2000 Ph.D University of Arizona
2000-2002 Post-doctoral Fellow in Evolutionary Genomics, Duke University
2002-2006 Research Associate, Duke University

Marine Evolutionary Genetics

One of the fundamental differences between marine and terrestrial animals is that the lifecycles of marine animals frequently include a planktonic larval stage. The capacity for widespread movement during the planktonic stage has extremely important implications for understanding both the ecology and evolution of marine animals. For example, where and how far do larvae go? How are adult populations genetically connected both over short and long time scales? How can populations become adapted to particular environments if gene flow is extensive? How are new species formed? I study these issues blue mussels and other marine animals.


Major research themes of my lab group:

Connectivity across land and seascapes – How do habitat landscapes affect movements of individuals and genes? Can we identify source populations in order to prioritize areas for conservation?

Biological invasions, historical and modern – What factors facilitate species expanding their ranges and colonizing new habitat? How do colonizing populations adapt to novel environments?

Speciation, hybridization, and the evolution of reproductive genes – Why are some types of genes more or less likely to be exchanged between populations and species? Why are reproductive genes under strong natural selection and does this contribute to reproductive isolation?

Selected Publications:

Riginos, C., Wang, D. and A. J. Abrams. (2006). Geographic variation and positive selection on M7 lysin, an acrosomal sperm protein in mussels (Mytilus spp.) Molecular Biology and Evolution. in press.

Riginos, C. (2005). Cryptic vicariance in Gulf of California fishes parallels vicariant patterns found in Baja, California mammals and reptiles. Evolution: 59: 2678-2690.

Riginos, C. and C. W. Cunningham. (2005). Invited Review: Local adaptation and species segregation in two mussel (Mytilus edulis X Mytilus trossulus) hybrid zones. Molecular Ecology 14: 381-400.

Riginos, C., Hickerson, M. J., Henzler, C. M., and C. W. Cunningham. (2004). Differential patterns of female and male mtDNA exchange across the Atlantic Ocean in the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis. Evolution 58: 2438-2451.

Riginos, C. and B. C. Victor. (2001). Larval spatial distributions and other early life history characteristics predict genetic differentiation in eastern Pacific blennioid fishes. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B 268: 1931-1936.

Funded Projects:

Coral reef connectivity: an empirical and theoretical synthesis (to C. Riginos and H. P. Possingham)

ARC, 2008-2011, 473,000

Student Projects Available:

Determining patterns and causes of genetic connectivity in reef animals

Student Level: Honours

Ecological genomics of hybridisation between mussel species

Student Level: Honours

Examining historical affinities of Southern Hemisphere mussels

Student Level: Honours

Experimental evaluation of sources of selection on gamete recognition genes in mussels

Student Level: PhD

Molecular evolution of gamete compatibility genes in mussels

Student Level: PhD

Research Collaborators:

POSSINGHAM Hugh - Pure and applied population ecology
MARSHALL Dustin - Marine Evolutionary Ecology

Postdoctoral Staff:

TREML Eric - The University of Queensland

Students:

HEREWARD James - PhD
DINSDALE Adam - PhD
SHANAHAN Danielle - SCHOL
GILES Jenny - PhD
DAVID Gwendolyn - BSc(Hons)
BONGAERTS Pim - PhD - Ecological significance of deep light-dependent coral communities