Our current research is primarily focused on analyzing genomic data from archival and ancient biomaterials in combination with historical documents & both formal and colloquial natural histories to better understand the species’ specific responses to recent anthropogenically and naturally induced environmental change.
Probably our largest research focus is on adaptive diversification and speciation in the true crocodiles, genus Crocodylus. We are looking at genomic variation across the genus to better understand patterns of divergence, hybridization, behavioral and physiological adaptation using targeted sequence capture for neutral and coding regions of the genome.
In addition to crocodylians, we are currently using sequence capture on century old specimens from natural history collections to compare baseline phylogeographic patterns across mammals and reptiles in the Congo Basin, Sahara and West Africa to better understand lineage specific patterns of genomic resilience.
We also have long term research projects in the Tahoe Basin examining temporal patterns of genomic variation in historical and contemporary populations of small mammals (chipmunks and pika) in response to land use patterns and climate change.
Hekkala Lab 