Research
Dr.
Brett R. Riddle
Ph.D. (Biology), University of New Mexico, 1990
Professor of Biology
Our lab is fundamentally interested in deciphering
the information contained within DNA that tells us about the history of biological
diversification and diversity. Many of us are interested in trying to
understand the evolution of the fascinating aridlands biota of western North
America. We accept as a working premise that within this biota are signatures
reflecting a full array of temporally deep responses to fundamental changes
in landscape configuration as well as more recent shifts in habitats resulting
from Quaternary climatic oscillations. The challenge is to unravel this
complex history through examination of molecular phylogenies and population
genetics in an array of exemplar taxa. We are explicitly concerned with
the conservation of biodiversity in this part of the world, and believe that
we can contribute to various attempts to prioritize taxa, biotas, and geographic
regions in conservation management planning. Not unrelated, we also
extend beyond aridlands phylogeography in several ways. First, we rely on
the talent of ecologists within the UNLV Department of Biological Sciences
and the EPA to investigate the population ecology of several mammals and toads
in the eastern Mojave Desert.
Ph.D. Program
Rob
Bryson
M.S. (Biology), Sul Ross State University, Alpine,
Texas, 2002
Research Interests: The evolution and systematics
of Latin American herpetofauna, particularly the highland forms of mainland
Mexico.
Dissertation Title: Undetermined
Derek
Houston
M.S. (Zoology), Brigham Young University,
2002
Research Interests: Ecology and evolution
of North American freshwater fishes.
Dissertation Title: Phylogenetic affinities
and biogeographic implications of a clade of western North American cyprinids.
Tereza
Jezkova
M.S. (Biology & Geography), Prague, Czech Republic,
Research Interests: Phylogeography, evolutionary genetics, and ecological
niche modeling.
Dissertation Title: Phylogeography of two
species of kangaroo rats (Genus Dipodomys) sympatrically distributed
within the Great Basin: range shifting as a response to climatic changes.
Adam Leland
M.S. ( ), San Diego State
Research Interests:
Dissertation Title: Undetermined
Stacy
J. Mantooth
M.S. (Zoology), Texas Tech University, Lubbock,
1999
Research Interests: Biogeography, systematics,
and molecular evolution of locally and globally distributed mammalian taxa;
evolution of North American deserts.
Dissertation Title: Perspectives on the
biogeographic history of North American deserts from the evolution and biogeography
of volant mammals.
Sean
Neiswenter
M.S. (Biology), Angelo State University, San Angelo,
Texas, 2004
Research Interests: Mammalian ecology and evolution, desert ecosystems
Dissertation Title: Population genetics
of a Baja California endemic pocket mouse, Cheatodipus arenarius: ssing
GIS to model dispersal and introgression.
M.S. Program
Viki
Hemmings
B.S. (Biology & Physical Education), EKTF-Teacher Training College, Eger,
Hungary, 1997
Research Interests: Population genetics, phylogeography, and conservation
biology.
Dissertation Title: Population structure
and phylogeography of two related leopard frogs, Rana onca and Rana
yavapaiensis.
Amy Hubley
B.S. (Biology), University of Minnesota,
2004
Research Interests:
Dissertation Title:
Zane
Marshall
B.S. (Biology), University of Nevada, Las Vegas,
1997
Research Interests: Phylogeography and conservation
biology of the desert pocket mouse, Chaeotdipus penicillatus.
Non-thesis
Colleagues in Systematics and Biogeography at UNLV
Dr. Lois F. Alexander
Lab Manager; Collections Manager - Center for Aridlands Biodiversity, Research,
and Education (CABRE) Biodiversity Collections; Postdoctoral Scholar
Phylogeography, systematics,
and natural history of mammals. Specifically, molecular phylogenetics and
comparative phylogeography of rodents.
Dr.
Brian P. Hedlund
Assisant Professor of Biology
Diversity of hyperthermophilic microorganisms
and microbial biogeography and coevolution.
Dr.
Jef Jaeger
Research Assistant Professor; Program Administrator National Park Service
Monitoring Programs Public Lands Institute
Phylogeography, population
genetic structure, natural history, and general conservation of amphibians
and reptiles.
Dr.
