Research Interests

My research interests lie mainly in the fields of conservation genetics, phylogenetics, phylogeography and population genetics. I am currently busy with a PhD study involving golden moles, a group of highly endangered subterranean mammals endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. Few people are aware that of the ten most endangered mammals in South Africa, five are golden mole species (according to the most recent IUCN red list). Research concerning these elusive animals has been limited over the years, and therefore very little is known regarding their biology and taxonomy. I am interested in the population genetics of these small mammals, both on a large- and on a finer scale. 

On a larger scale, I am interested in the phylogenetics and phylogeography of the Hottentot Golden Mole (Amblysomus hottentotus), a less threatened species of golden mole, which is distributed along the eastern parts of South Africa. I am using the mitochondrial DNA marker, ND2, to estimate gene flow between various populations, as well as estimating divergence times for the various lineages within this taxon. This work should help to delineate some of the ambiguous taxonomic classifications within Amblysomus, and will ultimately also aid in the future development of conservation strategies for threatened species of golden moles.

As part of my MSc study I developed microsatellite markers for golden moles by means of pyrosequencing in A. hottentotus. With further development, these markers may be used for future cross-species amplification in the more highly endangered golden moles, in addition to A. hottentotus. I am currently in the process of developing SNP markers for golden moles by means of RAD sequencing. I aim to use these markers on a finer scale for estimating gene flow, population substructure and relatedness within particular populations. This will provide important information on mating strategies and the potential role that kinship plays in this apparently solitary species. Very little is known about the reproductive strategies of golden moles, therefore to aid in the genetic investigation into this aspect of their biology, I am also investigating the neurological concepts of peptide binding in the brains of these moles. Of particular interest to me are the neurological associations of oxytocin and vasopressin, which have been shown to display different binding patterns in the brains of mammals that utilise different mating strategies, i.e. monogamous vs. promiscuous and social vs. solitary. It is my hope that the genetic investigation will shed light on the evolution of golden moles, while the neuroscience and genetics will complement each other in elucidating the reproductive strategies of these small mammals, and thus bring us to a better understanding of golden mole populations.