Department of Biology - Faculty Members

 

Home | Research | Faculty | Facilities | Undergraduate | Graduate | Staff | Resources |

 

Vicki L. Friesen

Molecular ecology and evolution

 

 

 

My research program involves using molecular genetics and bioinformatics to study mechanisms of population differentiation and speciation, primarily in birds. My research team is contributing to the understanding of evolution and ecology at several levels:

Mechanisms of population differentiation and speciation-Inferring evolutionary processes from contemporary biological patterns is notoriously difficult. We are using state-of-the-art methods to test explicit hypotheses regarding mechanisms of population differentiation and speciation. Studies include tests of some standard assumptions that have rarely been addressed with rigour (e.g. that isolation in Pleistocene refugia leads to population differentiation), and have yielded some surprising results. For example, results of Ph.D. student Tammy Steeves’ work on masked boobies suggests that philopatry alone is sufficient to result in population differentiation in tropical seabirds. Most excitingly, Ph.D. student Andrea Smith and visiting researcher Elena Gomez-Diaz found clear evidence for sympatric speciation in storm-petrels.

Conservation.-Effective protection of endangered species requires knowledge of how genetic variation is distributed within and among local populations. Several of our studies involve species that are at risk of extinction, and so have direct implications for conservation. For example, M.Sc. student Joseph Brown’s recent work on peregrine falcons revealed that the DDT-imposed population bottleneck had little effect on genetic diversity within Canadian falcons (they have always had low diversity), but that reintroduction efforts actually resulted in the creation of a new subspecies! Similarly, work by research associate Dr. Tim Birt has helped to define population units for conservation of marbled murrelets.

Development of molecular and analytical tools.-Both the advancement of evolutionary and ecological knowledge and the conservation of biodiversity require efficient and sensitive methods for assaying DNA sequence variation. We are helping to solve this need. For example, we developed PCR primers and protocols to screen variation in over 30 introns in vertebrates; PhD student Gabriela Ibarguchi developed both an elegant method to discriminate nuclear copies from true mitochondrial copies of mtDNA, as well as a simple yet powerful statistical method to detect mutations and null alleles in microsatellite data; and M.Sc. student Hollie Walsh adapted classical power analysis to phylogenetic analyses of molecular data so that researchers can test whether a polytomy is an artifact of insufficient data.

Systematics.-Sound phylogenies are the foundation for solid studies of ecology, behaviour, and evolution. Our phylogenetic studies of the Alcidae and Sulidae are among my most highly cited papers. Furthermore, several of our studies have demonstrated the existence of cryptic species or the need for taxonomic revisions.

 

 


Research Contributions (Names of students and post-doctoral fellows are in bold.)

Friesen, V.L. 2007. New roles for molecular genetics in understanding seabird evolution, ecology and conservation. Marine Ornithology, in press.

Friesen, V.L., A.L. Smith, E. Gómez-Díaz, M. Bolton, R.W. Furness, J. González-Solís & L. Monteiro. 2007. Sympatric speciation by allochrony in a seabird. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, in press.

Brown, J.W., P.J. van Coeverden de Groot, T.P. Birt, G. Seutin, P.T. Boag & V.L. Friesen. 2007. Appraisal of the consequences of the DDT-induced bottleneck on the level and distribution of neutral genetic variation in Canadian peregrine falcons, Falco peregrinus. Mol. Ecol. 16:327-343.

Friesen, V.L., T.M. Burg & K. McCoy. 2007. Mechanisms of population differentiation in seabirds. Mol. Ecol. 16: 1765-1785.

Smith, A.L. & V.L. Friesen. 2007. Differentiation of sympatric populations of the band-rumped storm-petrel in the Galapagos Islands: an examination of genetics, morphology, and vocalizations. Mol. Ecol. 16:1593-1603.

Smith, A.L., L. Monteiro, O. Hasegawa & V.L. Friesen. 2007. Global phylogeography of the band-rumped storm-petrel (Oceanodroma castro; Procellariiformes: Hydrobatidae).  Mol. Phylogen. Evol. 43:755-773.

Vallender, R., R.J. Robertson, V.L. Friesen & I. Lovette. 2007. Complex hybridization dynamics between golden-winged and blue-winged warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera and V. pinus) revealed by AFLP, microsatellite, intron and mtDNA markers. Mol. Ecol. 16:2017-2029.

