Population genetic isolation and limited connectivity in the purple finch ().

Using a combination of mitochondrial and z-linked sequences, microsatellite data, and spatio-geographic modeling, we examined historical and contemporary factors influencing the population genetic structure of the purple finch (). Mitochondrial DNA data show the presence of two distinct groups corresponding to the two subspecies, and . The two subspecies likely survived in separate refugia during the last glacial maximum, one on the Pacific Coast and one east of the Rocky Mountains, and now remain distinct lineages with little evidence of gene flow between them.

Dispersal of marine benthic invertebrates through ice rafting.

Knowledge of dispersal vectors used by organisms is essential to the understanding of population and community dynamics. We report on ice rafting, a vector by which intertidal benthic invertebrates can be transported well outside their normal dispersal range during winter in temperate climates. We found multiple invertebrate taxa in sediment-laden ice blocks sampled in the intertidal zone.