Research Symposium

BIO

I am an undergraduate at Florida State University majoring in Cell and Molecular Neuroscience. I am driven by a deep curiosity about the mysteries of the brain—how neural circuits give rise to cognition, perception, and behavior. This passion has led me to explore the intersection of neuroscience and medicine, with a focus on brain-computer interfaces and neurodegenerative diseases. I am passionate about developing novel neurotechnologies for diagnosing and treating neurological disorders. My goal is to contribute to advancing brain-computer interfaces to improve patient outcomes. My research experience includes EEG studies on human neural activity, analyzing acoustic signal divergence in chorus frogs, and contributing to a low-gravity experiment on lunar regolith behavior. Currently, I am studying speciation and reproductive barriers as part of the Lemmon Lab at FSU. Through my work, I strive to bridge fundamental neuroscience with real-world applications, ultimately improving lives through innovation in brain research and medical technology.

Quantifying Acoustic Signal Divergence During Speciation by Reinforcement in Pseudacris feriarum

Abstract

Speciation is the creation of new species through evolutionary divergence. The idea that a species can diverge into multiple was first proposed by Charles Darwin in his book On the Origin of Species, laying the foundation for our understanding of biodiversity. Today, speciation is of great interest in modern biology because it provides insight into the incredible variation of life. Reinforcement, the evolution of behavioral reproductive isolation between species due to selection against hybridization, is one evolutionary force that can drive speciation. Prior studies have suggested that reinforcement between two chorus frog species, the Upland chorus frog (Pseudacris feriarum) and the Southern chorus frog (P. nigrita), can indirectly cause shifts in the male mating calls of P. feriarum populations. No studies to date, however, have examined these shifts in call structure across fine spatial scales. Here, we studied a transect of twenty P. feriarum populations spanning the Piedmont and Coastal Plain geographic regions near Macon, Georgia. Populations south of Macon have undergone reinforcement from interactions with P. nigrita, whereas populations north of Macon have not. We measured and compared call characteristics such as wavelength, amplitude, pulse number, pulse rate, and frequency of populations across the transect. Substantial differences in call structure between populations at the ends of the transect are expected, along with a transition in phenotypic characteristics near the middle, particularly for pulse rate and pulse number. This study will offer insight into the evolution of phenotypic variation and the divergence of mating behaviors during speciation.

Keywords: Speciation, Acoustic Signaling, Reinforcement, Evolutionary Biology, Reproductive Isolation