My research centers on the patterns and processes of mammalian diversity, focusing primarily on the effects of hybridization on the species boundary. In doing such, I incorporate fieldwork and a strong laboratory component (i.e., karyotyping, Sanger sequencing, fragment analysis, and next-generation sequencing) to examine these questions. As a mammalogist and an evolutionary ecologist, I collect voucher specimens and associated tissues for ongoing research. These specimens and tissue samples are deposited in accredited natural history collections and made available to the research community. To date, I have worked in the states of Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and internationally in Mexico, resulting in well over a year in the field and thousands of specimens deposited in natural history collections.
QUESTIONS OF INTEREST
- What ecological factors facilitate species formation?
- Why do “good species” hybridize and still maintain the integrity of their genome?
- What are the conservation implications of hybridization on sensitive taxa?
- How does historical biogeography affect current mammalian taxa
- How do anthropogenic changes to the environment, including climate change, affect mammal populations?
- What ways can natural history collections be utilized with ongoing technological advances?
