Melanie Culver, PhD
Melanie uses genetic tools and analyses to contribute to management decisions and wildlife conservation. She uses genetic and genomic approaches across a variety of species including evolution, ecology, behavorial ecology, population dynamics, population monitoring, and virology, all which contribute to protecting wildlife and ecosystems.
Melanie’s dissertation project, at the National Cancer Institute, examined many aspects of puma conservation genetic aspects from taxonomy to paternity. As a Postdoctoral Researcher at Virginia Tech, her work expanded to black bears, eagles, mussels and walleye. In 2002, Melanie joined the Arizona CRU as Assistant Leader and the faculty at the University of Arizona School of Natural Resources and the Environment.
Currently her research focus is using genetic tools and computational analyses to contribute to management decisions and the conservation of wildlife. She - together with her graduate students, postdocs, interns, undergraduates, high school students and a wide array of collaborators - uses genetic and genomic approaches across a variety of species and disciplines, including evolution, ecology, behavioral ecology, population dynamics, population monitoring, and virology, all of which contribute to protecting ecosystems their wildlife communities including wild felids, carnivores, and other wildlife species. Melanie has also been conducting a citizen science jaguar and ocelot trail camera monitoring effort in southern Arizona that has detected 3 jaguars and 4 ocelots over the past 10 years.
Professional Experience
Assistant Unit Leader, Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2002-
Education and Certifications
Ph D University of Maryland 1999
BS University of Utah 1984
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 41
Development and characterization of polymorphic microsatellitemarkers for the crested caracara, Caracara cheriway
We isolated novel microsatellites from the crested caracara (Caracara cheriway) with a shotgun pyrosequencing approach. We tested 80 loci for polymorphism among 20 individuals from the threatened Florida population. Fourteen loci were polymorphic. The mean number of alleles was 2.21 (range 2–3) and the mean observed heterozygosity was 0.41 (range 0.15–0.65). None of the 14 polymorphic loci exhibit
Authors
Erin E. Vaughn, James F. Dwyer, Joan L. Morrison, Melanie Culver
Shaping species with ephemeral boundaries: The distribution and genetic structure of desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai) in the Sonoran Desert region
Aim
We examine the role biogeographical features played in the evolution of Morafka's desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai) and test the hypothesis that G. morafkai maintains genetically distinct lineages associated with different Sonoran Desert biomes. Increased knowledge of the past and present distribution of the Sonoran Desert region's biota provides insight into the forces that drive and mainta
Authors
Taylor Edwards, Mercy Vaughn, Philip C. Rosen, Ma. Cristina Melendez Torres, Alice E. Karl, Melanie Culver, Robert W. Murphy
Testing taxon tenacity of tortoises: evidence for a geographical selection gradient at a secondary contact zone
We examined a secondary contact zone between two species of desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii and G. morafkai. The taxa were isolated from a common ancestor during the formation of the Colorado River (4-8 mya) and are a classic example of allopatric speciation. However, an anomalous population of G. agassizii comes into secondary contact with G. morafkai east of the Colorado River in the Black M
Authors
Taylor Edwards, Kristin H. Berry, Richard D. Inman, Todd C. Esque, Kenneth E. Nussear, Cristina A. Jones, Melanie Culver
Characterization of microsatellite loci from two-spotted octopus Octopus bimaculatus Verrill 1883 from pyrosequencing reads
We characterized 22 novel microsatellite loci in the two-spotted octopus Octopus bimaculatus using 454 pyrosequencing reads. All loci were polymorphic and will be used in studies of marine connectivity aimed at increasing sustainability of the resource. The mean number alleles per locus was 13.09 (range 7–19) and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.50 to 1.00. Four loci pairs were linked and t
Authors
J. F. Domínguez-Contreras, A. Munguía-Vega, B. P. Ceballos-Vázquez, M. Arellano-Martínez, Melanie Culver
Genetic diversity and demography of two endangered captive pronghorn subspecies from the Sonoran Desert
Species that have experienced population reduction provide valuable case studies for understanding genetic responses to demographic change. Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) were once widespread across the North American plains but were subject to drastic population reductions due to overexploitation and habitat fragmentation during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A. a. peninsularis and A.