Vallender, R., V.L. Friesen & R.J. Robertson. 2007. Paternity and performance golden-winged warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) and golden-winged X blue-winged warbler (V. pinus) hybrids at the leading edge of a hybrid zone. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 61:1797-1807.

Burg, T.M., A.J. Gaston, K. Winker & V.L. Friesen. 2006. Effects of Pleistocene glaciers on population structure of North American chestnut-backed chickadees. Mol. Ecol. 15:2409-2419.

Friesen, V.L., J.A. González & F. Cruz-Delgado. 2006. Population genetic structure and conservation of the Galápagos petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia). Cons. Gen. 7:105-115.

Garner, S., T.P. Birt, C.M. Mlewa, J.M. Green, A. Seifert & V.L. Friesen. 2006. Genetic variation in marbled lungfish (Protopterus aethiopicus) in Lake Victoria and introduction to Lake Baringo, Kenya. J. Fish Biol. 69 Suppl. B:189-199.

Ibarguchi, G., V.L. Friesen & S.C. Lougheed. 2006. Defeating numts: semi-pure mitochondrial DNA from eggs and simple purification methods for field-collected wildlife tissues. Genome 49:1438-1450.

Burg, T.M., A.J. Gaston, K. Winker & V.L. Friesen. 2005. Rapid divergence and post-glacial colonization in Steller's jays (Cyanocitta stelleri). Mol. Ecol. 14:3745-3755.

Friesen, V.L., T.P. Birt, J.F. Piatt, R.T. Golightly, S.H. Newman, P.N. Hébert and G. Gissing. 2005. Population genetic structure in marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus), and the delineation of ‘distinct population segments’ for conservation. Cons. Gen. 6:607-613.

Jones, J., C.E. Gibb, S.C. Millard, J.J. Barg, M.K. Girvan, M.L. Veit, V.L. Friesen and R.J. Robertson. 2005. Multiple selection pressures generate adherence to Bergmann's rule in a Neotropical migratory songbird. J. Biogeog. 32: 1827-1833.

Riffault, L., K.D. McCoy, C. Tirard, V.L. Friesen & T. Boulinier. 2005. Population genetics of the common guillemot Uria aalge in the North Atlantic: assessing the geographic impact of oil spills. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 291:263-273.

Steeves, T.E., D.J. Anderson & V.L. Friesen. 2005. The Isthmus of Panama: a major physical barrier to gene flow in a highly mobile pantropical seabird. J. Evol. Biol. 18:1000-1008.

Steeves, T.E., D.J. Anderson & V.L. Friesen. 2005. A role for non-physical barriers to gene flow in the diversification of a highly vagile seabird, the masked booby (Sula dactylatra). Mol. Ecol. 14: 3877-3887.

Veit, M.L., R.J. Robertson, P.B. Hamel & V.L. Friesen. 2005. Population genetic structure and dispersal across a fragmented landscape in cerulean warblers (Dendroica cerulea). Cons. Gen. 6:159-174.

Walsh, H.W., I.L. Jones & V.L. Friesen. 2005. A test of founder effect speciation using multiple loci in the auklets (Aethia spp.). Genetics 171:1885-1894.

Ibarguchi, G., G.J. Gissing, A.J. Gaston, P.T. Boag & V.L. Friesen. 2004. Male-biased mutation rates and the overestimation of extra-pair paternity: problem, solution, and illustration using thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia, Alcidae). J. Hered. 95: 209-216.

Holder, K., R. Montgomerie & V.L. Friesen. 2004. Genetic diversity and management of Nearctic rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus). Can. J. Zool. 82:564-575.

McShane, C. & 15 others. 2004. Evaluation report for the 5-year status review of the marbled murrelet in Washington, Oregon, and California. EDAW Associates. 356 pp.

Friesen, V.L. & J. F Piatt. 2003. A genetic study to aid in restoration of murres, guillemots and murrelets to the Gulf of Alaska. Restoration Project Final Report, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, Anchorage. 132 pp.

May, E. & V.L. Friesen (eds.). 2003. Proceedings of People and the Planet: Changing Values for a Sustainable Future. Sierra Club of Canada. 82 pp.

