Fernando Jorge Guimarães Sequeira

I am interested on population genetics, especially in understanding the processes of differentiation from population-level divergence to speciation, and on the fine-scaled spatially structured processes of evolution in hybrid zones.

Presently, my research is focused on the study of the geographic distribution of genetic diversity, within a multilocus framework, in two neotropical anuran species complex from South American, Rhinella marina and Phyllomedusa burmeisteri, and in hybrid zones between recently diverged species/evolutionary units within the Iberian Peninsula herpetofauna. Specifically, I intend to understand what mechanisms drove the Pleistocene hybridization events that occurred between R. marina species complex. In the case of P. burmeisteri species complex, I am studying speciation under a broad spectrum of divergence patterns, including allopatric, parapatric and, in particular, polyploidy. 

On hybrid zones studies I am interested in understand the routes of gene flow and dispersal dynamics within and between diverged evolutionary units as a function of habitat and environmental variables, using different genetic markers in conjunction with fine-scaled ecological modelling.