Mercedes Burns
Tenure-Track
Department of Biological Sciences
College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences
She/Her/Hers/Herself
About
B.A. Biology, Macalester College (St. Paul); Ph.D. in Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, & Systematics from University of Maryland, College Park
Research interests
Evolutionary ecology of reproductive traits and behaviors, sexual conflict, reproductive polymorphism, arthropod biology
Education
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Ph D, Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, Systematics
— University of Maryland, College Park (2014) Phylogenetic exploration of mating system evolution in the eastern North American leiobunine harvestmen
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BA, Biology
— Macalester College (2006) Mate choice mediated by size and chemical defense in Nyssodesmus python (Polydesmida: Platyrhacidae)
Publications
- The reduction of nuptial gifts in sclerosomatid Opiliones coincides with an increase in sexual conflict-like behaviour 2025
- Genomic determination of reproductive mode in facultatively parthenogenetic harvestmen 2021
- Spermathecal variation in temperate Opiliones 2020
- It Takes Two to Tango: Including a Female Perspective in Reproductive Biology 2020
- Comparison of nuptial gift chemistry reveals convergent evolution correlated with antagonism in mating system 2018
- Population genomics and geographical parthenogenesis in Japanese harvestmen (Opiliones, Sclerosomatidae) 2017
- Reproductive biology of harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones): a review of a rapidly evolving research field
Courses Taught
- Undergrad. Lab/Field Rsch
- Foundations of Biol: Eco/Evo
- Advanced Topics in Evolution
- Evol: From Genes To Genomes