I am broadly interested in how ecological limitations can alter evolutionary trajectories. Specifically, I want to asses how habitat limitations and local density environments can affect individual behavior and population structure. I plan to tackle this question using genetically isolated populations of the black widow (Latrodectus hesperus) along the pacific coast. Populations of the western black widow display varying levels of sociality, from complete solitary living to facultative group living and even refuge sharing of several adult and subadult females. Each population also experiences distinct ecological conditions as they inhabit variable, unique habitats. Therefore, it is possible for these unique ecological conditions to select for different behavioral trait optima. My goal is a holistic understanding of population evolutionary dynamics and social evolution driven by behavioral differences. The evolutionary framework for my work is an updated phylogenetic model for population-level diversity in L. hesperus, currently in preparation in our lab.

Approved