Andrew P Martin

• PhD University of Hawaii-Manoa
• Professor at University of Colorado Boulder

One theoretical framework for learning is that knowledge exists in pieces. Understanding emerges by developing a coherent and stable integration of multiple ideas. When learning gains are evaluated iteratively, over time, it is clear that the mental constructs representing key ideas are dynamic. Here we describe an assessment framework that enables...

Abstract Ecological restoration, habitat creation, and artificial refuges are increasingly essential for conservation, particularly for species that are threatened by the loss or degradation of critical habitat. The Devils Hole pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis) exists in a single small locality subject to the detrimental effects of local groundwater ex...

Background National institutes and education initiatives emphasize the need to prepare future biologists to apply discoveries in science towards solving problems that are both social and scientific in nature. Research from socio-scientific, design-based, and problem-based learning demonstrates that contextualized, real-world tasks can improve stude...

Freshwater springs are important ecosystems. In the arid regions of North America, groundwater extraction has caused the desiccation of springs and the extinction of taxa. To better describe the biodiversity of freshwater springs in the hope of establishing a sensitive approach for monitoring the predicted change in spring systems, we used high-res...

The mitochondrial genome of the Gunnison’s prairie dog, Cynomys gunnisoni gunnisoni, is described and incorporated into a phylogenetic inference of the genus Cynomys based on seven new mitochondrial genomes and published genomes from Cynomys leucurus and Cynomys ludovicianus. The mitochondrial genome from Ictidomys tridecemlineatus, the sister genu...

Despite major declines in distribution and abundance of Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii across their native range since European settlement, substantial morphological and genetic diversity remains. For example , recent molecular investigations revealed the presence of six discrete lineages of Cutthroat Trout native to the Southern Rocky Mounta...

Two-stage exams have gained traction in education as a means of creating collaborative active-learning experiences in the classroom in a manner that advances learning, positively increases student engagement, and reduces test anxiety. Published analyses have focused almost exclusively on the increase in student scores from the first individual stag...

Human modification of the environment can result in the fragmentation and isolation of natural populations. If isolated populations are small, they may experience higher probabilities of extirpation from genetic, demographic, and environmental effects. One approach for managing fragmented and isolated populations is facilitated migration in which i...

As a result of processes such as habitat loss and overharvest, many species persist in small, isolated populations that experience reduced fitness, decreased evolutionary potential, and increased extinction risk. The goal of species conservation is to restore genetic diversity and adaptive potential caused by isolation and small population size. Fo...

Human introductions can obscure the diversity and distribution of native biota; hybridization with and replacement by introduced congeners is a primary conservation threat, particularly in salmonids. Cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) are an important component of biodiversity in the American West, and all recognized subspecies are targets for...

In this article we report the complete mitochondrial genome of the Warm Springs pupfish, Cyprinodon nevadensis pectoralis. The genomic DNA of a single female individual was extracted and sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq2000 platform. It contains 16,499 bp and a total of 37 genes, divided into 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes and 13 protein-coding genes....

Characterizing genetic variation by retrospective genotyping of trophy or historical artifacts from endangered species is an important conservation tool. Loss of genetic diversity in top predators, such as the white shark Carcharodon carcharias, remains an issue, exacerbated in this species by declining, sometimes isolated philopatric populations....

The study of functional trade-offs is important if a structure, such as the cranium, serves multiple biological roles, and is, therefore, shaped by multiple selective pressures. The sphyrnid cephalofoil presents an excellent model for investigating potential trade-offs among sensory, neural, and feeding structures. In this study, hammerhead shark s...

Arguably the most useful model of evolution emerged from the mind of Sewall Wright when he invented the fitness landscape (Wright ). In a recent issue of Molecular Ecology, Martin & Feinstein () investigate the genetics and demographic history of an adaptive radiation of pupfish on San Salvador Island. Since the founder species colonized the island...

Nitrophila mohavensis, commonly known as Amargosa niterwort, is a perennial forb classified in the family Chenopodiaceae. The species is restricted to moist alkaline soils of the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and nearby localities within the Amargosa River basin and is currently listed as endangered. We isolated several polymorphic microsate...

The delimitation of dispersal routes used by individuals moving between populations has the potential to direct management efforts aimed at limiting the spread of invasive species. Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) have successfully invaded aquatic ecosystems across much of the globe, causing loss of biodiversity and habitat destruction. Our...

Thirteen microsatellite loci for the threatened orange coral, Astroides calycularis have been designed. The polymorphism of these thirteen loci was tested in 24 polyps from different colonies. The results show that the allele numbers for each loci ranged from 2 to 14 (mean Na=5.1), with an average observed heterozygosity of 0.47 (He=0.45). These ne...

