This research line applies population-genetic tools to the study of urodele amphibians, with a particular focus on the effects of habitat fragmentation on connectivity and gene flow.
Studies involving Leonardo Vignoli on the Italian smooth newt, Lissotriton vulgaris meridionalis, used microsatellite markers to identify distinct genetic units in rural landscapes of Central Italy. The findings show that even geographically close populations can exhibit strong genetic structure when dispersal is constrained by environmental change.
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