Julio Cesar Dominguez Villasenor

Research

I am PhD student from Ciudad Real (Spain) where most of my work take place at IREC Institute for Game and Wildlife Research, a mixed Institute with ownership shared between the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), University of Castilla La Mancha (UCLM) and Castilla La Mancha regional government (JCCM). Currently, I have an position as a University Associate in Tasmania within the School of Natural Sciences under the supervision of Dr. Christopher Burridge (UTAS).

I generate genetic data (microsatellite sequences, STRs) to be used under different analytical frameworks; from phylogeography to landscape genetic. The current goal of my research is to improve our understanding about how organisms disperse and the consequences for genes, individuals, populations and species dynamics.

During my PhD I try to elucidate which are the main factors governing gene flow in a small rodent, the common vole (Microtus arvalis), as well as its demographic and evolutionary consequences for the species in fragmented (highly variable in space and time) landscapes, such agrarian areas of Duero valley in NW Spain. I aim to study the genetic features of the common vole at different spatial scales (from individual, to local, regional and continental), and clarify the relative importance of the landscape and dispersal processes in shaping the current distribution and evolutionary history of the species. Thus, my PhD mainly focuses on next objectives: (1) determine the level of genetic structure of the common vole in the northern plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as across the Eurasian range of the species; (2) clarify the role that linear elements of the landscape (rivers, roads, paths and field margins) can play in vole dispersal. (3) improve our knowledge about the intraspecific relationships among breeding individuals and its progeny in our study area at local scale. These results concerning individual reproduction and movement across the space will be of great importance to understand the population dynamics of the species, filling a knowledge gap from individual to species level in the common vole.

My previous research experience varies from topics and study models within the field of Ecology, from translocation of Water voles (Arvicola amphibious) in North-East of Scotland to the genetic characterization and affinity of Italian and other European populations of The little bustard (Tetrax Tetrax).

Education

• PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (2017- Present)
• Master’s degree in basic and applied research in game and wildlife (2014)
• Long cycle degree in Environmental Sciences (2012)

Publications

• García, J, Domínguez-Villaseñor, J, Alda F, Calero-Riestra M, Olea P, Fargallo J, Martínez-Padilla J, Herranz J, Oñate J, Santamaría A, Motro Y, Attie C, Bretagnolle V, Delibes J, Viñuela J (in press. ) A complex scenario of glacial survival in Mediterranean and continental refugia of a temperate continental vole species (Microtus arvalis) in Europe.
• Domínguez JC, Díaz-Ruiz F, Viñuela J, de Diego N, Illanas S, P. Olea, P, E Santamaría A, Oñate J, Herranz J, Acebes P, Ferreras P, Malo J, Piñeiro X, Paz A, Cuéllar C, Mateo-Tomás P, Barja I, Jareño D, Piñeiro A, & García J (2018) New distribution data of the least weasel Mustela nivalis in Castilla y León, Spain. Galemys, 30.
• Díaz-Ruiz F, de Diego N, Santamaría A, Domínguez JC, Galgo A, García J, P Olea P and Viñuela J (2017) Direct evidences of scavenging behaviour in the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus). Mammalia 0(0) DOI10.1515/mammalia-2017-0087.

Grants

• PhD research internship at UTAS funded by University of Castilla La Mancha and European Union (2019)
• Predoctoral Scholarship funded by Castilla La Mancha Regional Government and European Union (2017-2021)

Conferences

• Julio C. Dominguez. Exploring the movement dispersal of common vole (Microtus arvalis) in fragmented landscapes. (Oral communication at Institute for Game and Hunting Resources, OJEO 2018).
• Julio C. Domínguez, Juan E. Malo, Sonia Illanas, Francisco Díaz-Ruiz, Daniel Jareño, Noelia de Diego, Pablo Ferreras, Patricia Mateo-Tomás, Isabel Barja, Ana Piñeiro, Pedro P. Olea, Javier Viñuela, Juan J. Oñate, Jesús Herranz, Pablo Acebes, Ana E. Santamaría, Jesús T. García. New data on the distribution range of Mustela nivalis in the north of Castilla y León (The Spanish Society of Mammalogist , SECEM 2017).
• Francisco Díaz-Ruiz, Daniel Jareño, Noelia de Diego, Pablo Ferreras, Jesús T. García, Pedro P. Olea, Javier Viñuela, Juan J. Oñate, Jesús Herranz, Pablo Acebes, Ana E. Santamaría, Julio C. Domínguez.  A comparison of methods for estimating Least weasel populations in agrarian environments. (The Spanish Society of Mammalogist , SECEM 2017).
• William Morgan, Julio C. Domínguez, Xavier Lambin. Translocation as a tool for learning about species range expansion. (British Ecological Society, 2015.