About
Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Ecology from University of Wisconsin, PhD in Zoology from Duke University.
Research interests
Research in my lab focuses on the causes and consequences of evolutionary changes in communication systems. Using a colorful group of North American freshwater fish called darters, we ask the following questions: Why does mating communication evolve over time? How does the rate of communication evolution compare with ecological divergence and other reproductive barriers? (Why) Are individuals attracted only to members of their own species? By addressing these questions, we're trying to understand why male color patterns have diversified so extensively in this group, what are the consequences of that divergence, and what general principles about the ecology and evolution of communication can we learn by studying these beautiful fish?
Teaching interests
BIOLOGY 142: Foundations of Ecology and Evolution
BIOLOGY 480: Animal Behavior
BIOLOGY 481: Advanced Topics in Evolution
BIOLOGY 760: Graduate Seminar in Ecology and Evolution
Education
- Ph D, Zoology — Duke University (2001)
- BS, Wildlife Ecology — University of Wisconsin (1991)
Publications
- Male mate choice contributes to behavioral isolation in sexually dimorphic fish with traditional sex roles 2017
- The evolution of male nuptial colour in a sexually dimorphic group of fishes (Percidae: Etheostomatinae) 2017
- The accumulation of reproductive isolation in early stages of divergence supports a role for sexual selection 2016
- Male behaviour predicts trait divergence and the evolution of reproductive isolation in darters (Percidae: Etheostoma) 2016
- The ecological drivers of nuptial color evolution in darters (Percidae: Etheostomatinae) 2016
- Dense Taxon Sampling Using AFLPs Leads to Greater Accuracy in Phylogeny Estimation and Classification of Darters (Percidae: Etheostomatinae) 2014
- Mutation-order divergence by sexual selection: diversification of sexual signals in similar environments as a first step in speciation 2014
- The (mis) concept of species recognition 2012
- AFLPs support deep relationships in darters consistent with morphological hypotheses. 2011
Presentations
- The link between sexual selection and reproductive isolation is not straightforward 2017
- Does the mind matter?: How visual preferences contribute to speciation in darters 2017