Research Interests and Background

-Larval frogs (tadpoles) are integral, abundant, and often underappreciated members of freshwater aquatic ecosystems. Despite the presence of striking anatomical diversity among species of tadpoles, little is known about how developmental processes and environmental factors contribute to variation in tadpole anatomy either within or among species. Such data are integral to furthering our understanding of evolutionary patterns. Furthermore, even less is known about the interaction between tadpole anatomy and tadpole ecology (e.g., how aspects of a tadpole’s anatomy might constrain its feeding capabilities). My research focuses on developmental, evolutionary, and ecological morphology in amphibians, with a particular emphasis on musculoskeletal anatomy in tadpoles. Working with a variety of both tropical and temperate species of frogs, I have conducted studies of the development and evolution of cranial anatomy in tadpoles, environmental influences on tadpole anatomy, and experimental studies of feeding function in bullfrog larvae. In the future, I am planning to initiate studies of cranial development in salamanders, geographic variation in amphibian anatomy, and feeding biomechanics in tadpoles.  Click on my personal webpage for additional information.

Directed Studies Projects

-Students working with me could choose projects ranging from comparative anatomical analyses, studies of cranial development in frogs or salamanders, experimental investigations of feeding behavior in tadpoles, to field monitoring of amphibian populations. Available projects will depend somewhat on the time of year (live amphibians can be hard to come by in winter). Students will have the opportunity to learn a variety of techniques in both the laboratory (e.g., whole-mount clearing and staining, computer image analysis, morphometric analysis) and field (amphibian collection, rearing, and monitoring techniques; frog call recognition), and will gain first-hand experience in the process of conducting biological research (i.e., hypothesis formation and testing, data collection, data presentation and/or publication).  Click on personal webpage for additional information.