University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Biology Department
CB #3280 Coker Hall
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
gharper@email.unc.edu
Education:
- 1999 to present: EEOB Graduate Program in Biology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
- 1995 - 1999: B.S. in Biology (summa cum laude) at State University of New York College at Fredonia, Fredonia, NY
I am interested in all areas of evolutionary biology. Areas of special interest include:
- Evolution of interspecific relationships (eg. parasitism, mutualism, predator/prey interactions)
- Interplay of evolutionary forces (eg. roles of selection and
gene flow in the conflict between local adaptation and species homogeneity)
- Speciation
I am addressing that question by working with scarlet kingsnakes,
Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides, which are involved in a Batesian
mimicry complex in the southeastern US. L. t. elapsoides is
found throughout the range of the model (the species it is mimicking; red
areas of map) and extends far beyond (green areas of map). Prior
work in the Pfennig lab indicates that L. t. elapsoides benefit
from looking like eastern coral snakes, Micrurus fulvius, only in
areas where M. fulvius occur. That research also indicated that having
brightly colored rings is likely to be maladaptive in areas outside the range
of the coral snake. If having brightly colored rings is detrimental, what maintains that phenotype? Will the phenotype change in areas outside the range of the coral snake? What are the consequences for the conservation (possible eradication of L. t. elapsoides in the green area?) and evolution (split into two morphs/subspecies/species based on sympatry or allopatry with M. fulvius?) of L. t. elapsoides?
I am using a combination of field work, lab work and analysis of museum specimens. I am measuring selection on the mimetic phenotype in both sympatry (the red areas with both M. fulvius and L. t. elapsoides) and allopatry (the green areas with only L. t. elapsoides). I am also measuring gene flow in L. t. elapsoides to determine whether current levels of gene flow are sufficient to overcome any selection against the phenotype in allopatry.
In addition to the above, I am looking at the pattern of both the model and the mimic. The question here is "Does the pattern become less mimetic outside of the area that contains coral snakes?" If the pattern is different in areas without coral snakes, how does it differ and what benefit might that difference have for the scarlet kingsnakes?
I am also working on related projects that include aspects of mimicry theory and the taxonomy and sytematics of Lampropeltis triangulum found within the US. As with most science today, much of this work is in collaboration with others including, but not limited to, my advisor (David Pfennig), Ed Zimmerer at Murray State University and Bill Grogan at Salisbury University. (Scarlet Kingsnake photo courtesy of Pierson Hill)
Publications:
Coming Soon!