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Liliana Cortés Ortiz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology and the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on understanding the processes and mechanisms involved in the origin and maintenance of primate diversity. Key questions she explores include the divergence of populations and evolution of present-day primate species, the factors affecting the distribution of genetic variation, and how species maintain their identity in the face of gene flow. Her lab investigates the diversity of primates in the Americas, particularly platyrrhines, and employs phylogenetic, biogeographic, and population genetic analyses. Cortés Ortiz examines genomic admixture in natural hybrid zones, specifically in howler monkeys in Mexico, studying how genetic admixture impacts the phenotypes of hybrid individuals and the dynamics of hybrid zones. Her interdisciplinary research integrates genetics, social behavior, ecology, and morphology, and she is dedicated to primate conservation, utilizing genetic data to inform conservation assessments of primate populations.
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science