UC Spark

Dr Tammy Steeves

Biological Sciences

Fields of Research

  • Conservation genetics
  • Evolutionary genetics
  • Population genetics
  • Phylogeography
  • Phylogenetics
  • Genomics

Researcher Summary

My main research interests focus on the ecological and evolutionary processes that contribute to the formation and maintenance of species boundaries, particularly in threatened shorebirds and seabirds. The novelty of my research stems from my application of population genetic, phylogeographic and phylogenetic methods to ancient and modern DNA to: (1) test explicit hypotheses regarding the evolutionary histories of natural populations and (2) develop conservation genetic management strategies for species at risk.

Subject Area: Disciplines

Equipment

Publications


  • Andrews, B.J., Hale, M.L. and Steeves, T.E. (2013) Characterisation of microsatellite loci in the critically endangered orange-fronted kākāriki (Cyanoramphus malherbi) isolated using genomic next generation sequencing. Conservation Genetics Resources 5(1): 235-237. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12686-012-9777-4. (Journal Article)
  • Massaro, M., Ortiz-Catedral, L., Julian, L., Galbraith, J.A., Kurenbach, B., Kearvell, J., Kemp, K., van Hal, J., Elkington, E., Taylor, G., Greene, T., van de Wetering, J., van de Wetering, M., Pryde, M., Dilks, P., Heber, S., Steeves, T.E., Walters, M., Shaw, S., Potter, J., Farrant, M., Brunton, D.H., Hauber, M., Jackson, B., Bell, P., Moorhouse, R., McInnes, K. and Varsani, A. (2012) Molecular characterisation of beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) in New Zealand and its implications for managing an infectious disease. Archives of Virology 157(9): 1651-1663. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00705-012-1336-5. (Journal Article)
  • Hale, M.L., Burg, T.M. and Steeves, T.E. (2012) Sampling for microsatellite-based population genetic studies: 25 to 30 individuals per population is enough to accurately estimate allele frequencies. PLoS ONE 7(9): e45170. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0045170. (Journal Article)
  • Hagen, E.N., Hale, M.L., Maloney, R.F. and Steeves, T.E. (2011) Conservation genetic management of a critically endangered New Zealand endemic bird: minimizing inbreeding in the Black Stilt Himantopus novaezelandiae. Ibis 153(3): 556-561. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2011.01137.x. (Journal Article)
  • Rayner, M.J., Hauber, M.E., Steeves, T.E., Lawrence, H.A., Thompson, D.R., Sagar, P.M., Bury, S.J., Landers, T.J., Phillips, R.A., Ranjard, L. and Shaffer, S.A. (2011) Contemporary and historical separation of transequatorial migration between genetically distinct seabird populations. Nature Communications 2: 332. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms1330. (Journal Article)
  • Morris-Pocock, J.A., Steeves, T.E., Estela, F.A., Anderson, D.J. and Friesen, V.L. (2010) Comparative phylogeography of brown (Sula leucogaster) and red-footed boobies (S. sula): The influence of physical barriers and habitat preference on gene flow in pelagic seabirds. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 54(3): 883-896. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2009.11.013. (Journal Article)
  • Steeves, T.E., Maloney, R.F., Hale, M.L., Tylianakis, J.M. and Gemmell, N.J. (2010) Genetic analyses reveal hybridization but no hybrid swarm in one of the world's rarest birds. Molecular Ecology 19(23): 5090-5100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04895.x. (Journal Article)
  • Steeves, T.E., Holdaway, R.N., Hale, M.L., McLay, E., McAllan, I.A.W., Christian, M., Hauber, M.E. and Bunce, M. (2010) Merging ancient and modern DNA: Extinct seabird taxon rediscovered in the North Tasman Sea. Biology Letters 6(1): 94-97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2009.0478. (Journal Article)
  • Steeves, T.E., Hale, M.L. and Gemmell, N.J. (2008) Development of polymorphic microsatellite markers for the New Zealand black stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae) and cross-amplification in the pied stilt (Himantopus himantopus leucocephalus). Molecular Ecology Resources 8: 1105-1107. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-0998.2008.02170.x. (Journal Article)
  • Robertson, B.C., Steeves, T.E., McBride, K.P., Goldstien, S.J., Williams, M. and Gemmell, N.J. (2007) Phylogeography of the New Zealand blue duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos): implications for translocation and species recovery. Conservation Genetics 8(6): 1431-1440. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10592-007-9294-2. (Journal Article)
  • Steeves, T.E., Anderson, D.J. and Friesen, V.L. (2005) A role for nonphysical barriers to gene flow in the diversification of a highly vagile seabird, the masked booby (Sula dactylatra). Molecular Ecology 14(12): 3877-3887. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2005.02713.x. (Journal Article)
  • Steeves, T.E., Anderson, D.J. and Friesen, V.L. (2005) The Isthmus of Panama: a major physical barrier to gene flow in a highly mobile tropical seabird. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 18(4): 1000-1008. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2005.00906.x. (Journal Article)
  • Steeves, T.E., Anderson, D.J., McNally, H., Kim, M.H. and Friesen, V.L. (2003) Phylogeography of Sula: the role of physical barriers to gene flow in the diversification of tropical seabirds. Journal of Avian Biology 34(2): 217-223. http://dx.doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-048X.2003.03086.x. (Journal Article)
  • Steeves, T.E., Darling, J.D., Rosel, P.E., Schaeff, C.M. and Fleischer, R.C. (2001) Preliminary analysis of mitochondrial DNA variation in a southern feeding group of eastern North Pacific gray whales. Conservation Genetics 2(4): 379-384. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1012590315579. (Journal Article)
  • Darling, J.D., Keogh, K.E. and Steeves, T.E. (1998) Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) habitat utilization and prey species off Vancouver Island, B.C.. Marine Mammal Science 14(4): 692-720. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.1998.tb00757.x. (Journal Article)