Actual occupation: Postdoctoral researcher
Institution: Universidad del Bío-Bío
Research on: Evolutionary patterns and historical biogeography in endemic flora and fauna from South America.
Educational Background:
2019 – PhD. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Universidad de Chile. Dissertation title: “Phylogenetic relationships and historical biogeography in freshwater snails of the genus Heleobia Stimpson, 1865 (Caenogastropoda: Cochliopidae) from the Andean Altiplano”. Advisors: Marco Méndez and Gonzalo Collado.
2014 – MSc, Universidad de Chile. Dissertation title: “Genetic and morphological differentiation in Heleobia ascotanensis (Courty, 1907) (Caenogastropoda: Cochliopidae) from Ascotán salt pan, Chilean Altiplano”. Advisors: Marco Méndez and Gonzalo Collado.
2011 – BSc, Universidad de Chile.
Research Interest: My research interest focuses on phylogenetics, systematics, phylogeography and species delimitation of freshwater gastropods. I study what factors promote and constrain macroevolutionary and microevolutionary processes that govern the species diversification in freshwater organisms. I have also studied the impact of glacial periods on population structure of snails in fragmented habitats. Most of my research relies on combining genetic data with other phenotypic and biogeographic information to make inferences about evolutionary processes. Currently, my main focus is on evolutionary processes in the genus Heleobia, but I have been working on comparative phylogeography using amphibians, fishes, plants and other snails from different biomes in South America.
Publications:
Fabres AA, Valladares MA, Sáez PA, Collado GA, Pastenes LE & Méndez MA. 2020. Novel microsatellite markers for an endangered freshwater snail, Heleobia atacamensis (Caenogastropoda: Cochliopidae), from the Atacama Saltpan. Molluscan Research. DOI: 10.1080/13235818.2020.1775367
Collado GA, Fuentealba CG, Cazzaniga NJ & Valladares MA. 2020. Assessing biodiversity within the range of Heleobia chimbaensis (Caenogastropoda: Cochliopidae) on the Atacama Desert coast. Systematics and Biodiversity (Accepted).
Biersma EM, Torres-Díaz C, Molina-Montenegro MA, Newsham KK, Vidal MA, Collado GA, Acuña-Rodríguez IS, Ballesteros G, Figueroa CC, Goodall-Copestake WP, Leppe MA, Cuba M, Valladares MA, Pertierra LR & Convey P. 2020. Multiple late-Pleistocene colonisation events of the Antarctic pearlwort Colobanthus quitensis (Caryophyllaceae) reveal the recent arrival of native Antarctic vascular flora. Journal of Biogeography 1-11.
Collado GA, Vidal MA, Aguayo K, Méndez MA, Valladares MA, Cabrera F, Pastenes L, Gutiérrez-Gregoric DE & Puillandre N. 2019. Morphological and molecular analysis of cryptic native and invasive freshwater snails in Chile. Scientific Reports 9(1): 7846.
Ibáñez CM, Eernisse DJ, Méndez MA, Valladares MA, Sellanes J, Sirenko BI & Pardo-Gandarillas MC. 2019. Phylogeny, divergence times, and species delimitation of Tonicia (Polyplacophora: Chitonidae) from the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 186(4): 915-933.
Valladares MA, Méndez MA & Collado GA. 2018. Influenced but not determined by historical events: genetic, demographic and morphological differentiation in Heleobia ascotanensis from the Chilean Altiplano. PeerJ 6:e5802.
Collado GA, Valladares MA & Méndez MA. 2016. A new species of Heleobia (Caenogastropoda: Cochliopidae) from the Chilean Altiplano. Zootaxa 4137(2): 277.
Collado G., Valladares M. & M. Méndez. 2016. “Unravelling cryptic species of freshwater snails (Caenogastropoda, Truncatelloidea) in the Loa River basin, Atacama Desert”. Systematics and Biodiversity 1-13.
Cruz-Jofré F., Valladares M., Vila I. & M. Méndez. 2013. “The genus Orestias (Teleostei: Cyprinodontidae): nomenclatural errors in the assignation of species names”. Zootaxa 3746 (4): 597-599.
Collado G., Valladares M. & M. Méndez. 2013. “Hidden diversity in spring snails from the Andean Altiplano, the second highest plateau on Earth, and the Atacama Desert, the driest place in the world”. Zoological Studies 52:50.
Institutional e-mail: moises.valladares@ug.uchile.cl
Personal e-mail: valladares.moises@gmail.com
Awards and Associations: PhD Scholarship:CONICYT-PCHA Doctorado Nacional 2014-21140226 (2014 – 2018).
MSc Scholarship: Beca de Magíster UChile (2012 – 2015).
BSc Scholarship: Beca Bicentenario MINEDUC and Beca Presidente de la República (2007 – 2011).
Memberships: Sociedad Chilena de Evolución (SOCEVOL). European Society for Evolutionary Biology (ESEB).
Further information:
Languages: Spanish: Maternal language; English: Fluent.
Hobby and interest: basketball, movies, music, bicycle.