Research in the Lab
Research in the Larson lab combines natural history and molecular biology to evaluate patterns and processes of evolution at multiple levels of biological complexity. Molecular phylogenetic approaches are used to study historical biogeography, genomic evolution, developmental and morphological evolution, and the genetic structures of natural populations. Salamanders and lizards constitute our main study systems, although we conduct collaborative projects utilizing other vertebrates. Our research involves a considerable amount of fieldwork to complement lab studies. Past fieldwork has taken us to various islands in the West Indies, South Africa, South America, and a number of locations in the U.S. Currently we are working in the West Indies, the desert southwest, and the Appalachian mountains.