Evolutionary History of Local Species

Dr. Anthony Metcalf will be the guest lecturer at the San Bernardino County Museum on Wednesday, June 23, at 7:30 p.m. to answer the question, “Does a regional fauna exist in interior coastal Southern California?” The talk, one of the county museum’s guest lecture series, is offered at no charge.

The interior valleys, mountains, and watersheds of southern California, especially in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, harbor a wide diversity of local species. This is in part because a large number of different habitats are found in a relatively small geographic region. Metcalf will discuss whether larger scale geologic and climatic events affected these different species in similar ways, and if this shared history is reflected in their DNA.

“I will present an overview of the molecular genetic patterns across a number of local species to address these questions,” said Metcalf. “People at the lecture will see how understanding the evolutionary history of our local species helps conserve the unique biodiversity of our region.”

Dr. Metcalf is an Assistant Professor of Biology at California State University, San Bernardino, and is Adjunct Curator of Genetic Resources at the San Bernardino County Museum. Much of the work he will present during this lecture is part of an ongoing research collaboration between CSU San Bernardino and the County Museum.

The San Bernardino County Museum’s free guest lecture series was organized to bring experts in cultural and natural history to the museum to share their research with the public. The museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. Parking is free, and the facility is handicapped-accessible. For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org or call (909) 307-2669 / TDD/TTY: (909) 792-1462.