Project ADMAC: Ant diversity of the Mesoamerican corridor

This project has three main goals: (1) to build a detailed biodiversity map for an ecologically dominant group of insects (ants) in a biogeographically important region of the world (the MesoAmerican corridor); (2) to develop and apply the latest techniques in genomics and next-generation DNA sequencing to biodiversity science; and (3) to use the results to understand how both geological history and contemporary ecological factors influence the distribution of species on tropical mountains. The project builds on a previous study that sampled insects from southern Mexico to Nicaragua. New field work will cover under-sampled regions in Mexico and Costa Rica, and there will be large-scale lab activity involving DNA extraction, genome-scale sequencing, and advanced computing. The project will have a strong component of international collaboration among scientists and students from the United States, Mexico, and Costa Rica.