Red Eared Slider Evolution

Dr Brian Simison, Anna Sellas and their colleague Dr James Parham of CSU Fullerton are using modern genomic techniques to understand the diversity of slider turtles (Trachemys) of the USA. Red eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) are one of the most invasive pet trade animals in the world and have displaced many native pond turtles from rivers, lakes and ponds across the globe. These turtles are know to hybridize across deep historical lineages and thus provide an opportunity to study hybridization and its role in speciation and the consequences it might have on native populations.