Insect Science: Graduate Interdisciplinary Program

Alex Swanson

Research Interests:

I am interested the systematics and taxonomy of the Coleoptera as well as population genetics, biogeography and speciation in insects. I would like to focus my future research on testing the continuity of micro and macroevolutionary processes. My long term goal is to use a microevolutionary perspective to address general questions regarding the ultimate origin of the astounding biodiversity of insects, and beetles in particular, relative to other organisms.

Currently, I am working with Dr. David Maddison to assess geographic variation and identify cryptic species in the Bembidion transversale species complex (Coleoptera: Carabidae) using DNA sequence variation in mitochondrial and nuclear genes.

Alex Swanson

Research Interests:

The Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Insect Science