Peter L. Ralph

Desert Tortoises in the Genomic Age: Population Genetics and the Landscape

This paper analyzes the conservation genomics and landscape genomics of the Mojave desert tortoise to assess the impacts of proposed renewable energy developments on gene flow and genetic diversity.

Adaptation in isolated populations: when does it happen and when can we tell?

The paper simulates adaptation in isolated populations with severe bottlenecks to determine when and how well genomic scans can detect adaptive alleles.

A Spatial Framework for Understanding Population Structure and Admixture.

This paper introduces a method to infer geogenetic maps that reflect genetic rather than geographic distances, identifying admixture as anomalous long-distance gene flow.

Convergent Evolution During Local Adaptation to Patchy Landscapes

This paper models how species adapt to patchy environments through convergent evolution or migration, using rock pocket mice as an example to understand genetic signals and adaptation rates.

The role of standing variation in geographic convergent adaptation

This paper investigates how standing genetic variation contributes to convergent adaptation in geographically spread populations, finding that alleles from standing variation play a significant role in adaptation despite potential selective costs.

The Spatial Mixing of Genomes in Secondary Contact Zones

The paper develops a theoretical framework to infer the age of geographic contact zones using population genomic data and applies it to human populations in Indonesia, Central Asia, and India.