With support from the Judith A. Presch Desert Research Scholarship, Albert Dang and his master’s thesis adviser—Dr. Jeremy Yoder, assistant professor of biology at California State University, Northridge—have used the Desert Studies Center as a base to study one of the most iconic Mojave Desert plant species, the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) and its pollinators. Yucca moths deliver pollen to fertilize yucca flowers after laying eggs in them so that their larvae can feed on developing yucca seeds. This creates an evolutionary conflict because selection should favor moths that lay as many eggs as possible in a single flower and put as little effort as possible into collecting and delivering pollen—while selection in the host plant should minimize the number of seeds lost to moth larvae. Dang and Dr. Yoder’s research will lead to a better understanding of how this conflict is resolved so that the yucca moths’ interests (the laying of many eggs) best align with their hosts plants’ interests (the receiving of lots of high-quality, diverse pollen). They will use genetic analysis of the Joshua tree seeds from throughout the range of the species to see whether fruits that received more diverse pollen contain more seeds and also support more moth larvae. In other words, to find out whether moths that provide better pollination service might be rewarded with higher seed availability for their offspring.
Dang exemplifies the value of programs like Desert Studies and places like the Desert Studies Center — where unique experiences may lead to an otherwise unrecognized career path. Dang grew up in the Bay Area, the son of immigrants. He is among the first generation of his family to attend college. At San Francisco State, he discovered a fascination with insect diversity, which he pursued in a summer field course in Ecuador and volunteer work at the Essig Museum of Entomology at University of California, Berkeley. He came to CSUN to pursue research on the yucca-yucca moth mutualism with Yoder.