ABERDEEN, S.D. – Northern student Summer Carlson presented her research on the parasites of South Dakota birds at the Legislative Poster Session on Feb. 29 in Pierre, S.D.

Carlson, a junior biology and environmental science major who is also pursuing a minor in chemistry, attended the session along with Northern Assistant Professor of Biology Eric Pulis.

“I had a fantastic time traveling to Pierre,” Carlson said. “I have never been, so it was super interesting to see the inside of the Capitol and talk with many of the house and senate representatives. I would love to go back and visit again.”

Her project, “Two digenetic trematodes (Platyhelminthes) from the American Wigeon (Mareca americana) and their phylogenetic affinities” started her freshman year.

“I collected these trematodes from an American Wigeon while looking for invertebrate samples for the class Invertebrate Zoology my freshman year,” Carlson said. “After we found these trematodes within the wigeon and saw that we couldn’t identify them to species by just looking at them, my Dr. Pulis and I thought it would be interesting research them to try and determine their species and how they can expand the ecological context of the American Wigeon.”

Carlson’s research is still ongoing. She still needs to measure the different species of trematode and send the DNA to be sequenced, Carlson said. 

 Summer Carlson, left, presented her research to Al Novstrup, SD State Senator, in Pierre.