Juan Bouzat

Research Interests:

Research in my lab focuses on three major areas: molecular ecology and conservation, population genetics, and evolutionary theory. My main research goal is to understand the effects of ecological, demographic and environmental processes on the genetic variability of natural populations. Specific research topics include the effects of fragmentation and small population size on the genetic diversity of wild species; the relationship between genetic variability and fitness and its potential effects on the probability of extinction of natural populations; and the identification of Evolutionary Significant Units for conservation and natural resource management. Research in evolutionary theory focusses on philosophical aspects of Darwinian processes, cultural evolution, and systems biology. My research lines combine the use of molecular genetic techniques, field studies on natural populations, and analytical tools in population genetics and molecular phylogenetics. Graduate students in my lab can choose to do their research in any area of evolutionary ecology, ecological and conservation genetics, and/or phylogenetics.

Recent Publications:

*Arauco-Schapiro G., *Schumacher K.I., Boersma D.P., and J.L. Bouzat. 2020. The role of demographic history in shaping genetic diversity in the Galápagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus). PLoS ONE 15(1): e0226439.

Donhauser J., Worley S., Bradie M., and J.L. Bouzat. 2019. The Problem of Mooted Models for Analyses of Microbiome Causality. Biology & Philosophy 34: 57. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10539-019-9710-2.

Cole T.L., Ksepka D.T., Mitchell K.J., Tennyson A.J., Thomas D.B., Pan H., Zhang G., Rawlence N.J., Wood J.R., Bover P., Bouzat J.L., et al. 2019. Mitogenomes uncover extinct penguin taxa and reveal island formation as a key driver of speciation. Molecular Biology and Evolution 36:784-797.

Impact Publications:

Bouzat, J.L., 2014. Darwin’s Diagram of Divergence of Taxa as a causal model for the Origin of Species. Quarterly Review of Biology 89: 21-38.

Bouzat, J.L. and M.J Hoostal,* 2013. Evolutionary analysis and lateral gene transfer of two-component regulatory systems associated with heavy metal tolerance in bacteria. Journal of Molecular Evolution 76: 267-279 (featured in journal’s cover).

*Knafler, G.J., Clark, J.A., Boersma, P.D., and J.L. Bouzat, 2012. MHC diversity and mate choice in the Magellanic penguin, Spheniscus magellanicus. Journal of Heredity 103 (6): 759-768 (featured in journal’s cover).

Bouzat, J.L., 2010. Conservation genetics of population bottlenecks: the role of chance, selection, and history. Conservation Genetics 11: 463-478.

Bouzat, J.L., J.A. Johnson, J.E. Toepfer, S.A. Simpson, T.L. Esker and R.L. Westemeier. 2009. Beyond the beneficial effects of translocations as an effective tool for the genetic restoration of isolated populations. Conservation Genetics 10: 191-201.