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Jennifer A. Leonard
Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Evolutionary Biology Uppsala University Norbyvägen 18D 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden Phone: +46-18-471 64 66 Fax: +46-18-471 63 10 Jennifer.Leonard[at]ebc.uu.se |
Research Interests
My research interests lie in the effect of changes in the environment on the genetic diversity of natural populations, with emphasis on the temporal perspective using ancient DNA. This type of research can be applied to fundamental questions in evolution, conservation and domestication. Many major environmental and population/species level changes have occurred in rapid succession since the late Pleistocene. The last 60,000 years in North America include a full glacial cycle; the opening and closing of the Bering land bridge; large changes in precipitation, temperature and vegetation; the arrival of humans and some other large mammal species; and a mass extinction event. The more recent end of this time frame includes the period in which animals were domesticated and humans expanded into the New World and across the Pacific. During the last millennia, a lot of human mediated changes have occurred, from the “discovery” of the New World by European explorers to historic predator control programs and changes in land use. Recent advances in molecular genetics enable DNA to be obtained from many bone remains spanning this age range. Although most of the work done with DNA from such old remains has involved just one or a few samples and aimed to determine the relationship between extinct and extant taxa such as the wooly rhino and extant rhinos, these techniques have opened the possibility of being able to look at genetic changes in these populations directly as the environment changed. It is now possible to apply powerful population genetics techniques to these past populations to complement demographic and ecological studies.
Project page: Quaternary Genetics
Wooly rhino
Mexican wolf
Publications
Scientific Journals
Sundqvist A-K, S Björnerfeldt, JA Leonard, F Hailer, Å Hedhammar, H. Ellegren and C Vilà. 2006. "Unequal contribution of sexes in the origin of dog breeds" Genetics 172: 1121-1128.
Maldonado JE, JA Leonard, GA Miranda, J Ortega, RK Wayne and RJ Aguilera. 2006. "Ten polymorphic microsatellite loci for the endangered Buena Vista Lake shrew (Sorex ornatus relictus)" Molecular Ecology Notes 6: 349-352.
Barnett R, I Barnes, MJ Phillips, LD Martin, CR Harington, JA Leonard and A Cooper. 2005. "Evolution of the extinct sabretooths (Smilodon and Homotherium) and American cheetahlike cat (Miracinonyx)" Current Biology 15: 589-590.
Leonard JA, N Rohland, S Glaberman, RC Fleischer, A Caccone and M Hofreiter. 2005. "A rapid loss of stripes: the evolutionary history of the extinct quagga" Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Biology Letters 1: 291-295.
Leonard JA, C Vilà and RK Wayne. 2005. "Legacy lost: genetic variability and population size of extirpated US gray wolves (Canis lupus)." Molecular Ecology 14: 9-17.
Saetre P, J Lindberg, JA Leonard, K Olsson, U Pettersson, H Ellegren, TF Bergström, C Vilà and E Jazin. 2004. “From wild wolf to domestic dog: gene expression changes in the brain.” Molecular Brain Research 126:198-206.
Vilà C, JA Leonard, A Iriarte, SE O’Brien, WE Johnson,and RK Wayne. 2004. “Detecting the vanishing populations of the highly endangered Darwin’s fox, Pseudalopex fulvipes.” Animal Conservation 7: 147-153.
Orlando L, JA Leonard, V. Laudet, C. Guerin and C Hänni. 2003. “Ancient DNA analysis reveals woolly rhino evolutionary relationships” Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 28: 76-90.
Adams JR, JA Leonard and LP Waits. 2003. “Widespread occurrence of a domestic dog mitochondrial DNA haplotype in southeastern USA coyotes” Molecular Ecology 12: 541-546.
Leonard JA, RK Wayne, J Wheeler, R Valadez, S Guillén and C Vilà. 2002. “Ancient DNA evidence for Old World origin of New World dogs” Science 298:1613-1616.
Paxinos EE, HF James, SL Olson, JD Ballou, JA Leonard and RC Fleischer. 2002. “Prehistoric decline of genetic diversity in the nene” Science 296:1827.
Torres E, DC Lees, RI Vane-Wright, C Kremen, JA Leonard and RK Wayne. 2001. “Examining Monophyly in a Large Radiation of Madagascan Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Satyrinae: Myscalesina) Based on Mitochondrial DNA Data” Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 20:460-473.
Vilà, C, H Ellegren, A Götherström, JA Leonard and RK Wayne. 2001. “Tales from the DNA of domestic horses-Reply” Science 292: 218-219.
Vilà C, JA Leonard, A Götherström, S Marklund, K Sandberg, K Lindén, RK Wayne and H Ellegren. 2001. “Widespread origins of domestic horse lineages” Science 291:474-477.
