I am interested in a wide variety of ecological and evolutionary questions. I have addressed these questions using traditional field techniques as well as modern biochemical methods.
Recently I have been working on bats in Big Bend National Park with Loren Ammerman.
- First record of Lasiurus xanthinus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in Texas. Southwestern Naturalist 44(3):343-347.
- Yucca provides roost for Lasiurus xanthinus (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) in Texas. Southwestern Naturalist 45(3):338-340
- Bat ectoparasites from the Trans-Pecos region of Texas, including notes from Big Bend National Park. Journal of Medical Entomology 38(3): 400-404.
I have also investigated questions of evolutionary relationships and genetic diversity.
- Ribosomal DNA and the phylogeny of frogs. Herpetological Monographs 7:118-131.
- Evolutionary relationships of the blennioid fish families Clinidae, Labrisomidae, and Chaenopsidae: congruence among DNA sequence and allozyme data. Bulletin of Marine Science 52(1):496-515.
- Minimal genetic variation in a morphologically diverse species (Florida Tree Snail, Liguus fasciatus). Journal of Heredity 82:282-286.
- The relationships of the coelacanth Latimeria chalumnae: evidence from sequences of vertebrate 28S ribosomal RNA genes. Pp. 119-130. In: The Biology of Latimeria chalumnae and Evolution of Coelacanths.
At Texas Wesleyan University I supervised students doing research on numerous other topics. Some examples
- Geographic Variation and Genetic Substructuring of Myotis californicus and Myotis ciliobrum.
- The effect of food abundance on the distribution of fox squirrels.
- Bird species-richness and abundance in grassland and woodland communities.
- “Edge Effect” on medium-sized mammals in a wildlife refuge.
- Thermal variation in squirrel nest boxes.
- Gender differences in rat nocturnal activity.
- Vertebrate surveys in urban and rural environments.
- Microbial degradation of methyl tert-butyl ether.
- Effectiveness of chelex versus organic DNA extractions in a forensics lab.
