Graduate Student
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Contact information:
Email:
Lab
Phone: (520) 626-0404
Fax: (520) 626-8050
Mailing Address:
Biological Sciences West,
1041 East Lowell Street,
University of Arizona,
Tucson, AZ 85721,
USA
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Research Interests
Apportionment of Human Genetic Variation
based on Data from the mtDNA, NRY and X Chromosome
The structure of the earliest anatomically modern human (AMH) population is a topic that rarely has been
addressed. However, a clear picture of ancient population structure is
fundamental to our ability to test current models of modern human origins (e.g.
the Recent African Origin model versus Multiregional Evolution model). For
example, if AMH evolved in a single, isolated population in Africa, a complete
replacement of archaic populations in Africa would lead to low subsequent
population structure. However, if the transition to AMH occurred in a
population system with low levels of gene flow, population structure would be
preserved (i.e., at those loci that were not associated with selectively
advantageous anatomically modern human traits).
The debate over modern human origins emphasizes four unresolved questions that I wish to
address with my research:
- What are the patterns of nucleotide variability in modern African populations?
- How much population
subdivision exists in modern African populations?
- If there is subdivision in Africans, how old are population specific mutations?
- What are the effective population sizes and coalescent time estimates
for modern Africans based on multiple, independent loci? A systematic analysis
of genetic diversity and estimates of population subdivision in modern African
populations can serve as a window into the past to help address these
questions.
To achieve these goals, I am conducting a systematic survey of DNA sequence data from the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), the
non-recombining portion of the Y chromosome (NRY), and two genes on the X
chromosome in five diverse African populations. The overall goals are to assess
the relative influences of population history and population structure on
patterns of human genetic variation, to estimate the effective population sizes
and the geographic locations of ancestral populations, and to infer the degree
of subdivision in the earliest AMH population(s).
Publications and Presentations
Wilder, JA, Kingan, SB, Mobasher, Z, Metni Pilkington, M, Hammer, MF (2004). Global Patterns of Human mtDNA
and Y Chromosome Structure are not Influenced by Higher Rates of Female
Migration. Nature Genetics 36(10):
1122-5.
Pilkington, MM, Bigham, AW, Kingan, SB, Mobasher, Z, Wilder, JA, Wood, ET, Hammer, MF (2004). Patterns of human
variation as reflected by multi-locus genetic comparisons. The American
Association of Physical Anthropology meeting in Tampa, Florida (Podium
presentation).
Pilkington, MM, Hammer, MF. (2003).
The Roles of Selection and Demography in Shaping Patterns of Variation in
Vitamin D-Binding Protein (DBP). The American Society of Human Genetics
meeting, Los Angeles, California, as well as the IGERT sponsored Evolutionary
Genomics meeting in Tucson, Arizona (Poster
presentation).
Pilkington MM, Wilder JA, Mobasher Z, Strassman B, Friedlaender J, Hammer MF (2003) Sampling Bias and the
Cytochrome Oxidase III Locus of Mitochondrial DNA. The American Association
of Physical Anthropology meeting in Tempe, Arizona (Podium
presentation).
Metni MC (1999). A re-examination of a proposed Neandertal maxilla from Ksar 'Akil Rock Shelter, Antelias,
Lebanon. The American Association of Physical Anthropology meeting in
Columbus, Ohio (Poster presentation).
Metni MC (1998).
A Human Maxilla from Level XXV of Ksar 'Akil Rock Shelter, Antelias,
Lebanon. The Proceedings of the Dual Congress, Sun City, South Africa
(Poster presentation).
Honors and Awards
Michael A. Cusanovich Dissertation Writing
Fellowship, 2006-2007.
Willam and Nancy Sullivan Fellowship, Department of
Anthropology, 2006
Dissertation Improvement Grant, National Science Foundation, 2004
Women in Science and Engineering Travel Stipend, 2004
IGERT Fellowship in Genomics, National Science Foundation, 2004
IGERT Fellowship in Genomics, National Science Foundation, 2003
Social and Behavioral Sciences Grant, SBSRI, 2003
Riecker Grant, Department of Anthropology, 2003
Mary Alice Sherry Helm Scholarship, Department of Anthropology, 2002
Riecker Grant, Department of Anthropology, 2001
Emil W. Haury Grant, Department of Anthropology, 2001
Graduate Fellowship, Department of Anthropology, Kent State University, 1998-2000
Teaching Experience
Summer Instructor (Primary): Anthropology 364: Our Closest Living Relatives, The University of Arizona. June-July 2003.
Teaching Assistant: Human Variation in the Modern World. Professor W. Stini, The University of Arizona. Fall 2001.
Teaching Assistant: The Human Species: Heredity, Environment, and Behavior. Dr. R. Gillett-Netting, The University of Arizona. Spring 2001.
Teaching Assistant: Introduction to Biological Anthropology, Dr. M. Hamrick, Kent State University. Fall 1999.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology, Minor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Arizona. 2000-present.
Master of Arts in Anthropology, Kent State University, Advisor: Dr. Mark Hamrick, 1998-2000.
Bachelor of Arts in French and Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, 1992-1996.
Study Abroad, Universite Paul Valery, Montpellier, France,1995.
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