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(Please email me to request pdfs)

Current and recent research:

1. Shorebird family Thinocoridae, the seedsnipes, endemic to cold regions in the Andes, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego (link)

Collaborating institutions:
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Canada
- Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales 'Bernadino Rivadavia', Buenos Aires
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Sevilla
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks
- Department of Geology, Queen's University, Canada

• Biogeography and diversification of seedsnipes out of Antarctica and into de Andes Mountains
  
  
• Analyses of morphological gradients, adaptations to cold, and subspecies designations in Thinocoridae based on morphology and genetics
  
  
• Comparison of hemoglobins from lowland versus high altitude seedsnipe populations to investigate adaptations to anoxia
  
  
• Pilot study on the use of stable isotopes, genetics and morphology to distinguish migrant versus resident high altitude populations of seedsnipes; comparison of hemoglobins from these populations

2. Biogeography, endemism and diversification

• Review of the orogenic history of the Andes, the role of new alpine niches and the creation of barriers in promoting speciation; investigation of areas of endemism, and biogeographic evidence complementing geological history of uplift.
  
  
• Review of true Antarctic lineages which survived cooling and Antarctic contributions to the global biota
  
  
• Novel approach to quantify the barrier effect of mountain chains on the diversification of populations (ecological equivalence distance)

3. Philopatry, population genetics and differentiation: Arctic seabirds (link)

Collaborating institutions:
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Canada
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa (Canadian Wildlife Service)

• Studies of family groups and morphological clustering in colonial cliff-nesting arctic seabirds, thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia, Alcidae); within-colony diversification
  
  
• Assessment of social versus genetic family groups in murres; extra-pair paternity; adoption
  
  
• Fostering, parent-chick recognition, and genetic relatedness in murres

4. Heredity, mutations, and methods for distinguishing anomalies in genetic studies

• Investigation of parentage assignment, the male-bias mutation rate and its implications for erroneously excluding true fathers in parentage studies; statistical methods for circumventing this problem
  
  
• Methodology for use in studies where ambiguous results may be due to hybridization between lineages, mitochondrial DNA recombination, heteroplasmy or multiple copies of genes, or nuclear homologs.

5. Ecology and Behaviour

• Investigation of unusual mating systems in seedsnipes (Thinocoridae)

6. Methodology for ecological and genetic studies

• Development of ancient DNA methods for studies of phylogeography, population genetics and diversification of lineages where degraded tissues or museum specimens are utilised
  
  
• Protocol development for pilot studies of species where current methods cannot be adapted or are not available (for example, the use of RAMPS 'fingerprinting' for taxonomic groups where microsatellites have not been developed)
  
  
• Protocol development and optimisation for less or non-destructive field sampling for DNA studies (for example, using unconventional DNA sources such as bird fecal samples, eggs, or material from old nests, predator dens, or kill sites)

New and future research:

1. Refuges past and present

• To investigate the role of refuges in facilitating the conservation of lineages through time, genetic diversity and serving both as spatial and temporal bridges; to explore their role in the diversification of lineages

2. Antarctic and Arctic lineages

• Evidence exists that some biodiversity may be capable of surviving severe environmental changes if ideal conditions remain at the microhabitat scale; knowledge about these conditions may have implications for current conservation strategies and reserve design.
  
  
• Puzzling biogeographic disjunctions among closely-related lineages can be studied within the context of their origin and that of their ancestors, which may remain largely unexplored for many taxa

3. Biodiversity in harsh environments (link)

• Despite the considerable differences among inhospitable environments on Earth such as polar lakes under the ice versus hot volcanic vents in the deep sea, the challenges faced by species adapted to these habitats may be more similar than previously thought; coping with extended darkness and pressure or using other means for primary production not dependent on light (photosynthesis) may produce convergent but independent responses to these similar challenges.
  
  
• Remarkable genetic relationships are being uncovered among lineages occupying similar environmental conditions but separated by thousands of kilometers; dispersal or recent common ancestry and vicariance?
  
  
• Adaptations to harsh environments are often not considered in current studies, but may have important implications on the interpretation of data (for example, the use of selectively 'neutral' loci in studies of population genetics, phylogeography and the evolution of taxa)

Pilot projects:

1. Pollutants in cold regions

• The presence of toxins and pollutants in remote cold environments has been linked to sources in warmer regions of the world. DDT has been banned in many countries, but continues to be used despite efforts to control its use; like other compounds, evaporation from sources in warm regions can facilitate their transportation and condensation into cold areas (including high latitudes and altitudes). Anecdotal information from park rangers in remote cold regions in Southern South America and unpublished reports suggest that some larger birds may be declining; personal field observations in the Southern Andes revealed at least one case of unusual egg breakage. A pilot study did not reveal evidence of DDT or its metabolites from this unusual egg; however, further sampling from a wider range of species (including domestic birds) is expected to provide measures for comparison at varying latitudes and altitudes in cold regions.

