Mark A. McPeek
Professor of Biological Sciences
Research Areas: Developmental Biology, Evolutionary Biology
Molecular Mechanisms of Diversification Adaption
My work focuses broadly on the mechanisms underlying how lineages of organisms diversify and adapt to their ecological environment. We utilize modern molecular techniques to infer the evolutionary histories of populations and species, and to dissect the underlying genetic architecture of phenotypic adaptations to important natural selection agents. Presently, we are reconstructing the evolutionary history of an explosive continent-wide radiation event in the coenagrionid damselflies, our model organism, that seems have occurred in association with the last deglaciation of the North American Continent ~15,000 years ago. We are using sequence data from motochondrial and nuclear loci as well as AFLP data to reconstruct the phylogeographic history of this radiation.
We are also exploring the biochemical and physiological basis for stress responses in these same insects. Previous experiments showed that species can differ dramatically in the levels of stress (manifested as reduced weight gain per milligram of food ingested) mainfested in the presence of mortality threats. We are investigating how allocation of ingested food to various resource storage pools (i.e., protein, triglycerides, carbohydrates) and their subsequent utilization is modulated hormonally, and how these hormonal responses are induced by mortality threats. We hope to begin applying genomic approaches to characterize important gene expression changes that correlate with the levels of stress response. These data will implicate important genetic pathways that have evolved to give these critical species differences.
Visit the McPeek Lab website
Publications
Mbora, D.N. and McPeek, M.A. 2009 Host density and human activities mediate increased parasite prevalence and richness in primates threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation. J. Anim. Ecol. Jan;78(1):210-8.
McPeek, M.A., Shen, L. and Farid, H. 2009 The correlated evolution of three-dimensional reproductive structures between male and female damselflies. Evolution Jan;63(1):73-83.
Shen, L., Farid, H., and McPeek, M.A. 2008 MODELING THREE-DIMENSIONAL MORPHOLOGICAL STRUCTURES USING SPHERICAL HARMONICS. Evolution Dec 12.
McPeek, MA. 2008 The ecological dynamics of clade diversification and community assembly. Am. Nat. Dec;172(6):E270-84
Lowe, W.H., McPeek, M.A., Likens, G.E. and Cosentino, B.J. 2008 Linking movement behaviour to dispersal and divergence in plethodontid salamanders. Mol. Ecol. Oct;17(20):4459-69.
McPeek, M.A., Shen, L., Torrey, J.Z. and Farid, H. 2008 The tempo and mode of three-dimensional morphological evolution in male reproductive structures. Am. Nat. May;171(5):E158-78.
De Block, M., McPeek, M.A. and Stoks, R. 2008 Life-history evolution when Lestes damselflies invaded vernal ponds. Evolution Feb;62(2):485-93.