Revision
Potential Hybridization Among Three Colorado Cottontail Rabbit Species
The original piece presented here is a culmination of several years of work in the Larson Lab at the University of Denver. My research was conducted on three Colorado cottontail rabbit species, determining if they were mating with one another or not. Finishing this piece was a great source of pride for me, as many years of hard work and many hours of writing went into its completion. Having the opportunity to share this work was important for me, so I chose to revise the piece into an informal newspaper article, which would make the work more accessible to others. Through this revision, I learned how to choose the most relevant information that would interest my audience, as well as how to incorporate background information that would attract and maintain the attention of a reader. Below, you can read the abstract of my original piece, or click the link to view a PDF of the complete work. Further down is the introduction to the newspaper article or you can click the link to read the full piece.
Original Piece
Abstract
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Humans are modifying the environment and altering the habitable ranges of species, bringing together species that were previously geographically separated and providing new opportunities for hybridization. Determining how range expansion and urbanization have impacted species interactions will allow us to better understand the influence humans are having on speciation and hybridization. I focused on three cottontail rabbit species (eastern, desert, and mountain; genus Sylvilagus) with human-disrupted ranges that currently converge along the Front Range Urban Corridor. It is unknown what impact human disturbance has had on these species and whether it has led to possible hybridization. Using museum specimens, I developed a method to genetically identify the species of each cottontail rabbit by sequencing the cytb mitochondrial gene. To assess if the three species are hybridizing, I then compared the species identity determined by mitochondrial genetics to the species identity indicated by morphology, with disagreement between the two indicating possible hybridization. I found three individuals that show signatures consistent with hybridization, but additional sequencing is needed for confirmation. Hybridization could lead to a breakdown in mating barriers and may redefine our definitions of these three cottontail species. If the species aren’t hybridizing, further research should be done to understand how mating barriers are being maintained.
Revised Piece
Colorado Cottontails May Hybridize in Response to Changing Habitats
Take a stroll through the suburbs of Denver, and you’ll more than likely run into a rabbit hanging out in someone’s backyard or hopping through the manicured shrubs of a neighborhood. The abundant rabbits you see are known as cottontails, recognizable by their signature white puffy tail and upright ears. What you probably haven’t noticed, however, is that there are actually three different species of cottontail, all living together in the capital of Colorado, and they might be mating, even though they shouldn’t.
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New research from the University of Denver suggests that a process called hybridization is occurring among Colorado cottontails, and it may be the fault of humans. Hybridization is the concept of interspecies mating, where two individuals who normally wouldn’t, or shouldn’t, mate, reproduce and have offspring that grow into viable adults. Hybridization is more common than expected, and happens between many other mammals, like chipmunks, mice, and even humans. Our early ancestors most famously hybridized with Neanderthals, a hominid species that went extinct around 40,000 years ago. But evidence of hybridization among Colorado cottontails would be a novel discovery within the Sylvilagus genus.