IISER Pune is happy to announce:
Institute Colloquium 2020:
Evolution in small and isolated tiger populations
Dr Uma Ramakrishnan, NCBS, Bangalore
Date: Friday, January 24, 2020
Time: 5:15 pm
Abstract:
Tigers are highly endangered carnivores. India is lucky because 70% of the worlds tigers live here. But can we ensure the survival of tigers here? In our research, we use field collected genetic/genomic data to try and understand future evolutionary trajectories for tigers in India. Theory tells us that small and isolated populations are more likely to go extinct, while large and connected ones are less so. Over the past fifteen years or so, my laboratory has used genetic tools to investigate the geographic distribution of tiger populations, and which populations are isolated from each other. In this talk, I will highlight examples of isolation, and explore its consequences in terms of inbreeding and stochastic genetic drift. We hope such research help us understand tigers in the context of a changing world, and contributes towards safe-gaurding their future.
All are welcome to attend.
