Project Information

Post-Doctoral Research - Main Objectives

The main objectives of my post-doc research were to expand my Ph.D. research on Sage-Grouse and Sharp-tailed Grouse.

(1) Fine scale genetic analysis of the northern Montana and Powder River Basin Sage-Grouse populations

(a) Valley county (Montana)/Saskatchewan

(b) South Phillips county (Montana)

(2) Fine scale genetic analysis of southern Alberta Sharp-tailed Grouse

(3) Development of a hybrid test to genetically detect Sage-Grouse X Sharp-tailed Grouse and their back-crossed hybrids in the population

(4) Combine genetics & GIS habitat mapping to identify barriers to gene flow and corridors

Ph.D. Project - Main Objectives

The primary objectives of my Ph.D. research were to provide an assessment of the genetic diversity for the endangered Canadian Sage-Grouse population and to determine possible genetic causes for its decline. I used polymorphic microsatellites (small tandemly repeated pieces of DNA) to address the following topics:

(1) Genetic structure analysis of the Northern Montana Sage-Grouse Population (Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Blaine, Phillips, Valley, & Chouteau counties in northern Montana) -

(2) Genetic structure & Relatedness analysis of Alberta Sage-Grouse

(3) Paternity analysis of 1206 Alberta Sage-Grouse embryos, eggshell membranes, and chicks

(4) Comparison of current Canadian Sage-Grouse samples with historic Canadian samples to look for declines in genetic diversity & population bottlenecks

Other projects examined, but not included in my thesis were:

(5) Examine possible causes for the significantly female biased sex ratio in Alberta Sage-Grouse click here

(6) Investigate possible genetic causes for low chick survival and recruitment

(7) Look at the genetic make-up of seven Alberta & Montana Sage-Grouse/Sharp-tailed Grouse hybrid males and test for the presence of Sharp-tailed genes in Canadian Sage-Grouse

(8) Powder River Basin genetic analysis

(9) South Phillips County genetic analysis

(10) Southern Alberta Plains Sharp-tailed Grouse genetic analysis

(11) Valley County genetic analysis