Steeves, T.E., D.J. Anderson, H. McNally, M. Kim & V.L. Friesen. 2003. Phylogeography of Sula: the role of physical barriers to gene flow in the diversification of tropical seabirds. J. Av. Biol. 34:217-223.

Walsh, H.E. & V.L. Friesen. 2003. Patterns of molecular variation at mitochondrial, neutral nuclear, and MHC loci in least and crested auklets (Aethia spp.). J. Mol. Evol. 57:681-693.

Friesen, V.L., D.J. Anderson, T.E. Steeves, H. Jones & E.A. Schreiber. 2002. Molecular support for species status of the Nazca Booby. Auk 119:820-826.

Patirana, A., S. Hatch & V.L. Friesen. 2002. Population genetics and conservation of the red-legged kittiwake Rissa brevirostris. Cons. Gen. 3:335-340.

Pearce, R.L., J.J. Wood, Y. Artukhin, T.P. Birt, M. Damus & V.L. Friesen. 2002. Mitochondrial DNA suggests high trans-Pacific gene flow in ancient murrelets. Condor 104:84-91.

Pacheco, N.M. & V.L. Friesen. 2002. An investigation of hybridization in Brachyramphus murrelets using nuclear introns. Cons. Gen. 3:175-182.

Edwards, S.E., M.C. daSilva, T. Burg, V.L. Friesen & K.I. Warheit. 2001. Molecular genetic markers in the analysis of seabird bycatch populations. Pp. 115-140 in E.F. Melvin & J.K. Parrish (eds.), Seabird Bycatch. University of Alaska Sea Grant.

Walsh, H.E. & V.L. Friesen. 2001. Power and stochasticity in the resolution of soft polytomies. Evolution 55:1264-1266.

Congdon, B.C., J.F. Piatt, K. Martin & V.L. Friesen. 2000. Rapid population expansion and peripheral isolation in marbled murrelets: historical vs contemporary evolutionary processes. Evolution 54: 974-986.

Friesen, V.L. 2000. Introns. Pp. 274-290 in A. J. Baker (ed.), Molecular Methods in Ecology. Blackwell, Oxford.

Holder, K., R. Montgomerie & V.L. Friesen. 2000. Glacial vicariance and historical biogeography of rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) in the Bering Region. Molecular Ecology  9:1265-1278.

Ibarguchi, G., T.P. Birt, K.I. Warheit,  P.T. Boag & V.L. Friesen. 2000. Microsatellite loci from common and thick-billed murres, Uria aalge and U. lomvia. Molecular Ecology 9:629-644.

Friesen, V.L., B.C. Congdon, M.G. Kidd & T.P. Birt. 1999. PCR primers for the amplification of five nuclear introns in vertebrates. Molecular Ecology 8:2147-2149.

Holder, K., R. Montgomerie, & V.L. Friesen. 1999. A test of the glacial refugium hypothesis using patterns of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence variation in rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus). Evolution 53:1936-1950.

Walsh, H.E., M.G. Kidd, T. Moum & V.L. Friesen. 1999. Polytomies and the power of phylogenetic inference: a test of mechanisms of speciation in the auklets (Charadriiformes: Alcidae). Evolution 53:932-937.

Kidd, M.G. & V.L. Friesen. 1998. Patterns of control region variation in populations of Cepphus guillemots: testing microevolutionary hypotheses. Evolution 52:1158-1168.

Kidd, M.G. & V.L. Friesen. 1998. Sequence variation in the guillemot (Cepphus spp.) mitochondrial control region and its nuclear homolog. Molecular Biology and Evolution 15:61-70.

Friesen, V.L. 1997. Population genetics and the spatial scale of conservation of colonial waterbirds. Colonial Waterbirds 20:353-368.

Friesen, V.L. & D.J. Anderson. 1997. Phylogeny and evolution of the Sulidae: A test of alternative modes of speciation. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 7:252-260.

Friesen, V.L., B.C. Congdon, H.E. Walsh & T.P. Birt. 1997. Intron variation in marbled murrelets detected using analyses of single-stranded conformational polymorphisms. Molecular Ecology 6:1047-1058.

Friesen, V.L., A.J. Baker & J.F. Piatt. 1996. Phylogenetic relationships within the Alcidae (Charadriiformes: Aves) inferred using total molecular evidence. Molecular Biology and Evolution 13: 359-367.

