Melanie LaCava, a recent PhD graduate in ecology and veterinary sciences at UW, and Holly Ernest, a UW professor of wildlife genomics and disease ecology and the Wyoming Excellence Chair in Disease Ecology, were part of the team to extract DNA from more than 400 mule deer. Wyoming has so much great research on these species, in terms of GPS tracking, that tells us a lot about their seasonal migration, said LaCava. Our goal, in part, was to provide this other layer of information, genetics, that tells you about longer term patterns.
The researchers compared the genes of every pair of the animals in the study.
May 25, 2021
Caitlin McLennan
After transferring from a school in Boston to the University of Wyoming, Caitlin McLennan, of Monterey, Calif., worked several jobs in the Laramie community. Those positions enabled her to meet several people but, more importantly, guided her to build and engage community networks that began her work in helping others to better their communities.
Those efforts have earned McLennan the Rosemarie Martha Spitaleri Award as UW’s outstanding graduating student. The award recognizes students for exhibiting the finest leadership, academic integrity and citizenship qualities.
McLennan recently graduated with a B.S. in environment and natural resources, and political science, with a sustainability minor. Her accomplishments in academics, service to the UW community and professional milestones highlight McLennan’s commitment to environmental responsibility, food security and community. She adds that her experience is diverse, yet focused on citizenship, ch
Wyoming Mule Deer Stick Together-- In Three Distinct Genetic Groups wyomingpublicmedia.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wyomingpublicmedia.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
May 11, 2021
This mule deer was spotted in Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. Melanie LaCava, a UW Ph.D. candidate in the Program in Ecology, was lead author of a paper about Wyoming mule deer that was published in the May 11 issue of Ecography. Despite the fact that Wyoming mule deer are a highly mobile species found throughout the state, UW researchers discovered that mule deer in the state represent three different genetic groups. (Melanie LaCava Photo)
Despite the fact that Wyoming mule deer are a highly mobile species found throughout the state, University of Wyoming researchers discovered that mule deer in the state represent three different genetic groups.