Christopher Austin

CFO & Principal Investigator

Office: B9 Foster Hall

Phone: 225-578-2841

E-mail: ccaustin@lsu.edu

Research Interests: Click Here

Eric Rittmeyer, PhD student

Office: 210 Foster Hall

E-mail: erittm1@lsu.edu

Research Interests: I'm interested in using molecular markers to examine the evolutionary relationships among populations of closely related species of amphibians and reptiles, particularly lizards. I want to examine how phylogenetic and phylogeographic patterns may have been structured by geography and habitat availability. I'm also interested in the evolution of habitat specialization and its impact on the relationships among taxa. Geographically, I'm most interested in the Papuan region, particularly the islands of Northern Melanesian (the Solomon and Bismarck Archipelagos).

Eric's publications from the Austin Lab:

Cathy Newman, PhD student

Office: 210 Foster Hall

E-mail: cnewm15@tigers.lsu.edu

Research Interests: My research interests center around phylogeography and conservation genetics, particularly in the Southeastern U.S.

Chris Dahl, MSc Student, University of Papua New Guinea

E-mail: cdahl@wcs.org

Research Interests: Ecology, systematics, and diversity of New Guinea frogs. Chris was an honours student at the University of Papua New Guinea supported by Conservationl International and the Austin lab NSF grant. He is now a MSc student at the University of Papua New Guinea and he is based in Goroka, PNG. He has been working closely with Steve Richards (Conservation International) and Chris Austin (LSU) over the last several years examining beta diversity of New Guinea frogs. His most recent publication is:

Dahl, C., V. Novotny, J. Moravec, and S. J. Richards. 2009. Beta diversity of frogs in the forests of New Guinea, Amazonia and Europe: contrasting tropical and temperate communities. Ecography 36:896–904.

John Anderman, undergraduate

Research: Currently working on population genetics of invasive species, specifically Carlia from various Pacific islands. Currently working on the systematics and biogeography of the New Guinea snake genus Tropodinophis.

John's publications from the Austin Lab:

Lauren Oliver, undergraduate

Research: Currently working on population genetics of invasive species, specifically Carlia from various Pacific islands. Currently working on the systeamtics, population genetics, and phylogeogrpahy of the New Guinea frog genera Astrochaperina and Mantophryne.

Lauren's publications from the Austin Lab:

Nathan Jackson, (PhD student 2005-2011). Now a posdoc at Carleton University

Office: 210 Foster Hall

Phone: 225-578-5393

E-mail: njacks4@lsu.edu

Nathan's website at: http://nathandjackson.com/

Research Interests: I am interesting in utilizing gene trees and the distribution of these trees across a landscape to explore the history and nature of adaptation, divergence, and dispersal experienced by natural populations.

Nathan's publications from the Austin Lab:

Alison Hamilton, (PhD student 2000-2008). Now a postdoc at UCLA

E-mail: ahamilton@ucla.edu

Visit her UCLA website at: http://ahamilton.bol.ucla.edu/Home.html

Research Interests: I am interested in the evolution of island faunas, both in the processes responsible for differentiation, and in the resulting diversity- especially of reptiles and amphibians. My research focuses on several species of lizards from two families (Scincidae and Gekkonidae) in the relatively young group of oceanic islands that make up the Vanuatu Archipelago in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. To understand how populations differentiate early in a radiation, I am using a combination of phylogenetic and population genetic approaches to uncover population and species history in a group of closely related skinks endemic to the islands of Vanuatu (Emoia). I am also studying sympatric populations of bisexual and unisexual (parthenogenetic) geckos (Nactus) in Vanuatu and elsewhere in the Pacific to elucidate the origin and evolutionary history of this species complex.

Ali's publications from the Austin Lab:

Joshua Jordan, undergraduate2005-2008, Honor's School. Now in Medical School at LSU Shreveport.

Office: B10 Foster Hall

E-mail: jjord24@lsu.edu

Research Interests: Molecular systematics of New Guinea reptiles, human medicine and management.

Honor's Thesis: Conservation genetics of Boelen’s python (Morelia boeleni) from New Guinea: genetic uniformity of captive and wild animals. His research resulted in a scientific peer-reviewed paper that is currently in press in Conservation Genetics. Joshua graduated with honors in May 2009 and received the Black Scholars Award for his scholastic and research work at LSU.

Joshua's publications from the Austin Lab:

Stacy Peterson, undergraduate 2005-2008. Now MSc student at Mississippi State University.

Research: Conservation genetics of Boelen’s python (Morelia boeleni) from New Guinea: genetic uniformity of captive and wild animals. Her research resulted in a scientific peer-reviewed paper that is currently in press in Conservation Genetics.

Stacy's publications from the Austin Lab:

John McVay, Laboratory Technician, 2007-2008. Now a PhD student at LSU in Bryan Carsten's lab

E-mail: jmcvay1@lsu.edu

John's publications from the Austin Lab:

Christpher Hayden

Chris' publications from the Austin Lab:

Greg Fuerst, 2001-2003 (MSc student)

Fuerst, G.S. and C.C. Austin. (2004). Population genetic structure of the Prairie Skink (Eumeces septentrionalis): nested clade analysis of post Pleistocene populations. Journal of Herpetology, 38:257-268.

Andrea Widdel (Honors Program), 2001-2002 (undergraduate)

Thesis: Species concepts and boundaries of the lizard Lipinia noctua: molecular and morphological approaches.