The California Channel Islands, located just off the coast of southern California, is home to several endemic species and sub-species of amphibians and reptiles, yet comprehensive studies of the genetic relationships within and among Channel Island populations and the population diversification of island populations (relative to the mainland) has yet to be done. Research in the lab on the genetic structure and behavioral diversification of Channel Island amphibians and reptiles has three components: 1) Comparative island-wide phylogeography of amphibians and reptiles 2) fine-scale landscape genetics on Santa Cruz Island of the fence lizard and chorus frog, and 3) behavioral diversification of the fence lizard on Santa Cruz Island.

This work is a collaboration with W. Chris Funk (Colorado State University) and Greg Pauly (The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County), among others. We are seeking interested undergraduate and graduate students for these projects!