Leonard JA, RK Wayne and A Cooper. 2000. “Population genetics of Ice Age brown bears” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 97:1651-1654.
Wayne RK, JA Leonard and A Cooper. 1999. “Full of sound and fury: the recent history of ancient DNA” Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 30:457-477.
Vilà C, IR Amorim, JA Leonard, D Posada, J Castroviejo, F Petrucci-Fonseca, KA Crandall, H Ellegren and RK Wayne. 1999. “Mitochondrial DNA phylogeography and population history of the grey wolf Canis lupus” Molecular Ecology 8:2089-2103.
Hadly EA, M H Kohn, JA Leonard, RK Wayne.1998. “A genetic record of population isolation in pocket gophers during holocene climatic change” Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA 95:6893-6896.
Gonzalez, S, JE Maldonado, JA Leonard, C Vilà, JM Barbanti Duarte , M Merino, N Brum-Zorrilla, RK Wayne. 1998. “Conservation genetics of the endangered Pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus)” Molecular Ecology 7:47-56.
Book Chapters
Wayne, RK, JA Leonard and C Vilà. 2006. "Genetic Analysis of Dog Domestication" in Documenting Domestication: New Genetic and Archaeological Paradigms. Zeder, MA, D Decker-Walters, D Bradley and B.D. Smith (eds.) California University Press.
Vilà, C, JA Leonard and A Beja-Pereira. 2006. "Equid domestication" in Documenting Domestication: New Genetic and Archaeological Paradigms. Zeder, MA, D Decker-Walters, D Bradley and B.D. Smith (eds.) California University Press.
Leonard, JA, C Vilà and R.K. Wayne. 2005. "From Wild Wolf to Domestic Dog" in The Dog and Its Genome. E.A. Ostrander (ed.) Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.
Popular Literature
Valadez, R, C Vilà and JA Leonard. 2003. "El Origen del Perro Americano" ("The origin of American dogs", in Spanish) Protejanimales (Bolivian pet magazine) 2 (3):16-19.
Vilà, C and JA Leonard. 2003. "Evolución de los perros del Nuevo Mundo" Investigacion y Ciencia (Scientific American in Spanish) Feb: 33-34.
Valadez, R, JA Leonard and C Vilà. 2003. "A molecular view on the origin of the American dogs" (in Spanish) AMMVEPE 14:73-82.
My research interests lie in the effect of changes in the environment on the genetic diversity of natural populations, with emphasis on the temporal perspective using ancient DNA. This type of research can be applied to fundamental questions in evolution, conservation and domestication. Many major environmental and population/species level changes have occurred in rapid succession since the late Pleistocene. The last 60,000 years in North America include a full glacial cycle; the opening and closing of the Bering land bridge; large changes in precipitation, temperature and vegetation; the arrival of humans and some other large mammal species; and a mass extinction event. The more recent end of this time frame includes the period in which animals were domesticated and humans expanded into the New World and across the Pacific. During the last millennia, a lot of human mediated changes have occurred, from the “discovery” of the New World by European explorers to historic predator control programs and changes in land use. Recent advances in molecular genetics enable DNA to be obtained from many bone remains spanning this age range. Although most of the work done with DNA from such old remains has involved just one or a few samples and aimed to determine the relationship between extinct and extant taxa such as the wooly rhino and extant rhinos, these techniques have opened the possibility of being able to look at genetic changes in these populations directly as the environment changed. It is now possible to apply powerful population genetics techniques to these past populations to complement demographic and ecological studies.
Project page: Quaternary Genetics
Wooly rhino
Mexican wolf
Publications
Scientific Journals
Sundqvist A-K, S Björnerfeldt, JA Leonard, F Hailer, Å Hedhammar, H. Ellegren and C Vilà. 2006. "Unequal contribution of sexes in the origin of dog breeds" Genetics 172: 1121-1128.
Maldonado JE, JA Leonard, GA Miranda, J Ortega, RK Wayne and RJ Aguilera. 2006. "Ten polymorphic microsatellite loci for the endangered Buena Vista Lake shrew (Sorex ornatus relictus)" Molecular Ecology Notes 6: 349-352.
Barnett R, I Barnes, MJ Phillips, LD Martin, CR Harington, JA Leonard and A Cooper. 2005. "Evolution of the extinct sabretooths (Smilodon and Homotherium) and American cheetahlike cat (Miracinonyx)" Current Biology 15: 589-590.
Leonard JA, N Rohland, S Glaberman, RC Fleischer, A Caccone and M Hofreiter. 2005. "A rapid loss of stripes: the evolutionary history of the extinct quagga" Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Biology Letters 1: 291-295.
