Dr. Jonathan Velotta
Assistant Professor
Department Biological Sciences
University of Denver

WHEN:  Feb. 12, 2021 at Noon
WHERE: Seminar will be presented via Zoom

Please complete the RSVP FORM to receive the Zoom Meeting link.

Extreme Physiology and the Mechanisms of Adaptive Evolution

Adapting to novel environments is one of the most important processes leading to the creation of biodiversity on earth. I will discuss research in my lab aimed at understanding the "how" of this process: how do animals adapt to novel environments, and how do they become successful there? To answer this question, we study the invasion of extreme, high-altitude environments in North America, environments that force animals to deal with two compounding environmental stressors: low oxygen and cold. My talk will summarize our work on the physiological basis of adaptation to these extreme stressors, and what we know about their underlying genetic basis. We will do this using studies across populations of the North American deer mouse, a common mouse that lives along a steep elevational gradient from the low-altitude Great Plains to the highest peaks in the Colorado Rockies.

Everyone is welcome to join the seminar, please complete the RSVP FORM to receive the Zoom link.