UW Honors
  • R O S S
  • B I R D
    • COASST
    • Burke Museum
    • Peru Study Abroad
    • Peru TA
    • Smithsonian: Migratory Bird Center
    • Avian Conservation Lab
    • American Crow Ecology and Genetics
  • NOT A BIRD
    • Otoliths
    • Smithsonian: Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics
    • Smithsonian Exhibit Development Office
    • Soccer
  • C L A S S
    • HONORS 100
    • HONORS CLASSES
    • PHOTOGRAPHY
    • GENERAL CHEMISTRY
    • ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • Honors 496
  • I C O N

Black-Eared Squirrel

Not a new species of squirrel, but a genus

For my second summer at the Smithsonian I worked in the Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Lab. Now I’m a little embarrassed that I went over to the dark side, or the mammal side, for this project. The justification I properly make, is that working on genomes is no different for mammals for birds, or even for plants!

I got to learn genetic data software for gene alignment, transcription, concatenation, phylogenetic tree construction, and model running. I was also exposed to advanced ancient DNA extraction and sequencing! Following my work with Missy Roberts on her dissertation, we believe we have discovered not a new species of squirrel, but a Genus. Of course I was the number cruncher, but I did so happily especially because Missy was so nice to share her time and experience with me. 

Missy continues to be a professional contact and an advocate, even if it means returning to the birds. 

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