Dr Africa Gomez

NERC Advanced Fellow

Evolutionary Biology Group

Department of Biological Sciences

The University of Hull

HU6 7RX UK

Tel: +44 (0)1482 465542

Fax: +44 (0)1482 465458

Email: a.gomez@hull.ac.uk

Research Interests

My research centers on the interface between population genetics, phylogeography and the evolution of reproductive modes. I am particularly interested in the effects of migration-drift disequilibrium, which is a common situation in many organisms, on evolutionary processes. Most of my research focus on passively dispersed aquatic invertebrates (including rotifers, Notostracans, Bryozoans,  Anostracans).

As part of this interest, I investigate the colonization process and the evolutionary forces involved in it, such as local adaptation, inbreeding and migration. This is a research area in which aquatic invertebrates are particularly powerful study systems because of their diverse reproductive modes, short generation time, and ability both to culture large numbers in the laboratory and recreate suitable habitats.

Importantly also since they have long-lived dormant resting eggs, experimental animals can be competed against their ancestors. I apply molecular techniques to address fundamental questions concerning the evolutionary dynamics of cyclically parthenogenetic organisms and other passively dispersed aquatic invertebrates. Part of this work developed the novel analysis of historical samples from resting egg banks. Due to the abundance of cryptic species in my research organisms, I have extensively used DNA barcoding either as a discovery tool or as a preliminary step before screening particular species.

Brief

CV

2004-present Advanced NERC Research Fellow
2000-2004 PDRA University of Hull
1997-1999 Research Sabbatical University of Hull
1996-2000 Lecturer in Ecology, University of Valencia (Spain)
1992-1996 PhD, University of Valencia (Spain)
1995 Visiting Student Georgia Tech, Atlanta (USA)
MSc Zoology 1991, University of Valencia (Spain)

Selected

Publications

Montero-Pau, J., E. Ramos-Rodríguez, M. Serra & Gómez, A. (2011) Long-term coexistence of rotifer cryptic species. PLoS ONE 6(6): e21530. (doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0021530)

Campillo, S., M. Serra, M.J. Carmona & Gómez, A. (2011) Widespread secondary contact and new glacial refugia in the halophilic rotifer Brachionus plicatilis in the Iberian Peninsula. PLoS ONE 6(6) e20986. (doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0020986)

Montero-Pau, J. & Gómez, A. (2011) Development of genomic resources for the phylogenetic analysis of the Brachionus plicatilis species complex (Rotifera: Monogononta). Hydrobiologia, 662:43-50 (doi: 10.1007/s10750-010-0485-3).

Muñoz, J., A. Gómez*, J. Green, J. Figuerola, F. Amat & C. Rico (2010) Evolutionary origin and phylogeography of the diploid obligate parthenogen Artemia parthenogenetica (Branchiopoda: Anostraca). PLoS ONE, 5: e11932. (*joint first author)

Campillo, S., García-Roger, E. M., Carmona, M. J., Gómez, A. & Serra, M. (2009) Selection on life-history traits and genetic population divergence in rotifers. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 22: 2542–2553.

Zierold T., Montero-Pau, J., Hänfling, B. & Gómez, A. (2009) Sex ratio and reproductive mode in Triops cancriformis: effects on population genetic diversity and insights from segregation analyses. Freshwater Biology, 54: 1392–1405.

Montero-Pau, J., A. Gómez & J. Muñoz (2008) Application of an inexpensive and high-throughput genomic DNA extraction method for the molecular ecology of zooplanktonic diapausing eggs. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 6: 218-222.

External links

Associate Editor of BMC Evolutionary Biology