Current Research Projects
Wildlife Genetics, Genomics, and Population Health
Laboratory of Holly Ernest
WIldlife & Ecology Unit, Veterinary Genetics Laboratory
Mammals
Mountain Lions (Puma concolor, cougars) in California: Ecological/population genetics, development and application of DNA tests to identification of individuals, parents, and kin. Holly Ernest, Lisa Dalbeck, California Department of Fish and Game, National Park Service, USDA-Wildlife Services, and collaborators.
Bighorn Sheep: Landscape genetic analyses in Arizona and California. Holly Ernest and Daphne Gille. Collaborators: Arizona Dept of Game and Fish; California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, andnongovernmental agencies.
Black Bears: Disease ecology and population genetics. Jamie Sherman, HollyErnest, andcollaborators: CaliforniaDept. of Fish and Wildlife, Mono County, Utah State University, California DeerAssociation,and others.
Sea otters: development and application of DNA tests to identification of individuals, parents, andkin;populationgenetics and disease ecology. Holly Ernest, Lisa Dalbeck, and collaborators.
Domestic Ferrets, genetics, and cancer. Holly Ernest, Michelle Hawkins,TracyDrazenovich,Lisa
Dalbeck,andcollaborators.
Feral Pigs: Ecological/population genetics.Holly Ernest, Lisa Dalbeck, and collaborators.
Bobcats - ecological genetics and population health. Megan Jennings, RebeccaLewison,HollyErnest,and collaborators.
Birds
Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds of California: Diseases, population health, conservation genetics, and ecology. Holly Ernest, Loreto Godoy, Lisa Dalbeck, Lisa Tell, the Hummingbird Monitoring Network, Lindsay
Wildlife Museum Hospital, Wildlife Care Association, UC Davis Museum of Wildlife, Institute for Bird Populations, Audubon Societies, and more collaborators.
Corvids
Yellow-billed Magpies: Ecology, Effects of West Nile virus, population genetics,developmentandapplication ofDNAtests to identification of individuals, parents, and kin; and Citizen Science Program to monitor their numbers: Magpie Monitor and Bicycle Bird Biologist Program.Scott Crosbie, Lisa Goldberg, Levi Souza, Ben Harmeling, Holly Ernest,and collaborators.
Raptors
Great Gray Owls: Conservation genetics, habitat modeling, development and application of DNAandbioaccoustictests to identification of individuals, parents, and kin; tests for exposure to West Nile virus (antibody levels). Joshua Hull, Eric Jepsen, Joe Medley, JohnKeane,Holly Ernest, and collaborators.
Recent Research Projects
Swainson’s Hawks: Conservation genetics, development and application of DNA tests to identificationof individuals,sex(gender), parents, and kin; Exposure to West Nile virus (antibody levels). Joshua Hull,Swainson's Hawk Technical Advisory Committee, Holly Ernest, and collaborators.
Deer: kinship genetics and forensic applications (collaborations with Service and Forensic Units of Veterinary Genetics
Laboratory). Kinship and Chronic Wasting Disease: Holly Ernest, Jay Well, Bruce Hoar, Katherine O'Rourke. Forensicmarkers: Megan Caulder, Beth Wictum, Holly Ernest, and collaborators.
Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep: Captive Breeding Contingency Plan. Holly Ernest
House Finches and West Nile virus at Stone Lakes Wildlife Refuge. Ann Pelligini, Holly Ernest, and collaborators.
Coopers Hawks: Gender determination by DNA and morphological markers; Exposure to West Nile virus (antibody levels). Joshua Hull, Sarah Pitzer, Buzz Hull, Holly Ernest, and collaborators.
Red-shouldered Hawks: Population genetics, development and application of DNA tests to identificationof individuals, parents, and kin; gender determination by DNA and morphological markers; Exposure toWest Nile virus (antibody levels). Joshua Hull, Sarah Pitzer, Amanda Irish, Holly Ernest, andcollaborators.
Red-tailed Hawks: Population genetics, development and application of DNA tests to identification ofindividuals, parents, and kin; gender determination by DNA and morphological markers; Exposure to West Nile virus (antibody levels). Joshua Hull, Sarah Pitzer, Buzz Hull, Holly Ernest, and collaborators.
Spotted Owls in Sierra Nevada mountains: Exposure to West Nile virus (antibody levels). Joshua Hull, John Keane, Holly Ernest, and collaborators.
Northern Goshawks in Sierra Nevada mountains: Exposure to West Nile virus (antibody levels). Joshua Hull, John Keane, Holly Ernest, and collaborators.
Western Scrub Jays and other corvids in California: Ecology and population genetics, development and application of DNA tests to identification of individuals, parents, and kin. Holly Ernest, Scott Crosbie, Lisa Goldberg, and collaborators.
American Crows in California: Ecological/population genetics, development and application of DNA tests to identification of individuals, parents, and kin. Holly Ernest, Lisa Goldberg, and collaborators.