Authors
Anastasia Klimova, Adrian Munguia-Vega, Joseph I. Hoffman, Melanie Culver
Localized extinction of an arboreal desert lizard caused by habitat fragmentation
We adopted a species’ perspective for predicting extinction risk in a small, endemic, and strictly scansorial lizard (Urosaurus nigricaudus), in an old (∼60 year) and highly fragmented (8% habitat remaining) agricultural landscape from the Sonoran Desert, Mexico. We genotyped 10 microsatellite loci in 280 individuals from 11 populations in fragmented and continuous habitat. Individual dispersal wa
Authors
Adrian Munguia-Vega, Ricardo Rodriguez-Estrella, William W. Shaw, Melanie Culver
New microsatellite loci isolated via next-generation sequencing for two endangered pronghorn from the Sonoran Desert
We isolated 16 novel microsatellite loci in two subspecies of endangered desert pronghorns (Antilocapra americana sonoriensis and Antilocapra americana peninsularis) using a shotgun pyrosequencing approach. All and 87.5 % of the loci were polymorphic within each subspecies, respectively. The mean number of alleles per locus was 4.86 (range 2–8) and 2.5 alleles per locus (range 1–4 alleles), and ob
Authors
Adrian Munguia-Vega, Anastasia Klimova, Melanie Culver
Anatomical and genetic variation of western Oxyloma (Pulmonata: Succineidae) concerning the endangered Kanab ambersnail (Oxyloma haydeni kanabense) in Arizona and Utah
The land snail genus Oxyloma (Pulmonata: Succineidae) includes the Federally endangered Kanab ambersnail (Oxyloma haydeni kanabense Pilsbry), which is known at the time of this study from only two locations in the United States: Three Lakes, Utah, and Vaseys Paradise, Arizona, on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. Since 1994, the Kanab ambersnail has received much attention because
Authors
Melanie Culver, Hans-Werner Herrmann, Mark Miller, Barry Roth, Jeff Sorenson
Severe reduction in genetic variation in a montane isolate: The endangered Mount Graham red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis)
The Mount Graham red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis; MGRS) is endemic to the Pinaleño Mountains of Arizona at the southernmost extent of the species’ range. The MGRS was listed as federally endangered in 1987, and is currently at high risk of extinction due to declining population size and increasing threats. Here we present a genetic assessment of the MGRS using eight nuclear DNA m
Authors
Robert R. Fitak, John L. Koprowski, Melanie Culver
Concurrent speciation in the eastern woodland salamanders (Genus Plethodon):DNA sequences of the complete albumin nuclear and partialmitochondrial 12s genes
Salamanders of the North American plethodontid genus Plethodon are important model organisms in a variety of studies that depend on a phylogenetic framework (e.g., chemical communication, ecological competition, life histories, hybridization, and speciation), and consequently their systematics has been intensively investigated over several decades. Nevertheless, we lack a synthesis of relationship
Authors
Richard Highton, Amy Picard Hastings, Catherine Palmer, Richard Watts, Carla A. Hass, Melanie Culver, Stevan Arnold
Novel primers for complete mitochondrial cytochrome b genesequencing in mammals
Sequence-based species identification relies on the extent and integrity of sequence data available in online databases such as GenBank. When identifying species from a sample of unknown origin, partial DNA sequences obtained from the sample are aligned against existing sequences in databases. When the sequence from the matching species is not present in the database, high-scoring alignments with
Authors
Ashwin Naidu, Robert R. Fitak, Adrian Munguia-Vega, Melanie Culver
Genetic analysis of scats reveals minimum number and sex of recently documented mountain lions
Recent records of mountain lions Puma concolor and concurrent declines in desert bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis mexicana on Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona, United States, have prompted investigations to estimate the number of mountain lions occurring there. We performed noninvasive genetic analyses and identified species, individuals, and sex from scat samples collected from the Kofa and
Authors
Ashwin Naidu, Lindsay A. Smythe, Ron W. Thompson, Melanie Culver
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 41
Development and characterization of polymorphic microsatellitemarkers for the crested caracara, Caracara cheriway
We isolated novel microsatellites from the crested caracara (Caracara cheriway) with a shotgun pyrosequencing approach. We tested 80 loci for polymorphism among 20 individuals from the threatened Florida population. Fourteen loci were polymorphic. The mean number of alleles was 2.21 (range 2–3) and the mean observed heterozygosity was 0.41 (range 0.15–0.65). None of the 14 polymorphic loci exhibit
Authors
Erin E. Vaughn, James F. Dwyer, Joan L. Morrison, Melanie Culver
Shaping species with ephemeral boundaries: The distribution and genetic structure of desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai) in the Sonoran Desert region
Aim
We examine the role biogeographical features played in the evolution of Morafka's desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai) and test the hypothesis that G. morafkai maintains genetically distinct lineages associated with different Sonoran Desert biomes. Increased knowledge of the past and present distribution of the Sonoran Desert region's biota provides insight into the forces that drive and mainta
Authors
Taylor Edwards, Mercy Vaughn, Philip C. Rosen, Ma. Cristina Melendez Torres, Alice E. Karl, Melanie Culver, Robert W. Murphy
Testing taxon tenacity of tortoises: evidence for a geographical selection gradient at a secondary contact zone
We examined a secondary contact zone between two species of desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii and G. morafkai. The taxa were isolated from a common ancestor during the formation of the Colorado River (4-8 mya) and are a classic example of allopatric speciation. However, an anomalous population of G. agassizii comes into secondary contact with G. morafkai east of the Colorado River in the Black M
Authors
Taylor Edwards, Kristin H. Berry, Richard D. Inman, Todd C. Esque, Kenneth E. Nussear, Cristina A. Jones, Melanie Culver
Characterization of microsatellite loci from two-spotted octopus Octopus bimaculatus Verrill 1883 from pyrosequencing reads
We characterized 22 novel microsatellite loci in the two-spotted octopus Octopus bimaculatus using 454 pyrosequencing reads. All loci were polymorphic and will be used in studies of marine connectivity aimed at increasing sustainability of the resource. The mean number alleles per locus was 13.09 (range 7–19) and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.50 to 1.00. Four loci pairs were linked and t
Authors
J. F. Domínguez-Contreras, A. Munguía-Vega, B. P. Ceballos-Vázquez, M. Arellano-Martínez, Melanie Culver
Genetic diversity and demography of two endangered captive pronghorn subspecies from the Sonoran Desert
Species that have experienced population reduction provide valuable case studies for understanding genetic responses to demographic change. Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) were once widespread across the North American plains but were subject to drastic population reductions due to overexploitation and habitat fragmentation during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A. a. peninsularis and A.