John Klicka
Curator of Birds, Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History; Adjunct Professor
of Biology
Comparative phylogeography
among a set of lowland and montane Middle American birds.
| Rafal Bargiel | Ph.D. student | |
| Jeremy Batton | M.S. student | |
| Rebecca Carson | Ph.D. student | |
| Jeff DaCosta | M.S. student | |
| Dawn M. Fletcher | M.S. student | |
| Connie Herr | Ph.D. student | |
| Markus Mika | Ph.D. student | |
| Brian Smith | M.S. student |
Dr. Javier A. Rodríguez
Assisant Professor of Biology
Phylogeography
of amphibians and reptiles from the eastern Caribbean Sea and from the oases
of the Baja California peninsula.
Xavier Glaudas - Ph.D. student
Colleagues in Systematics
and Biogeography elsewhere
Dr.
David J. Hafner
Curator of Vertebrate Zoology - New
Mexico Museum of Natural History, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Dr.
Garth Spellman
Assistant Professor - Black Hills State University, Spearfish, South Dakota
Former Ph.D., M.S., & M.A.S. Graduate Students
L. F. Alexander, Ph.D.
Evolutionary and biogeographic histories in a North
American rodent family (Heteromyidae). [Ph.D.
RECEIVED 2004].
M. Boyles, M.S.
A phylogeographic investigation of the Mountain
Chickadee. [M.S. RECEIVED 1994].
C. Ferrell, M.S.
Systematics and biogeography of the Great Basin pocket mouse, Perognathus
parvus. [M.S. RECEIVED 1994].
E.C. Grant, M.S.
The phylogenetic affinities of Crenichthys and Empetrichthys
using mtDNA. [M.S. RECEIVED 1994].
Sean Harris, M.S.
[M.S. RECEIVED 2006].
K. Hunter, Ph.D.
Systematics and biogeography of North and South American species of creosote
bush (Larrea) using chloroplast DNA.
[Ph.D. RECEIVED 1996].
J. Jaeger, Ph.D.
Phylogeography and population genetic structure
of two anuran species inhabiting the Mojave Desert.
[Ph.D. RECEIVED 2005].
K.B. Jones, Ph.D.
Phylogeography of Phrynosma douglassi
and P. platyrhinos: A comparativeanalysis of diversification in deserts
and woodlands.
[Ph.D. RECEIVED 1995].
L. Kelley, M.A.S.
Phylogeography of the Uinta chipmunk (Tamias umbrinus) species complex
in the intermountain west of North America and implications for an evolutionarily
significant unit (ESU) in the Palmer's chipmunk (Tamias palmeri). [M.A.S.
RECEIVED 2002].
C. Lowery, M.S.
Conservation and ecology of Palmer's chipmunk
(Tamias palmeri). [M.S. RECEIVED
2002].
K. Micone, M.S.
Demographics of the Desert pocket mouse, Chaetodipus
penicillatus sobrinus. [M.S. RECEIVED 2002].
D. Nickle, M.S.
Molecular phylogeographic structure within the Perognathus fasciatus
species group. [M.S. RECEIVED 1994].
D.I. Orange, Ph.D.
Comparative phylogeography within and among four species of lizards in western
North American deserts (Crotaphytidae). [Ph.D. RECEIVED 1997].
M. Ramsey, M.S.
Bat species of the Spring Mountains of southern Nevada. [M.S. RECEIVED 1995].
J.A. Williams, M.A.S.
Community structure and habitat use by bats in the Upper Moapa Valley, Clark
County, Nevada. [M.A.S. RECEIVED 2001].
The Riddle Lab maintains the UNLV School of Life Sciences automated DNA sequencing core facility. The lab uses an ABI 3130 Genetic Analyzer and an ABI Prism 310 and supports various projects throughout the department ranging in scope from phylogeography & systematics to population genetics to genomics & microbiology. Samples are processed and the electronic data (below) are returned to the researcher for visual inspection and analysis.
In the Riddle Lab, sequences
are visually inspected and aligned using the Sequencher
and BioEdit
alignment tools. Depending on the individual projects, various different software
packages are available and used for analysis of the sequence data including
but not limited to:
- PAUP - Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony
- MEGA - Molecular Evolutionary Genetic Analysis
- TreeView - phylogenetic tree drawing software
- Modeltest - determines the appropriate model of DNA substitution
- TCS/GeoDis - Nested Clade Analysis (NCA)
- MrBayes - Bayesian inference in phylogenetic analysis
- Arlequin - population genetic data analysis
- Other phylogeny programs
This site is maintained by L. F. Alexander. Last Updated 11/8/06