Research Areas
Sexual versus Asexual Reproduction
We are exploring how severe founding events and purifying selection act on mtDNA polymorphism in asexual and sexual snail lineages. We combine intensive sequencing with computational methods to attempt to disentangle the influence of both demography and selection on synonymous and nonsynonymous nucleotide polymorphism. Recent papers are available in the Publication pages of this site.
Phenotypic Diversification in a Mexican Snail
We also study how coevolutionary interactions with a snail-crushing cichlid has shaped geographic variation in the defensive traits of a freshwater snail in Cuatro Ciénegas, Mexico. This research takes place in one of the most threatened, and most beautiful, aquatic ecosystems in the world. Recent papers are available in the Publication pages of this site. Please also visit the links section to find Dean Hendrickson's web pages devoted to the conservation of this most unique ecosystem.