Past research:

1. Systematics of basal Neotropical Birds: Cracidae

• The family Cracidae (cracids, guans, chachalacas) is among the oldest lineages of modern birds, along with waterfowl and galliform relatives. This pilot study provided some of the earliest genetic data to resolve the relationships among representatives of cracid lineages. Report available here and at the Canadian Museum of Nature.

2. The evolution of sociality and kin selection

• In the lace bug, Gargaphia tiliae, females guard and defend their eggs from predators and conspecifics, and some may lay eggs in other female's nest. Kinship (genetic relatedness) and the degree of population structuring was investigated to gain insight into the evolution of helping behaviour in this species.

Collaboration and research contributions in previous projects:

1. Conservation and population genetics

• Collaborator: Genetic study of guillemot populations (Cephus, Alcidae) affected by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
  
  
• Population genetic studies for the conservation of marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus)
  
  
• Protocol optimisation and preliminary screening of samples for phylogeography and population genetic studies of band-rumped petrel (Oceanodroma castro)
  
  
• Protocol optimisation for population genetic and parentage studies of loggerhead shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus)
  
  
• Genetic sexing of black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) for ecological and population genetic studies

2. Natural History, Molecular Ecology and Field Studies

• Collaborator: Genetic and behavioural studies of the mating system of the elegant-crested tinamou (Eudromia elegans)

• Field assistant in the 4th international shorebird banding campaign with focus on Red Knot populations (Calidris canutus) in the wintering grounds (Tierra del Fuego)
  
  
• Field and research assistant in studies of the Andean treefrog Hypsiboas andinus

Looking for a particular report, manuscript or conference presentation?

Some additional manuscripts are at various stages of review (submitted for publication) and others are at the final stages of completion. Other reports are available upon request. Please email me if you would like pdfs of these or other articles, or materials from presentations. Updates are on-going. Thank you for your interest!

• 2010: Ibarguchi G., Convey P., Friesen V. L. Hardy Antarctic lineages in cold regions of the world: the Andean seedsnipes (Thinocoridae) as a test case. National Wildlife Research Centre (CWS), Ottawa, Canada
  
  
• 2009: Ibarguchi G., Lougheed S. C., Tubaro P. L., Cabot-Nieves J., McCracken K. G., and Friesen V. L. Antarctic lineages and brave new worlds: A test case using seedsnipes (Thinocoridae). 10th International Biology Symposium, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Hokkaido University, Japan
  
  
• 2007: Ibarguchi G., Gaston A. J., and Friesen V. L. Family, fatherly and feathery secrets revealed: lessons from an Arctic seabird. Invited Seminar and Fundraiser for SalvAide Program (fosters development in El Salvador) at Algonquin College, Perth, Ontario.
  
  
• 2007: Ibarguchi G., Lougheed S. C., Tubaro P. L., and Friesen V. L. Into the Andes: the search for high-altitude seedsnipes and their Antarctic ancestors. Invited Seminar for Ban Righ Centre, Queen’s University, Ontario.
  
  
• 2005: Ibarguchi G., Lougheed S. C., Tubaro P. L., and Friesen V. L. Out of Antarctica and into the Andes: Antarctic origins of biodiversity and the diversification of the Andean seedsnipes. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA. (Seminar)
  
  
• 2005: Ibarguchi G. and Gissing G. ‘Ecological Equivalence’ Distance: Quantifying the ‘barrier’ effect of mountains. Evolution (Joint meeting of the Society for the Study of Evolution, the Society of Systematic Biologists, and the American Society of Naturalists). Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. (Poster presentation)
  
  
• 2005: Ibarguchi G., Gaston A. J., Boag P. T., and Friesen V. L. Murres of a feather nest together: morphological and kin clusters in an arctic seabird. Evolution (Joint meeting of the Society for the Study of Evolution, the Society of Systematic Biologists, and the American Society of Naturalists). Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. (Oral presentation)
  
  
• 2005: Ibarguchi G. and Friesen V. L. RAMPs as alternatives to microsatellites in studies of parentage and relatedness. Canadian Society of Zoologists, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. (Poster)
  
  
• 2005: Ibarguchi G. 'Ecological Equivalence' Distance: Quantifying the 'barrier' effect of mountains (a pilot project). Behaviour, Ecology, and Evolution Research Seminar Series, Queen's University, Ontario. (Seminar)
  