Introduced diseases can cause dramatic declines in-and even the loss of-natural populations. Extirpations may be followed by low recolonization rates, leading to inbreeding and a loss of genetic variation, with consequences on population viability. Conversely, extirpations may create vacant habitat patches that individuals from multiple source popu...

Many species are threatened with extinction and efforts are underway worldwide to restore imperilled species to their native ranges. Restoration requires knowledge of species' historical diversity and distribution. For some species, many populations were extirpated or individuals moved beyond their native range before native diversity and distribut...

It is well appreciated that historical and ecological processes are important determinates of freshwater biogeographic assemblages. Phylogeography can potentially lend important insights into the relative contribution of historical processes in biogeography. However, the extent that phylogeography reflects historical patterns of drainage connection...

The Supplementary Information file contains tables providing (1) the designation of rivers and drainages into biogeographic provinces (Table S1.1), (2) Genbank accession numbers associated with each sample (pending; Table S1.2), and (3) ATP6/8 haplotype frequencies by river, drainage, and biogeographic region. In addition, the Supplement also provi...

Background/Question/Methods The delimitation of dispersal routes utilized by invasive species has the potential to direct management efforts in invaded systems, and may be used to prevent the invasion of native communities. Landscape genetics provides a powerful tool to determine post-invasion movement corridors by integrating inferences of gene f...

We used high-throughput DNA sequencing to explore bacterial communities of three species of Oropyslla fleas [Oropsylla hirsuta (Baker), Oropsylla montana (Baker), and Oropsylla tuberculata cynomuris (Jellison)] and detected seven bacterial lineages related to known insect symbionts. No significant co-occurrence patterns were detected among bacteria...

Connectivity of populations influences the degree to which species maintain genetic diversity and persist despite local extinctions. Natural landscape features are known to influence connectivity, but global anthropogenic landscape change underscores the importance of quantifying how human-modified landscapes disrupt connectivity of natural populat...

The Devils Hole pupfish, Cyprinodon diabolis, is restricted to a small habitat in southwestern Nevada. In 1972 the species was federally listed as an endangered species. Management efforts to mitigate extinction risks have been plagued by the inability to propagate the species in aquaria—anomalous for the genus—and repeated failure of propagation a...

Bdelloid rotifers are important contributors to biogeochemical cycling and trophic dynamics of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, but little is known about their biogeographic distribution and community structure in terrestrial environments. This lack of knowledge stems from a lack of phylogenetic information and assumptions that microbial eu...

Oropsylla hirsuta is the primary flea of the black-tailed prairie dog and is a vector of the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis. We examined the population genetic structure of O. hirsuta fleas collected from 11 prairie dog colonies, 7 of which had experienced a plague-associated die-off in 1994. In a sample of 332 O. hirsuta collected from 226 host...

The provenance of white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in the Mediterranean is both a conundrum and an important conservation issue. Considering this species's propensity for natal philopatry, any evidence that the Mediterranean stock has little or no contemporary immigration from the Atlantic would suggest that it is extraordinarily vulnerable. T...

The Warm Springs pupfish (Cyprinodon nevadensis pectoralis) inhabits several low flow (<0.15cfs) springs in an otherwise dry Mojave Desert landscape. Increasing demands on groundwater coupled with predictions of decreased precipitation from global warming make this species a sentinel for biodiversity dependent on springs. Here we examine mitochondr...

The creation and use of a globally available database of DNA sequences from a standardized gene region has been proposed as a tool for species identification, assessing genetic diversity and monitoring the legal and illegal trade in wildlife species. Here, we contribute to the Barcode of Life Data System and test whether a short region of the mitoc...

This article documents the addition of 238 microsatellite marker loci and 72 pairs of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) sequencing primers to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Adelges tsugae, Artemisia tridentata, Astroides calycularis, Azorella selago, Botryllus schlosseri, Botrylloides vio...

This article documents the addition of 238 microsatellite marker loci and 72 pairs of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) sequencing primers to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Adelges tsugae, Artemisia tridentata, Astroides calycularis, Azorella selago, Botryllus schlosseri, Botrylloides vio...

The time it takes to isolate individuals from environmental samples and then extract DNA from each individual is one of the problems with generating molecular data from meiofauna such as eutardigrades and bdelloid rotifers. The lack of consistent morphological information and the extreme abundance of these classes makes morphological identification...

Periglacial soils are one of the least studied ecosystems on Earth, yet they are widespread and are increasing in area due to retreat of glaciers worldwide. Soils in these environments are cold and during the brief summer are exposed to high levels of UV radiation and dramatic fluctuations in moisture and temperature. Recent research suggests that...