Graduate Program
Biological Sciences
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Semester of Degree Completion
2008
Thesis Director
Zhiwei Liu
Thesis Committee Member
Tom Nelson
Thesis Committee Member
James Novak
Thesis Committee Member
Emily Latch
Abstract
A small population ofred squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) has existed in Iroquois County, Illinois since the 1970' s. The origin of this population is unknown, but some accounts suggest they are the offspring of released red squirrels from Minnesota. Alternatively, they may be a remnant Illinois population or more recent immigrants from Indiana. Finally, this population could reflect a mixed ancestry of the above scenarios. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was utilized to determine the genetic relationships among red squirrel populations in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. My results showed low levels of haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity in the Illinois sample. Pair-wise comparisons of
Recommended Citation
Beatty, William, "A genetic assessment of the red squirrel in Illinois: Natives, immigrants, or exotics?" (2008). Masters Theses. 14.
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/14