  
• 2004: Ibarguchi G., Tubaro P. L., and Lougheed S. C. Preliminary notes on the nesting behaviour of the Least Seedsnipe (Thinocorus rumicivorus). American Ornithologists' Union 122nd Meeting, Université Laval, Québec, QC. (Poster)
  
  
• 2004: Ibarguchi G., Lougheed S. C., and Friesen V. L. Defeating numts: the avian egg as an 'almost pure' source of DNA for obtaining reference sequences. American Ornithologists' Union 122nd Meeting, Université Laval, Québec, QC. (Poster)
  
  
• 2004: Friesen V. L., Poland V., Ibarguchi G., Piatt J., and Hovey A. Molecular evidence for recent, in situ differentiation in Pigeon Guillemots. American Ornithologists' Union 122nd Meeting, Université Laval, Québec, QC. (Oral presentation by V. L. Friesen)
  
  
• 2003: Ibarguchi G., Tubaro P. L., and Lougheed S. C. Out of Antarctica, into the Andes: Diversification of the Seedsnipes (Thinocoridae). VII Neotropical Congress/ VII Congreso Chileno de Ornitología, Puyehue, Chile. (Oral presentation)
  
  
• 2002: Ibarguchi G., Tubaro P. L., and Lougheed S. C. Cenozoic biogeography and early diversification of Andean Birds: the seedsnipes (Aves: Thinocoridae). Ontario Ecology and Ethology Colloquium, Queen's University, Ontario. (Poster)
  
  
• 2001: Ibarguchi G., Gaston A. J., Gissing G. J., Boag P. T., and Friesen V. L. Overestimating extra-pair paternity and underestimating mutation: Lessons from Thick-billed murres. American Ornithologists' Union 119th Meeting, University of Washington, Seattle, and EEB Seminar Series, Department of Biology, Queen's University, Ontario. (Oral presentation)
  
  
• 2000: Ibarguchi G., Gaston A. J., Boag P. T., and Friesen V. L. Family affairs of our Arctic neighbours: kinship in the Thick-billed Murre. Kingston Field Naturalists Seminar Series, Kingston, Ontario. (Seminar)
  
  
• 1999: Ibarguchi G., Gaston A. J., Boag P. T., and Friesen V. L. Kin clusters in a philopatric seabird: A tale of two genomes. National Wildlife Research Centre (CWS), Hull, QC. (Seminar)
  
  
• 1999: Ibarguchi G., Gaston A. J., Boag P. T., and Friesen V. L. Kinship and genetic structure in the philopatric Thick-billed Murre. American Ornithologists' Union 117th Meeting, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. (Poster)
  
  
• 1999: Gissing G. J. and Ibarguchi, G. Conservation and Avian Mating Systems: A Case Study in South American Tinamous. National Wildlife Research Centre, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa, Ontario.
  
  
• 1999: Ibarguchi G., Lougheed S. C., and Friesen V. L. Speciation and evolutionary divergence within Cracidae and among other [basal] birds. American Ornithologists' Union 117th Meeting, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. (Poster)
  
  
• 1999: Gissing G. J., Eadie J. A., and Ibarguchi G. Complete Role Reversal, polygynandry, and communal breeding in a South American tinamou, Eudromia elegans. American Ornithologists' Union 117th Meeting, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. (Oral presentation by G. J. Gissing)
  
  
• 1999: Ibarguchi G., Gaston A. J., Boag P. T., and Friesen V. L. Kinship and genetic structure in the philopatric Thick-billed murre. Evolution, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA. (Poster)
  
  
• 1998: Ibarguchi G., Gaston A. J., Boag P. T., and Friesen V. L. Kin clusters in a philopatric seabird: A tale of two genomes. Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. (Seminar)
  
  
• 1998: Ibarguchi G. and Gissing G. J. From North to South. G. L. Roberts High School, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. (Seminar for students to learn about career possibilities in Biology)
  
  
• 1998: Ibarguchi G., Gaston A. J., Boag P. T., and Friesen V. L. A study of genetic structure and kin groups in Thick-Billed Murres. Pacific Seabird Group 25th Meeting, Monterey, CA, USA. (Poster)
  
  
• 1997: Gissing G. J. and Ibarguchi, G. Cooperation and Conflict in a Communal Breeding System: Reproductive Skew in a Polygynandrous Tinamou. Behavioral and Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, University of California, Davis.
  
  
• 1994: Ibarguchi, G. and Eadie, J. Kin selection and the evolution of sociality in the lace bug Gargaphia tiliae. Life Sciences Seminars, University of Toronto, Scarborough.