Authors
Anastasia Klimova, Adrian Munguia-Vega, Joseph I. Hoffman, Melanie Culver
Localized extinction of an arboreal desert lizard caused by habitat fragmentation
We adopted a species’ perspective for predicting extinction risk in a small, endemic, and strictly scansorial lizard (Urosaurus nigricaudus), in an old (∼60 year) and highly fragmented (8% habitat remaining) agricultural landscape from the Sonoran Desert, Mexico. We genotyped 10 microsatellite loci in 280 individuals from 11 populations in fragmented and continuous habitat. Individual dispersal wa
Authors
Adrian Munguia-Vega, Ricardo Rodriguez-Estrella, William W. Shaw, Melanie Culver
New microsatellite loci isolated via next-generation sequencing for two endangered pronghorn from the Sonoran Desert
We isolated 16 novel microsatellite loci in two subspecies of endangered desert pronghorns (Antilocapra americana sonoriensis and Antilocapra americana peninsularis) using a shotgun pyrosequencing approach. All and 87.5 % of the loci were polymorphic within each subspecies, respectively. The mean number of alleles per locus was 4.86 (range 2–8) and 2.5 alleles per locus (range 1–4 alleles), and ob
Authors
Adrian Munguia-Vega, Anastasia Klimova, Melanie Culver
Anatomical and genetic variation of western Oxyloma (Pulmonata: Succineidae) concerning the endangered Kanab ambersnail (Oxyloma haydeni kanabense) in Arizona and Utah
The land snail genus Oxyloma (Pulmonata: Succineidae) includes the Federally endangered Kanab ambersnail (Oxyloma haydeni kanabense Pilsbry), which is known at the time of this study from only two locations in the United States: Three Lakes, Utah, and Vaseys Paradise, Arizona, on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. Since 1994, the Kanab ambersnail has received much attention because
Authors
Melanie Culver, Hans-Werner Herrmann, Mark Miller, Barry Roth, Jeff Sorenson
Severe reduction in genetic variation in a montane isolate: The endangered Mount Graham red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis)
The Mount Graham red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis; MGRS) is endemic to the Pinaleño Mountains of Arizona at the southernmost extent of the species’ range. The MGRS was listed as federally endangered in 1987, and is currently at high risk of extinction due to declining population size and increasing threats. Here we present a genetic assessment of the MGRS using eight nuclear DNA m
Authors
Robert R. Fitak, John L. Koprowski, Melanie Culver
Concurrent speciation in the eastern woodland salamanders (Genus Plethodon):DNA sequences of the complete albumin nuclear and partialmitochondrial 12s genes
Salamanders of the North American plethodontid genus Plethodon are important model organisms in a variety of studies that depend on a phylogenetic framework (e.g., chemical communication, ecological competition, life histories, hybridization, and speciation), and consequently their systematics has been intensively investigated over several decades. Nevertheless, we lack a synthesis of relationship
Authors
Richard Highton, Amy Picard Hastings, Catherine Palmer, Richard Watts, Carla A. Hass, Melanie Culver, Stevan Arnold
Novel primers for complete mitochondrial cytochrome b genesequencing in mammals
Sequence-based species identification relies on the extent and integrity of sequence data available in online databases such as GenBank. When identifying species from a sample of unknown origin, partial DNA sequences obtained from the sample are aligned against existing sequences in databases. When the sequence from the matching species is not present in the database, high-scoring alignments with
Authors
Ashwin Naidu, Robert R. Fitak, Adrian Munguia-Vega, Melanie Culver
Genetic analysis of scats reveals minimum number and sex of recently documented mountain lions
Recent records of mountain lions Puma concolor and concurrent declines in desert bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis mexicana on Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona, United States, have prompted investigations to estimate the number of mountain lions occurring there. We performed noninvasive genetic analyses and identified species, individuals, and sex from scat samples collected from the Kofa and
Authors
Ashwin Naidu, Lindsay A. Smythe, Ron W. Thompson, Melanie Culver