Thesis Abstract – Engel (2004)

Engel, Josh (2004)
Conservation Genetics: Using Molecular Markers to Aid the Conservation of Biodiversity.
Bachelor of Arts, Pomona College, Environmental Science.
Advisor: Richard Hazlett.

No abstract provided – excerpt from the Introduction

In recent years, evolutionary biology and ecology have been moving from a predominantly field-based discipline towards a more laboratory-based discipline thanks fo the advance of molecular tools allowing us to learn more and more about the living world around us. Likewise, biologists working towards conservation of endangered species have found molecular techniques increasingly useful in learning about these species and how best to save them from extinction. However, as much work as goes on in biological laboratories, including those dealing with wild animals, relatively little of it is for conservation. In this thesis, I hope to show the usefulness of molecular techniques in aiding conservation and to demonstrate that there is still much untapped potential in the field of conservation genetics.