Researchers at the HSU Vertebrate Museum combine fieldwork, DNA analyses, and comparative morphological examination of museum specimens to explore the ecology, evolution, and conservation of vertebrates. Examples of current faculty and graduate student research projects include:
Systematics and Biogeography of Mesoamerican Flying Squirrels
Nick Kerhoulas, Graduate Student
Nick is using DNA data obtained from skin samples of museum specimens to examine the evolutionary relationships and biogeographic history of flying squirrels from the highland forests of Mexico and Central America.
Systematics and Biogeography of Whales and their Ectoparasites
Christopher Callahan, Graduate Student
Christopher is using analysis of DNA and museum specimens to examine how whale lice (crustacean ectoparasites) made the evolutionary jump to colonize gray whales. See more on this research at Christopher’s webpage
Molecular Ecology of River Otters
Erin Atkin, Graduate Student
Erin is using DNA data obtained from scat samples to investigate patterns of dispersal in river otters of northwestern California.
Population Biology of Wandering Salamanders in the Redwood Forest Canopy
Sharyn Marks, Professor of Zoology
Sharyn is studying the population status, habitat use, and development of amphibians, especially salamanders. She recently has been collaborating on with Jim Spickler (HSU Botany graduate student), Hartwell Welsh (Redwood Sciences Lab) and Steve Sillett (HSU Professor of Botany) to examine the use of redwood canopies by wandering salamanders.
Population Ecology and Movement Patterns in Harbor Seals
Dawn Goley, Associate Professor of Zoology
Dawn is using telemetry to study differences in habitat use between male and female harbor seals in and around Humboldt Bay.
Systematics and Bigoegraphy of Chipmunks of Northwestern California
Karen Reiss, Assistant Professor, College of the Redwoods
Karen is using analysis of DNA and comparative morphology of museum specimens to examine species limits and the biogeographic history of the Townsend’s chipmunk complex of northern California.
Comparative Biogeography of Great Basin Mammals
Tim Lawlor, Curator and Professor Emeritus of Zoology
Tim is using DNA analysis to examine historical patterns of isolation and dispersal among mammals inhabiting the high-elevation boreal forests of the Great Basin.
Monitoring and Identifying Bats from Their Echolocation Calls
Joe Szewczak, Associate Professor
Joe is the developer of Sonobat, a software package that can be used to analyze and compare high-resolution, full-spectrum sonograms of bat echolocation calls recorded from time-expansion bat detectors.
Speciation in Australian Birds
W. Bryan Jennings, Assistant Professor
Bryan is using multilocus DNA analyses and new population genetic (coalescent) techniques to examine speciation patterns in Australian birds. See his recent publication with Scott Edwards (Harvard University) in the journal Evolution
Examining the Effects of Wind-Turbines on Bat Mortality
Joe Szewczak, Associate Professor
Joe has been collaborating with several colleagues to investigate bat mortality associated with wind turbines, and to utilize our knowledge of bat ecology, auditory biology, habitat bioacoustics, and animal behavior to develop mechanisms to alert bats to turbine presence and/or deter them away from turbines.
