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The Biographic History of Antelope Squirrels, Bats, and Chipmunks in Western North America UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones Spring 2010 From the valleys to the mountains: The biographic history of antelope squirrels, bats, and chipmunks in Western North America Stacy James Mantooth University of Nevada Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Biology Commons, Molecular Biology Commons, and the Zoology Commons Repository Citation Mantooth, Stacy James, "From the valleys to the mountains: The biographic history of antelope squirrels, bats, and chipmunks in Western North America" (2010). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 21. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/1348565 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FROM THE VALLEYS TO THE MOUNTAINS: THE BIOGEOGRAPHIC HISTORY OF ANTELOPE SQUIRRELS, BATS, AND CHIPMUNKS IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA by Stacy James Mantooth Bachelor of Science Angelo State University, San Angelo, TX 1997 Master of Science Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 1999 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in Biological Sciences School of Life Sciences College of Sciences Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 2010 Copyright by Stacy James Mantooth 2010 All Rights Reserved THE GRADUATE COLLEGE We recommend the dissertation prepared under our supervision by Stacy James Mantooth entitled From the Valleys to the Mountains: The Biogeographic History of Antelope Squirrels, Bats, and Chipmunks in Western North America be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy In Biological Sciences School of Life Sciences Brett R. Riddle, Committee Chair John Klicka, Committee Member Javier A. Rodríguez, Committee Member Gary Voelker, Committee Member Andrew Kirk, Graduate Faculty Representative Ronald Smith, Ph. D., Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate College May 2010 ii ABSTRACT From the Valleys to the Mountains: the Biogeographic History of Antelope Squirrels, Bats, and Chipmunks in Western North America by Stacy James Mantooth Dr. Brett R. Riddle, Examination Committee Chair Professor of Biological Sciences University of Nevada, Las Vegas Genetic differentiation within and between species often coincides with significant geological or climatic changes that have shaped the sizes and locations of their geographic ranges and altered the connectivity between populations over time. Across western North America, many endemic taxa experienced high levels of initial divergence associated with geological transformations of the Neogene (insert timeframe), with subsequent diversification and geographic structuring of populations associated with climatic changes during the Quaternary (insert timeframe). As such, we can use a combination of molecular markers and genetic analyses to effectively examine the evolutionary and biogeographic histories of populations, species, and regional biotas whose signatures of differentiation are driven by the older geological events as well as more recent episodes of climatic change. Much of western North America is composed of a mosaic of regional deserts and associated aridlands separated from one another by a number of isolated mountain ranges. I employ a suite of phylogenetic, phylogoegraphic, and population genetic analyses, in combination with ecological niche modeling, to examine the biogeographic history of antelope squirrels (Ammospermophilus), western pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus hesperus), and Uinta chipmunks (Neotamias umbrinus) in iii western North America. Antelope squirrels (Ammospermophilus) include five species collectively widespread throughout the North American deserts. Data presented herein support the hypothesis that early divergences of the three major extant lineages within this genus were driven by the initial formation of the deserts and the uplift of mountain ranges (e.g., the Sierra Nevada Occidental and Central Mexican Plateau) in the mid to late Neogene, and recent divergences were driven by ongoing geologic events in the late Pliocene (e.g., uplift of the Transverse Range). Genetic patterns reveal that populations were affected by habitat shifts associated with repeated glacial cycles throughout the Pleistocene, including the late glacial maximum (LGM). The western pipistrelle (Pipistrellus hesperus) is the smallest bat in North America and is distributed across many of the same habitats as Ammospermophilus. Within this species, there are three major geographically defined lineages with divergences dated to the early Pleistocene. These divergences were likely driven by the earliest glacial cycles in this region and genetic patterns indicate that populations of this species were confined to multiple glacial refugia during the LGM, reinforcing the already existing genetic patterns. The Uinta chipmunk (Neotamias umbrinus) is confined to montane habitats on mountain ranges throughout the intermountain west. Genetic analyses of populations within the Great Basin indicate that lineages in this region coalesce within the earliest Pleistocene, suggesting that most populations were restricted to the isolated mountain ranges at this time with little to no gene subsequent gene flow between them. While many mammals distributed across western North America have experienced a common set of abiotic factors, they have responded in unique ways leading to specific evolutionary and biogeographic patterns that are detectable in contemporary species and populations. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation represents many years of hard work…in the classroom, in the field, and in the laboratory. While my name is listed as the author, no dissertation of this size is the result of the efforts of only one person. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to people and organizations that have enabled me to complete this project. I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Brett Riddle, for allowing a student from Texas to move to the desert and work in his laboratory. He has taught me the true meaning and importance of biogeography as a science and as a method for understanding the world. I would also like to thank Dr. Gary Voelker for making me feel welcome and for treating me not only as a student but also as a friend in the early stages of my degree. Dr. John Klicka has always been a strong voice of support and he has taught me how to objectively look at my data with an open mind to reveal the patterns in the genes. Dr. Javier Rodríguez has shown me that being a scientist is more than just about generating data but also about contributing to the scientific community in meaningful ways. Dr. Andrew Kirk, an environmental historian, has always shown me a warm welcome and provided a fresh perspective with a genuine interest in my research. These individuals have collectively contributed to my professional development as my advisory committee, but each has uniquely influenced me as a scientist and as a person and I thank them for their support and guidance. My graduate student colleagues and friends have made this journey truly memorable. I would like to thank Garth Spellman, Markus Mika, Derek Houston, Christine Serway, Connie Herr, and Jeff DaCosta for sharing the experiences that will shape the rest of my life. You have each enriched my life and my science. v This research was funded in part by the National Science Foundation, the American Museum of Natural History Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund, the American Society of Mammalogists, the Nevada Department of Wildlife, the UNLV Graduate & Professional Student Association, and the UNLV School of Life Sciences. A long list of individuals provided invaluable help in the laboratory and in the field. I would like to especially thank Marcin Chmiel, Michael Krainock, Lois Alexander, Dianne Bangle, Jennifer Berger, Chris Lowrey, Jason Williams, and Zane Marshall. Additional support in the final stages of this project was provided by Rob Bryson, Jr., Sean Neiswenter, Adam Leland, and other members of the UNLV systematics research group. Several organizations provided samples used in this project. These include the Angelo State Natural History Collection (Angelo State University), Arizona Game and Fish Department (Linden Piest), Field Museum of Natural History, Humboldt State University (Tim Lawlor), Museum of Southwestern Biology (University of New Mexico), Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (Harvard), Natural Science Research Laboratory (Texas Tech University), Nevada Department of Wildlife, the Nevada State Museum (George Baumgardner), Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection (Texas A&M), and Universidad Nacional Autonóma de México (Mexico City). And finally I would like to thank my parents, Karen and James Mantooth. It is because of your strength, encouragement, and generosity of spirit that I have been
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