Phylogeography is the study of genetic relationships among populations of a species across a region. This tells us about how frequently individuals from one area disperse to another, or conversely, how long populations in different areas have been isolated from each other. This information is very important to conservation as it helps guide the protection of maximal genetic diversity in each species.

During the California Beetle Project, the phylogeographic relationships of numerous different beetle species were examined, trying to understand the levels of differentiation and connectedness of populations in and across the Transverse Ranges. These mountains, which extend from western Santa Barbara County to eastern Riverside County have been considered by many California biologists to represent a major barrier to north-south movement of species, and a breakpoint where species ranges often end. By comparing genetic relationships across a variety of beetle species we were able to better characterize the complexity and consistency of this pattern in light of major geological events such as mountain uplift, sea level flucutation, and climatic shifts. Understanding how species responded to such events in the past, we may begin to predict how they might respond to changes in the future.

Over the course of the project we conducted intensive work on the following species (linked to photographs). Please see the project publications page for reference to the detailed studies.