Specifically, we are interested in how ecological and evolutionary processes lead to (i) genetic and phenotypic variation within and among populations, (ii) adaptation to complex selective environments, and (iii) reproductive isolation and the formation of new species.
Current research projects:
- Adaptation to extreme environments and hydrogen sulfide biology
- Ecological speciation in extreme environments
- Evolutionary and physiological ecology of Poeciliidae
- Evolutionary ecology of the cave molly
- Mechanistic links in ecological and evolutionary analysis: extremophile fish and elemental biology
Past research projects:
- Ecology, evolution, and conservation of Oklahoma stream fishes
- Ecology and evolution of North American crayfish
- Hybridization and phenotypic diversification in Cuatro Ciénegas pupfish
- The evolutionary potential of asexual organisms and the stability of gynogenetic complexes
- Phenotypic differentiation and local adaptation along river gradients
Our work is primarily focused on the evolutionary ecology of cancer. We study natural populations of animals to understand how internal (genetic disposition) and external factors (environmental stress) contribute to the emergence of cancers. Specifically, we study fish species that are exposed to high levels of hydrogen sulfide, a toxicant that interferes with mitochondrial function and generates reactive oxygen species within animal cells.
Areas of Specialization:
- Adaptation and Speciation; fish biology; Extreme environments
Most of our current work focuses on fishes of the family Poeciliidae as a study system. Various lineages of poeciliids that have colonized toxic, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) rich springs, and they provide a unique model to address a wide variety of questions in physiology, ecology, and evolution.
Subject area:
- Evolutionary and Ecological Genomics
Subject areas:
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Keywords: Biology – Studies how environmental stress and mitochondrial dysfunction impact the development of skin cancers in natural populations
