Prairie Dogs (and associated species)

Our research focuses on inferring the demography, historical biogeography, mating behavior and diversity of prairie dogs in Colorado and throughout the western United States. In particular, we are interested in how prairie dog colonies recover following extirpation by plague, what factors influence whether colonies succumb to plague infections, how prairie dogs move across the landscape and how such movement shapes the distribution of genetic variation for both the prairie dogs and their associated species (fleas, bacteria), and historical biogeography. In addition, we have a developing collaboration with John Hoogland to investigate the behavioral ecology and fitness effects of polygyny in a population of white tailed prairie dogs in northern Colorado.

Recent discoveries

Development of microsatellite markers

We have developed a set of microsatellite primers for 18 loci that can be routinely characterized in all species of prairie dogs using multiplex methods.

Sackett, L., et al.

Evidence for subspecies within C. gunnisoni

Using a combination of mtDNA sequence data and microsatellite genotypes, we discovered a clear genetic break between upland and lowland forms of Gunnison's prairie dog consistent with the prevailing hypothesis of two distinct subspecies.

Sackett et al..