Friesen, V.L., J.F. Piatt & A.J. Baker. 1996. Evidence from cytochrome b sequences and allozymes for a 'new' species of alcid, the long-billed murrelet (Brachyramphus perdix). Condor 98:681-690.

Friesen, V.L., W.A. Montevecchi, A.J. Baker, R.T. Barrett & W.S. Davidson. 1996. Population differentiation and evolution in the common guillemot (Uria aalge). Molecular Ecology 5:793-805.

Friesen, V.L., W.A. Montevecchi, R.T. Barrett & W.S. Davidson. 1996. Molecular evidence for kin groups in the absence of large-scale genetic differentiation in a migratory bird. Evolution 50:924-930.

Birt, T.P., V.L. Friesen, J.M. Green & W.S. Davidson. 1995. Mitochondrial DNA variation in Newfoundland and Norwegian populations of Atlantic capelin,  Mallotus villosus, detected using two techniques. Molecular Ecology 4: 771-776.

Friesen, V.L., R.T. Barrett, W.A. Montevecchi & W.S. Davidson. 1993. Molecular identification of a backcross between a female common murre/thick-billed murre hybrid and a male common murre. Can.adian Journal of Zoology 71: 1474-1477.

Friesen, V.L., W.A. Montevecchi & W.S. Davidson. 1993. Cytochrome b nucleotide sequence variation among the Atlantic Alcidae. Hereditas 119: 245-252.

Birt-Friesen, V.L., W.A. Montevecchi, A.J. Gaston and W.S. Davidson. 1992. Genetic structure of thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia) populations examined using direct sequence analysis of amplified DNA. Evolution 67: 267-272.

Birt, T.P., V.L. Friesen, J.M. Green, W.A. Montevecchi & W.S. Davidson. 1992. Cytochrome b variation in parrots. Hereditas 117: 67-72.

Montevecchi, W.A., V.L. Birt-Friesen & D.K. Cairns. 1992. Reproductive energetics and prey harvest of Leach's storm-petrels in the northwest Atlantic. Ecology 73: 823-832.

Cairns, D.K., W.A. Montevecchi, V.L. Birt-Friesen & S.A. Macko. 1990. Energy expenditures, activity budgets, and prey harvest of breeding common murres. Studies in Avian Biology 14: 84-92.

Birt-Friesen, V.L., W.A. Montevecchi, D.K. Cairns & S.A. Macko. 1989. Activity-specific metabolic rates of free-living northern gannets and other seabirds. Ecology 70: 357-367.

Davidson, W.S., S.E. Bartlett, T.P. Birt, V.L. Birt & J.M. Green. 1989. Identification and purification of serum albumin from rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 93B: 5-9.

Davidson, W.S., V.L. Birt, T.P. Birt & J.M. Green. 1988. Palmitate-binding, serum albumin-like proteins in salmonids. FEBS Letters 233: 299-302.

Montevecchi, W.A., V.L. Birt & D.K. Cairns. 1988a. Dietary changes of seabirds associated with local fisheries failures. Biological Oceanography 5: 153-161.

Montevecchi, W.A., D.K. Cairns & V.L. Birt. 1988b. Migration of post-smolt Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, off northeastern Newfoundland, as inferred by tag recoveries in a seabird colony. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 45: 568-571.

Birt, V.L., T.P. Birt, D. Goulet, D.K. Cairns & W.A. Montevecchi. 1987. Ashmole's halo: direct evidence for prey depletion by a seabird. Marine Ecology Progress Series 40: 205-208.

Birt, V.L. & D.K. Cairns. 1987. Kleptoparasitic interaction of arctic skuas Stercorarius parasiticus and black guillemots Cepphus grylle in northeastern Hudson Bay, Canada. Ibis 29: 190-196.

Cairns, D.K., K.A. Bredin & V.L. Birt. 1987a. A tunnel for hidden access to blinds at high latitude seabird colonies. Journal of Field Ornithology 58: 69-72.

Cairns, D.K., K.A. Bredin, V.L. Birt & W.A. Montevecchi. 1987b. Electronic activity recorders for aquatic wildlife. Journal of Wildlife Management 51: 395-399.

 
Department of Biology, Queen's University
Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6 - Telephone: (613) 533-6160, Fax: (613) 533-6617