Daniel E Chavez @dechavezv.bsky.social · 19/09/2026We found long regions with virtually no variation, nearly chromosome-sized. These regions can expose harmful variants. Despite being Least Concern by the IUCN, our results show that habitat fragmentation is already leaving a genomic footprint in SA pumas. More in our paper lnkd.in/ej8MAT7c 000
Daniel E Chavez @dechavezv.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Our genomes revealed something unexpected: ~400 years ago, South American puma populations began to increase. European colonization caused major indigenous population declines and agricultural abandonment. Forest recovery may have reconnected habitats, helping pumas rdcu.be/qarFziyohtaa 000
Daniel E Chavez @dechavezv.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Excited to share our latest paper! Using whole genomes, we show: (1) the first evidence of inbreeding in South American pumas (2) An unexpected demographic impact of Spanish colonization. (3) Pleistocene connectivity and dispersal barriers across the Andes rdcu.be/qarFziyohtaa 012
Daniel E Chavez @dechavezv.bsky.social · 19/06/2026Winning the Pearson Award was a turning point in my career. It helped establish one of Ecuador’s first genomics labs. Last week, I shared our latest research of the Latin American Genomics Network at the #ASM2026 meeting in Norfolk, VA. @mammalogists.bsky.social 000
Daniel E Chavez @dechavezv.bsky.social · 23/03/2026📷 It was a pleasure to design and teach this environmental DNA course, working with everything from microorganisms to vertebrates, fungi, and plants from soil samples. A rewarding experience teaching researchers from USFQ and UTPL, Ecuador using @nanoporetech.com 121
Daniel E Chavez @dechavezv.bsky.social · 20/02/2026New preprint exploring whole-genome variation in South American pumas 🐆 and how historic climate swings shaped their genetic diversity, with implications for conservation. 🌎🧬 🔗 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... 000
Daniel E Chavez @dechavezv.bsky.social · 13/02/2026With @oxfordnanopore.bsky.social, during library preparation, I want to add multiple amplicons (e.g COI, ITS, 16S) from the same SOIL sample into a single barcode. Is it possible to separate them later after basecalling? Maybe soemthing like Bin by primer sequences using cutadapt (or similar) ??? 000
Reposted by Daniel E ChavezZachary Compton @zacharytcompton.bsky.social · 06/05/2025Our reply to Butler et al's recent @pnas.org paper on Peto's Paradox. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...pnas.orgParadoxical indeed | PNASParadoxical indeed 242
Daniel E Chavez @dechavezv.bsky.social · 02/02/2026Our letter on @pnas.org. We reanalyzed prior comparative oncology data and found no evidence that species diversification predicts cancer prevalence once appropriate models are used. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2532925123 000
Daniel E Chavez @dechavezv.bsky.social · 22/01/2026🧬 Museums + zoos = a rapid ID pipeline. Using a local network in Ecuador, we genetically identified trafficked olingos (Bassaricyon), revealed a likely new country record, and shared a recipe for accessing high-quality samples from the wild. url: academic.oup.com/biolinnean/a... 054