Valentina Gómez-Bahamón

I study how switching migratory strategies in birds can promote a cascade of processes that lead to reproductive isolation. Switching migratory strategy appears to be a powerful and under-appreciated mechanism that has contributed to the diversity of species on earth.  By combining information about how environmental triggers, genetic composition and how certain traits interact, the overarching goal of my research is to generate information to determine the predisposition of a species to switch migration under current and future environmental conditions. This information will allow us to predict which species are under greater risks of extinction because they are less likely to change behavior with global warming, and conversely, which species may be prone to generate new species in the future.