Russell A. Blaine

My research focuses on the diversification of lizards in the North American Southwest. This region is one of the youngest and most diverse xeric habitats. Over four hundred species of plants, one hundred species of mammals, fifty species of reptiles and an ever-increasing level of insect diversity have accumulated in this region over the last 10 million years. I am generally interested in the vicariant and ecological mechanisms that has shaped the diversification in the North American southwest.

Matthew E. Gifford

My research focuses on understanding the historical and contemporary factors that influence the generation of diversity at both the population and species levels. To do this I use a wide variety of approaches including population genetics, phylogenetics, natural history, morphometrics, and GIS technology. I address these questions studying lizards in the genera Ameiva and Leiocephalus from the West Indies. A recent collaboration, however, focuses on the cosmopolitan, live-bearing fish genus Gambusia. My research is largely field-based and combines field observation with laboratory genetic work.

Joshua Reece

My research primarily focuses on the integration of molecular genetics and life-history ecology to make conservation recommendations for listed and endangered species. I am particularly interested in multidisciplinary approaches that work synergistically to improve conservation planning. My work currently focuses on the role of historical processes such as climate change and sea level rise in shaping population structure. I work primarily on wide-ranging species and currently focus on marine turtles in the Atlantic and moray eels with particular emphasis on Indian Ocean populations.