Johanna Beam
Undergraduate Student
Johanna.Beam[at]colorado.edu
I am broadly interested in the processes of speciation and how geographic isolation and secondary contact can shape these processes. I study evolutionary genetics and speciation in the meadowlark complex (Sturnella spp.), including Eastern, Western, and Lilian’s Meadowlark. I am currently studying the relationships between these taxa by using both whole genome and song analysis. I am also fascinated by population fragmentation and structure in American Dippers (Cinclus mexicanus) and speciation and hybridization in Western Yellow Wagtails (Motacilla flava). In addition to research, I am a scientific illustrator, focusing on birds (including the species complexes listed above) and scientific communication.Â
Johanna is now a PhD Student with Dr. David Toews at Pennsylvania State University.