A5087239266- Subterranean biodiversity and taxonomy
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior
- Ichthyology and Marine Biology
- Spider Taxonomy and Behavior Studies
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Karst Systems and Hydrogeology
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Plant and animal studies
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Crustacean biology and ecology
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Marine Ecology and Invasive Species
- Mollusks and Parasites Studies
- Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Study of Mite Species
University of Alabama in Huntsville
2017-2025
Yale University
2012-2020
Illinois Archaeological Survey
2005-2020
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
2014-2018
Auburn University
2016
University of Kentucky
2014
Houston Museum of Natural Science
2014
Louisiana State University
2014
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
2008-2013
Middle Tennessee State University
2006-2009
Abstract In light of recent alarming trends in human population growth, climate change, and other environmental modifications, a “Warning to humanity” manifesto was published BioScience 2017. This call reiterated most the ideas originally expressed by Union Concerned Scientists 1992, including fear that we are “pushing Earth's ecosystems beyond their capacities support web life.” As subterranean biologists, take this opportunity emphasize global importance conservation challenges associated...
Abstract Cave organisms occupy a special place in evolutionary biology because convergent morphologies of many species demonstrate repeatability evolution even as they obscure phylogenetic relationships. The origin specialized cave‐dwelling also raises the issue relative importance isolation vs. natural selection speciation. Two alternative hypotheses describe subterranean species. ‘climate‐relict’ model proposes allopatric speciation after populations cold‐adapted become stranded caves due...
A major challenge facing biodiversity conservation and management is that a significant portion of species diversity remains undiscovered or undescribed. This particularly evident in subterranean animals which delimitation based on morphology difficult because differentiation often obscured by phenotypic convergence. Multilocus genetic data constitute valuable source information for such organisms, but until recently, few methods were available to objectively test hypotheses using data....
ABSTRACT Five decades ago, a landmark paper in Science titled The Cave Environment heralded caves as ideal natural experimental laboratories which to develop and address general questions geology, ecology, biogeography, evolutionary biology. Although the ‘caves laboratory’ paradigm has since been advocated by subterranean biologists, there are few examples of studies that successfully translated their results into principles. contemporary era big data, modelling tools, revolutionary advances...
Abstract Groundwater is a vital ecosystem of the global water cycle, hosting unique biodiversity and providing essential services to societies. Despite being largest unfrozen freshwater resource, in period depletion by extraction pollution, groundwater environments have been repeatedly overlooked conservation agendas. Disregarding importance as an ignores its critical role preserving surface biomes. To foster timely groundwater, we propose elevating concept keystone species into realm...
Caves and other subterranean habitats represent one of the most challenging environments on planet. Other than salamanders, bony fishes are only vertebrate group that has successfully colonized completely restricted to those habitats. Despite being known science for over 150 years, recently have cavefishes become model systems evolutionary studies. Several cavefishes, such as Mexican characid Astyanax mexicanus, provided valuable insights into how evolved cope with life in perpetual darkness...
The genetic mechanisms underlying regressive evolution-the degeneration or loss of a derived trait--are largely unknown, particularly for complex structures such as eyes in cave organisms. In several eyeless animals, the visual photoreceptor rhodopsin appears to have retained functional amino acid sequences. Hypotheses explain apparent maintenance function include weak selection retention light-sensing abilities and its pleiotropic roles circadian rhythms thermotaxis. contrast, we show that...
Using species distribution data, we developed a georeferenced database of troglobionts (cave-obligate species) in Tennessee to examine spatial patterns richness and endemism, including >2000 records for 200 described species. Forty aquatic (stygobionts) 160 terrestrial are known from caves Tennessee, the latter having greatest diversity any state United States. Endemism was high, with 25% (40 20% stygobionts (eight just single cave nearly two-thirds all (130 five or fewer caves. Species...
Abstract The 15th UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (COP15) will be held in Kunming, China October 2021. Historically, CBDs and other multilateral treaties have either alluded to or entirely overlooked the subterranean biome. A effort robustly examine, monitor, incorporate biome into future conservation targets enable CBD further improve ecological effectiveness of protected areas by including groundwater resources, ecosystem services, profoundly endemic subsurface biodiversity. To...
One of the most challenging fauna to study in situ is obligate cave because difficulty sampling. Cave-limited species display patchy and restricted distributions, but it often unclear whether observed distribution a sampling artifact or true restriction range. Further, drivers could be local environmental conditions, such as humidity, they associated with surface features that are surrogates for conditions. If can used predict important taxa, then conservation management more easily...
Divergent host use has long been suspected to drive population differentiation and speciation in plant-feeding insects. Evaluating the contribution of divergent genetic can be difficult, however, as dispersal limitation structure may also influence patterns variation. In this study, we double-digest restriction-associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing test hypothesis that contributes among populations redheaded pine sawfly (Neodiprion lecontei), a widespread pest uses multiple Pinus hosts...
Many questions relevant to conservation decision-making are characterized by extreme uncertainty due lack of empirical data and complexity the underlying ecologic processes, leading a rapid increase in use structured protocols elicit expert knowledge. Published applications often employ modified Delphi method, where experts provide judgments anonymously mathematical aggregation techniques used combine judgments. The Sheffield elicitation framework (SHELF) differs its behavioral approach...
Conservation and education outreach programs often highlight charismatic species or of economic ecological importance. However, without appreciable connections to nature, the foundation necessary empathize with these is insufficient. While many students are familiar organisms, such as large mammals sea turtles, there countless other conservation concern that entirely unaware of. As loss expedited, it imperative counter biodiversity naivety, particularly public awareness central successful...
We present complete genome sequences of 12 species Percopsiformes.
ABSTRACT Cave adaptation leads to unique anatomical specializations in many taxonomic groups. As the role of vision is reduced or disappears a subterranean environment, other arise allow organism successfully detect and interact with their environment. A suite unique, convergent phenotypes associated has emerged (termed troglomorphy), reduction loss pigmentation eyes being most conspicuous. Two vertebrate groups that have colonized adapted environments are cavefishes cave salamanders. There...