Leonard JA, C Vilà and RK Wayne. 2005. "Legacy lost: genetic variability and population size of extirpated US gray wolves (Canis lupus)." Molecular Ecology 14: 9-17.
Saetre P, J Lindberg, JA Leonard, K Olsson, U Pettersson, H Ellegren, TF Bergström, C Vilà and E Jazin. 2004. “From wild wolf to domestic dog: gene expression changes in the brain.” Molecular Brain Research 126:198-206.
Vilà C, JA Leonard, A Iriarte, SE O’Brien, WE Johnson,and RK Wayne. 2004. “Detecting the vanishing populations of the highly endangered Darwin’s fox, Pseudalopex fulvipes.” Animal Conservation 7: 147-153.
Orlando L, JA Leonard, V. Laudet, C. Guerin and C Hänni. 2003. “Ancient DNA analysis reveals woolly rhino evolutionary relationships” Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 28: 76-90.
Adams JR, JA Leonard and LP Waits. 2003. “Widespread occurrence of a domestic dog mitochondrial DNA haplotype in southeastern USA coyotes” Molecular Ecology 12: 541-546.
Leonard JA, RK Wayne, J Wheeler, R Valadez, S Guillén and C Vilà. 2002. “Ancient DNA evidence for Old World origin of New World dogs” Science 298:1613-1616.
Paxinos EE, HF James, SL Olson, JD Ballou, JA Leonard and RC Fleischer. 2002. “Prehistoric decline of genetic diversity in the nene” Science 296:1827.
Torres E, DC Lees, RI Vane-Wright, C Kremen, JA Leonard and RK Wayne. 2001. “Examining Monophyly in a Large Radiation of Madagascan Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Satyrinae: Myscalesina) Based on Mitochondrial DNA Data” Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 20:460-473.
Vilà, C, H Ellegren, A Götherström, JA Leonard and RK Wayne. 2001. “Tales from the DNA of domestic horses-Reply” Science 292: 218-219.
Vilà C, JA Leonard, A Götherström, S Marklund, K Sandberg, K Lindén, RK Wayne and H Ellegren. 2001. “Widespread origins of domestic horse lineages” Science 291:474-477.
Leonard JA, RK Wayne and A Cooper. 2000. “Population genetics of Ice Age brown bears” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 97:1651-1654.
Wayne RK, JA Leonard and A Cooper. 1999. “Full of sound and fury: the recent history of ancient DNA” Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 30:457-477.
Vilà C, IR Amorim, JA Leonard, D Posada, J Castroviejo, F Petrucci-Fonseca, KA Crandall, H Ellegren and RK Wayne. 1999. “Mitochondrial DNA phylogeography and population history of the grey wolf Canis lupus” Molecular Ecology 8:2089-2103.
Hadly EA, M H Kohn, JA Leonard, RK Wayne.1998. “A genetic record of population isolation in pocket gophers during holocene climatic change” Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA 95:6893-6896.
Gonzalez, S, JE Maldonado, JA Leonard, C Vilà, JM Barbanti Duarte , M Merino, N Brum-Zorrilla, RK Wayne. 1998. “Conservation genetics of the endangered Pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus)” Molecular Ecology 7:47-56.
Book Chapters
Wayne, RK, JA Leonard and C Vilà. 2006. "Genetic Analysis of Dog Domestication" in Documenting Domestication: New Genetic and Archaeological Paradigms. Zeder, MA, D Decker-Walters, D Bradley and B.D. Smith (eds.) California University Press.
Vilà, C, JA Leonard and A Beja-Pereira. 2006. "Equid domestication" in Documenting Domestication: New Genetic and Archaeological Paradigms. Zeder, MA, D Decker-Walters, D Bradley and B.D. Smith (eds.) California University Press.
Leonard, JA, C Vilà and R.K. Wayne. 2005. "From Wild Wolf to Domestic Dog" in The Dog and Its Genome. E.A. Ostrander (ed.) Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.
Popular Literature
Valadez, R, C Vilà and JA Leonard. 2003. "El Origen del Perro Americano" ("The origin of American dogs", in Spanish) Protejanimales (Bolivian pet magazine) 2 (3):16-19.
Vilà, C and JA Leonard. 2003. "Evolución de los perros del Nuevo Mundo" Investigacion y Ciencia (Scientific American in Spanish) Feb: 33-34.
Valadez, R, JA Leonard and C Vilà. 2003. "A molecular view on the origin of the American dogs" (in Spanish) AMMVEPE 14:73-82.
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Webmaster: Malin Johansson
This page was last updated: 2009-08-12 11:23:08
Webmaster: Malin Johansson
This page was last updated: 2009-08-12 11:23:08