2014 GSA Annual Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia (19–22 October 2014)

Paper No. 38-2
Presentation Time: 9:15 AM

BEETLE GENETIC VARIATION AS AN INDICATOR OF CLIMATE CHANGE, JUNEAU ICEFIELD, ALASKA


SLAVIN, Ben, Biology Department, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, CRISP, Alexis A., Geology, Wittenberg, P.O. Box 720, Springfield, OH 45501, ROOKER, G.R., University California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95604, SCHOVILLE, Sean, Dept of Entomology, University WIsconsin, Madison, WI 53706 and KAVANAUGH, Jeffrey, JIRP Director, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada

Nebria lituyae, a species of flightless beetle, have long colonized the seemingly uninhabitable glacial margins and nunataks of the Juneau Icefield, Alaska. However, very little is known about the ecology of this species in the rugged environments they inhabit. The purpose of this study is to build a better understanding of how cold adapted species respond to warming climates. While a few similar studies have been performed in the European Alps, North American studies are currently lacking. We plan to compare genetic testing results of Nebria on numerous nunataks within the Juneau Icefield to link the timing of their colonization to nunatak emergence caused by warming. Our preliminary results show that genetic variation exists between nunataks within a single icefield, suggesting that beetles colonize nunataks from multiple sources. This study will increase our knowledge of how cold adapted species survive and colonize in nunatak ecosystems, as well as further our understanding of how they can indicate past, present, and future climate change.