Research
I am broadly interested in the systematics, diversification, and biogeography of small mammals. Current research in my lab revolves around three projects:
1) We are using a combination of molecular and morphological data to reconstruct a species-level phylogeny of South American marsupials. Ultimately this phylogeny will provide the framework for understanding diversification of one of the oldest mammalian groups in South America.
2) We are inferring the phylogeographic history of the native rodents in Madagascar using nuclear and mitochondrial genes. Our molecular data suggest that there are many more species of rodent on this island continent than recognized by current taxonomy; our next goal is to understand phylogeography underlying this diversity.
3) We are investigating the biogeographic history of rodents in the Philippines. This complex archipelago provides an ideal system in which to investigate the role earth history plays in driving speciation.
Each of these projects involves collaborations with researchers at the American Museum of Natural History (Robert Voss) and the Field Museum of Natural History (Larry Heaney and Steve Goodman).
