibility of hybridization and introgression related to novel secondary contact with its sister species the… more Full Text: Testing for Interspecific Hybridization and a Latitudinal Cline Within the Clock Gene Per1 of the Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) and the White-Footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Fishers (Pekania pennanti) were extirpated from many parts of Ontario in the early 20th century, but as of the early 2000s the species had recolonized most of its historical range. While the primary population genetic structure of fishers in central and eastern Ontario has not changed drastically over the past ten years, we did find evidence of increased secondary structure and a… more Full Text: Genetic diversity and differentiation of Ontario’s recolonizing fishers (Pekania pennanti) A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>There are three cattail (Typha) taxa in Canada: T. latifolia (native), T. angustifolia (introduced), and their hybrid T. x glauca. The latter is invasive in regions around the Laurentian Great Lakes, and I investigated the potential role that commercial suppliers may be playing in the introduction of non-native Typha by comparing genotypes of North American, European, and commercially… more Full Text: UNDERSTANDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TYPHA SPP. IN NORTH AMERICA USING POPULATION GENETICS AND COMMON GARDEN STUDIES A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Migratory and sedentary ecotypes are phenotypic distinctions of woodland caribou. I explored whether I could distinguish between these ecotypes in Manitoba and Ontario using genetic signatures of adaptive differentiation. I anticipated that signatures of selection would indicate genetic structure and permit ecotype assignment of individuals. Cytochrome-b, a functional portion of the… more Full Text: ADAPTIVE GENETIC MARKERS REVEAL THE BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF WOODLAND CARIBOU (RANGIFER TARANDUS CARIBOU) ECOTYPES A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for a Degree …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Zigouris, Joanna, Thesis advisor (ths): Schaefer, James A, Thesis advisor (ths): Kyle, Christopher J, Degree committee member (dgc): Wilson, Paul J, Degree committee member (dgc): Bowman, Jeff, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Habitat loss and fragmentation can disrupt population connectivity, resulting in small, isolated populations and low genetic variability. Understanding connectivity patterns in space and time is critical in conservation and management planning, especially for wide-ranging species in northern latitudes where habitats are becoming increasingly fragmented. Wolverines (Gulo gulo) share… more Full Text: SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL GENETIC STRUCTURE OF WOLVERINE POPULATIONS A dissertation submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT …
Year: 2015, 2015
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Trinucleotide repeats (TNRs) are a class of highly polymorphic microsatellites which occur in neutral and non-neutral loci and may provide utility for individual- and population-identification. Exonic trinucleotide motifs, in particular, offer additional advantages for non-human species that typically utilize dinucleotide microsatellite loci. Specifically, the reduction of technical… more Full Text: Exonic Trinucleotide Microsatellites: Applying Genomic and Bioinformatic Techniques to Wildlife Forensic Science A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the …
Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Lalor, Jillian L., Thesis advisor (ths): Bowman, Jeff, Thesis advisor (ths): Wilson, Paul J, Degree committee member (dgc): Schulte-Hostedde, Albrecht, Degree committee member (dgc): Murray, Dennis, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>While hybridization between distinct taxa can have undesirable implications, it can also result in increased genetic variability and potentially, the exchange of adaptive genes or traits. Adaptive variation acquired through introgressive hybridization may be particularly advantageous for species facing rapid environmental change. I investigated a novel, climate change-induced hybrid zone… more Full Text: Selection on functional genes across a flying squirrel (genus Glaucomys) hybrid zone A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science …
Year: 2014, 2014
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The structure and composition of the landscape can facilitate or impede gene flow, which can have important consequences because genetically isolated groups of individuals may be prone to inbreeding depression and possible extinction. My dissertation examines how landscape structure influences spatial patterns of genetic differentiation and diversity of American marten (<italic>… more Full Text: EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE ON GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION AND DIVERSITY A dissertation submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts …
