the peter buck fellowship program

The Peter Buck Fellowship Program

2014 - 2015 Progress Report

2014 - 2015 Progress Report 2

Overview

This year, the National Museum of Natural History’s Peter Buck Fellowship Program welcomes

its fifth class of participants. Reaching this milestone offers a unique perspective, both for

reflecting on the Buck Program’s past success and for envisioning the course of its future.

Through contributions to research, publications, and educational outreach across all of the

Museum’s scientific departments, each class further defines the scope and impact of what it

means to be a Peter Buck Fellow. Throughout the Smithsonian and scientific communities, their

work is advancing learning about nature and culture—knowledge that ultimately drives solutions

for the global challenges we face. For the 67 predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows admitted since

the Program began, the experience is a pivotal step in advancing their science careers.

The Peter Buck Fellowship Program currently includes a robust group of 34 fellows in residence

or anticipated in the next few months. The most recent 14 awardees, selected as the Class of

2015, hail from a variety of academic institutions throughout the United States and beyond. A

growing alumni base—currently made up of 27 individuals who have since completed their

tenure at the Museum—provides yet another lens for understanding the far-reaching effects of

the fellowship experience as they pursue the next phase of their careers.

This year also welcomes the first recipients of Buck Fellowships contributing specifically to the

goals of two major Museum initiatives. Deep Time fellowship opportunities are aimed at

increasing the research, education, and outreach productivity of the Initiative during the period

leading up to the opening of the permanent Fossil Hall in 2019. Similarly, Buck Fellows whose

research area is related to overarching themes of the Global Genome Initiative (GGI) are

committing their time to biodiversity genomic research and other GGI-related activities. This

expansion of fellowships, aligning directly with Museum priorities, further demonstrates the

significant role of this program in advancing our mission.

These emerging scientists are investigating big questions: What might the giant flightless

elephant bird of Madagascar teach us about humans’ role in extinction? How might we use

records of ancient organisms on Earth as analogue to look for evidence for extraterrestrial life?

How are shallow coral reef fishes adapting to the global decline of their habitat in a changing

ocean environment? Behind every inquiry lies a wealth of knowledge to be gained, relationships

to be forged, and discoveries to be shared with the world. Your generosity and commitment to

the Museum’s education and research efforts through the Peter Buck Fellowship Program make

this important work possible. Thank you for your ongoing support in building this legacy, which

will continue to impact generations of scholars within the scientific community for years to

come.


The following progress report contains three sections:

Alumni Update: Where are They Now?

An update on the activities and achievements of alumni who have come through the Peter

Buck Fellowship Program.

Peter Buck Fellows: At a Glance

A profile and questionnaire from each of the current Peter Buck Fellows, including the

most recent award recipients of 2015.

Fellows in-residence were asked to discuss the importance of their research, their progress,

favorite moments, notable ways they have disseminated their science, and their plans for

the future. Newly selected fellows shared why their research became of personal interest to

them, and what they expect to achieve out of their experience at the Smithsonian.

Recent Publications

A bibliographic listing that captures the 69 most recent works published by Peter Buck

Fellows between August 2014 and September 2015.

To date, scientific papers co-authored by Peter Buck Fellows exceed 217, often appearing

in highly regarded publications and receiving broad media attention. These include a

Journal of Petrology article by Laura Waters (who was one of the Fellows who visited with

you in your home last spring) that challenged previously held convictions within the

scientific field, and a first author paper by Neil Kelley that appeared in Science—a

capstone career achievement for any scientist. Copies of these two articles are included in

this report, and we would be happy to forward copies of any of the others included in the

bibliography.


Alumni Update: Where are They Now?

With its fifth year underway, the Peter Buck Fellowship Program has naturally seen quite a few

of its participants complete their training and move on to continue their careers. Program

advisors recently spoke with 21 of the program’s 27 alumni to find out what they are doing now.

Over half of the group have already obtained permanent or career-track positions in science or

cultural studies. Another nine have moved on to subsequent postdoctoral positions or other

temporary employment in their fields, and one has taken parental leave while still working part-

time on research.

Of those in career positions, there are seven tenure-track Assistant Professors or Lecturers at

academic institutions, three museum curators, and a journal editor. The academic institutions that

have hired Peter Buck Fellows include Massey University in New Zealand, the University of

Akron in Ohio, Haifa University in Israel, the University of Minnesota, the University of

Chicago, Marshall University in West Virginia, and the University of Puerto Rico. Of the three

museum curators, one is at the Denver Museum of Natural History, the very museum where Sant

Director Kirk Johnson was Chief Scientist before his role at the Smithsonian. Another is at the

Arizona Museum of Natural History, and the third was selected to become a Curator of

Entomology here at the National Museum of Natural History. Finally, the editor is at Science, the

prestigious international journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Nearly half of the group reported that they obtained another postdoctoral fellowship or other

temporary funding for their careers following their Peter Buck Fellowship. This group includes

highly accomplished scientists who can be expected to find permanent career positions. Of the

21 alumni who provided feedback, all are pursuing careers that make use of their museum-based

training.

As alumni attain permanent positions in their fields, their training at the Museum serves as an

important foundation upon which they are building their careers. This exemplifies the long-term

benefits of the Peter Buck Fellowship Program, both to the lives of the fellows themselves, and

to the general advancement of museum-based scholarship. The investment made in a predoctoral

or postdoctoral fellow is highly leveraged when that scholar becomes a productive career

scientist inspired by experiences at the National Museum of Natural History.


Peter Buck Fellows: At a Glance


Current Buck Fellow Listing

Name Department Dates of Fellowship

Cheryl Ames Invertebrate Zoology January 2014 – December 2015

Bastian Bentlage Invertebrate Zoology July 2015 – June 2017

Antoine Bercovici Paleobiology

(Deep Time Fellow) December 2014 – December 2016

Monica Carlsen Botany February 2015 – February 2017

Frederick Davis Mineral Sciences September 2012 – September 2015

Kristina M. G. Douglass Anthropology and Vertebrate

Zoology January 2016 – January 2018

Klint Ericson Anthropology September 2013 – September 2016

Nathaniel Evans Invertebrate Zoology August 2014 – August 2015

Danielle Fraser Paleobiology August 2015 – August 2017

Jessica Goodheart Invertebrate Zoology September 2015 – August 2017

Morgan Gostel Botany

(GGI Fellow) September 2015 – September 2017

Andrew Gottscho Vertebrate Zoology September 2015 – June 2017

AJ Harris Botany January 2016 – January 2018

Maria Heikkilä Paleobiology February 2015 – January 2017

Margaret A. G. Hinkle Mineral Sciences June 2015 – June 2017

Ana Ješovnik Entomology July 2014 – July 2016

Caroline Judy Vertebrate Zoology January 2014 – January 2016

Ehsan Kayal Invertebrate Zoology September 2014 – August 2016

Neil Kelley Paleobiology January 2014 – December 2015

Fredrick Larabee Entomology September 2015 – September 2017

Francesca Leasi Invertebrate Zoology

(GGI Fellow) September 2015 – August 2017

Stéphanie Leclerc-Caffarel Anthropology January 2016 – January 2018

Nicole Lunning Mineral Sciences September 2015 – September 2017

Matthew McCurry Paleobiology August 2015 – August 2016

Molly McDonough Vertebrate Zoology February 2014 – February 2016

Bryan McLean Vertebrate Zoology January 2015 – December 2015


Theresa Miller Anthropology June 2015 – June 2017

Miguel Pinto Vertebrate Zoology February 2015 – January 2017

Eduardo Ribeiro Anthropology July 2014 – June 2016

Erin Sigel Botany September 2014 – September 2016

Emily Smith Paleobiology September 2015 – September 2017

Laura Soul Paleobiology

(Deep Time Fellow) July 2015 – July 2017

Lauren Spearman Entomology January 2015 – January 2016

Nawa Sugiyama Anthropology September 2014 – December 2015

Luke Tornabene Vertebrate Zoology August 2015 – August 2017

Maureen Turcatel Entomology September 2014 – September 2016

Rachel Warnock Paleobiology March 2014 – March 2016

Laura Waters Mineral Sciences January 2015 – December 2016


Cheryl L. Ames, Dept. of Invertebrate Zoology

University of Maryland, College Park

Predoctoral Fellow: January 2014 – December 2015

Research Title: Differential expression of genes implicated in venom, vision and sex in the

aggregating box jellyfish Alatina alata

Advisors: Allen G. Collins (Research Zoologist, NMNH & NMFS, NOAA) and Karen Osborn

(Research Zoologist)

Cheryl Ames’ research focuses on uncovering the molecular basis of the stinging cells of the box

jellyfish Alatina alata, which forms monthly reproductive swarms in several Caribbean and Pacific

localities. Stinging cells are venom-filled organelles, called nematocysts, found in all species of the

phylum Cnidaria (e.g. corals, sea anemones, and jellyfish), and are used in predation and defense.

Despite sometimes causing painful stings or fatalities in human victims, the molecular basis of these

novel structures is poorly understood. Equally enigmatic is the process by which this small group of

gelatinous invertebrates evolved complex eyes, equipped with cornea, lens, and retina. As a Buck

Fellow, Ames’ research objectives are to identify the genes (using transcriptomics) associated with

box jellyfish nematocyst production and the molecular cues involved in vision during sexual

reproduction, to determine at what stages of development these genes are expressed (i.e. transcribed

from the genome), and to characterize the venom proteins encoded by those genes (using

proteomics).


Cheryl L. Ames The Stakes

Understanding molecular mechanisms of the coordinated components of elaborate sexual behavior of

box jellyfish, and their onset during larval development, will provide insight into the evolution of the

proteins associated with these novel functions. Box jellyfish stings notoriously range from annoying

to deadly. By characterizing the genes encoding venom components, we can better understand their

bioactive properties, thus enabling biomedical personnel to develop more effective prevention and

treatment methods for human stings and explore applications to gene therapy.

Research Highlights

The transcriptomic data I have generated has already been used in one publication, on which I am

coauthor, and are the main focus of my second and third dissertation chapters, which are well

underway. I have identified genes related to venom, vision, and sex that are known from snake

venom, vertebrate eyes, and human reproduction respectively in these ancient organisms with more

than a 600-million-year evolutionary history.

Favorite Moment

My favorite moment was realizing my dream to establish a live jellyfish culture room at the Museum

for rearing jellyfish. In April 2014, after procuring aquarium room supplies through various

donations, we set up the department’s first aquarium tank. Subsequently, we received several animal

transfers from colleagues (Baltimore National Aquarium, National Zoo, and several local and foreign

museums and universities), and with the help of student volunteers and interns, established the

“Aquaroom”—a multi-tank room in which we culture ten different marine and freshwater species of

jellyfish and their kin. Another highlight was being coauthor on a new species description of the

deep-sea sea cucumber Myriotrochus ahearnae.

Disseminating my Science

In January and June of 2015, I managed a team of ten Aquaroom volunteers during a science

outreach “live feeding” event at the Museum’s science learning center, Q?rius, showing off Museum

collaborations with the National Zoo and the Baltimore National Aquarium for World Ocean Day to

more than 500 public participants. During “Expert is In” in Q?rius and the temporary Genome

exhibit, I have showcased my research using activities relevant to children and adults alike.

Looking Ahead

I have acquired a number of important skills thanks to my fellowship experience: transcriptomics, as

well as gene and protein identification capabilities, bioinformatics skills, jellyfish culturing

awareness for conducting gene expression studies, and histological techniques for examining the

ultrastructure of organs and cell types of interest. Opportunities to present my work during

international conferences, symposia, and Museum outreach events have allowed me to dive deeper

into my marine biology research to better explain its relevance to the field of science and to a broader

public audience. As an organismal biologist, my goal is to balance research with teaching and

mentoring students, while also interacting with the public through science outreach events.

Word of Thanks

I would like to extend my gratitude to you, Dr. Buck, for your generosity in providing me with a two-

year fellowship to pursue my Ph.D. research goals. I wish you all the best in health, family, and life,

and look forward to the day when I can finally meet you and thank you in person.


Bastian Bentlage, Dept. of Invertebrate Zoology

University of East Anglia (Norwich, UK)

Postdoctoral Fellow: July 2015 – June 2017

Research Title: Loss and gain of complex life history characters in trachyline jellyfish

(Cnidaria: Medusozoa: Hydrozoa)

Advisors: Allen G. Collins (Research Zoologist, NMNH & NMFS, NOAA) and Karen Osborn

(Research Zoologist)

Bastian Bentlage received his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in 2012. He is interested in the

biogeographic patterns and ecological processes that govern species distributions and interactions in

aquatic environments. As such, Bentlage employs methods and concepts from different fields of

inquiry, including phylogenetic systematics, population genetics, and ecological modeling. His

favorite study organisms are jellyfish. Jellyfish display a remarkable diversity of different life cycles,

often including a sessile stage (the polyp) that lives on the ocean floor and a mobile stage (the

jellyfish that is familiar to most people) that disperses in the water column. In his research at the

Smithsonian, Bentlage aims to address how both the environment and variations in life history affect

large-scale distribution and diversification patterns in these marine organisms. In addition, he is

interested in studying how differences in life cycles evolved by modifications of the underlying

molecular machinery that modulates the metamorphosis from sessile polyp stage to adult jellyfish.


Bastian Bentlage The Stakes

This project will provide new insights into the evolution of complex life cycles by investigating life

cycle stage losses and gains in jellyfish, addressing broader questions on the evolution of complex

life history characters. The public will be engaged in my research through the “Scientist is in” and

“Expert is in” programs at the Museum. For this project, I am using animals already in culture at the

Museum to provide visitors with an active learning experience to gain insights into the connections

among different aquatic habitats. Specifically, I provide hands-on experiences with live animals for

museum visitors that reveal the link between the lesser-known sessile polyp stage and the free-

swimming jellyfish they are familiar with.

The Story

I started a marine biology program in my home country, Germany, some 15 years ago. Sorting

through plankton samples, I became aware of the fact that jellyfish are poorly understood and little

studied despite playing a major role in marine and other aquatic environments, both as predators and

prey. Our lack of understanding is fundamental in the sense that we have yet to describe much of the

diversity of jellyfish and understand their distributional limits. So I saw a clear need for studying

these organisms while at the same time being fascinated with their fragile beauty. This latter

fascination is mirrored in the popularity of jellyfish exhibits in aquaria these days and goes far back,

with Ernst Haeckel prominently featuring drawings of jellyfish in his Artforms of Nature, published

at the turn of the 19th century.

The Smithsonian Difference

The Smithsonian is a premier institution for natural history research, housing a wealth of specimens

that seeks comparison. By being at the Smithsonian, I gain access to this unique resource, allowing

me to study the morphology of my study organisms in detail. In addition, the Smithsonian also

provides state-of-the-art facilities for molecular genetic work. Thus, this institution allows me to

blend traditional specimen-based research with modern molecular approaches, a situation quite

unique compared to other institutions.

Looking Ahead

I am particularly looking forward to being part of the Smithsonian community. I am excited to share

my research with others working here and learn from them through formal and informal exchanges.

Further, I am sincerely looking forward to being able to engage visitors to the Museum on issues

surrounding my own research and marine biology in general. I have been a part of Smithsonian

outreach efforts in the past and find the opportunity to share my enthusiasm with the general public

and be challenged by questions I had not thought of previously very rewarding.

Word of Thanks

I would like to express my gratitude for being given the opportunity to study at the Smithsonian

through a Buck Fellowship. Being able to dedicate the next two years of my life to truly focus on

developing a research program that I believe has the potential to lay the foundation for my further

academic career is truly a blessing.


Antoine Bercovici, Dept. of Paleobiology

University of Rennes 1 (France)

Postdoctoral Fellow: December 2014 – December 2016

Research Title: How to survive a mass extinction? Understanding the recolonization process after

major environmental devastation at the end of the Cretaceous in southwestern North Dakota.

Advisor: Hans-Dieter Sues (Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology)

Antoine Bercovici received his Ph.D. in Sedimentology and Paleobotany at the University of Rennes

1, France, in December 2009. His main research interest lies in the study of the dynamics of plant

communities during mass extinction events, using fossil pollen as an indicator to track extinction and

re-colonization patterns. More specifically, his research focuses on a) the Cretaceous–Paleogene

(dinosaur) extinction associated with the impact of an asteroid 66 million years ago, and b) the end-

Permian mass extinction that obliterated ~90% of life on earth associated to a time of intense global

warming and volcanism. Antoine has published 23 papers, including the description of the youngest

known dinosaur specimen, the horn of a Triceratops found just 13cm below the asteroid impact bed.

During his Buck Fellowship, Antoine is describing the changes observed in the plant cover after the

Cretaceous extinction to better understand how biodiversity and devastated ecosystems reconstruct

themselves, and how long it takes. Evidence from the distant past can give insights of the current

vegetation dynamics in a changing world.


Antoine Bercovici The Stakes

The extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs has always been a topic of interest and fascination for the

public, but few realize that these animals were part of complex, structured ecosystems, comparable to

those we have today. The Deep Time exhibition can be used as a laboratory to better understand, test,

and predict what could happen to stressed ecosystems, with direct implications for today's challenge

of maintaining biodiversity in a world experiencing major climate and landscape modifications

associated to human activity.

Research Highlights

As a palynologist, I use the tiniest fossils, pollen, and spores, as evidence for reconstructing ancient

vegetal landscapes. We already knew that plant communities were affected by the disappearance of

many species immediately after the extinction event, as demonstrated by leaf fossils and pollen. My

current research focuses on their recovery, and tend to demonstrate two trends: 1) Barren landscapes

are recolonized by plants very rapidly, but with low diversity communities. Regaining biodiversity is

occurring on a several orders of magnitude longer scale. 2) The diverse and homogeneous plant

communities of the Cretaceous are replaced by very heterogenous assemblages, much like a

patchwork. I am now trying to understand the ecological reasons and duration of this environmental

patchiness.

Favorite Moment

My favorite moment will be completing two years working at the Smithsonian, which is an everyday

excitement; the research possibilities and freedom offered there is like nothing I experienced before.

The Buck Fellowship allows me to be close to many colleagues I have been previously collaborating

with, and the intellectual atmosphere is really helpful to make great things happen.


Being the first Deep Time Buck fellow, I am tightly involved with various outreach activities at the

Museum. I am working in the Last American Dinosaurs exhibition, and behind the window of the

Fossilab, where visitors can see live video from the microscope I am working on. I also regularly go

out to answer questions. Because my research is focusing on the study of the Hell Creek Formation, I

am very familiar with the content of the new exhibit, and with volunteer training, have led guided

tours for various guests. I participated in several Q?rius public events including National Fossil Day.

I have also started to write monthly entries to the blog of the Fossilab, reporting fieldwork and

research activities, and have several ongoing papers

(http://nmnh.typepad.com/smithsonian_fossils/fossilab/).

Looking Ahead

This Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellowship will be a fantastic springboard for an academic career, and

for keeping long-lasting work relationships with the Museum scientists. Museum positions are

exceedingly rare, and this could make a difference in securing one.

Word of Thanks

In a time of funding sources getting thinner, and postdoctoral experience lasting up to a decade, the

Buck Fellowship at the Smithsonian is the opportunity of a lifetime for many young scientists. The

National Museum of Natural History being one of the most exciting place in the world for natural

sciences, I am grateful to be allowed to take part of this scientific and cultural adventure, thanks to

your support.


Monica Carlsen, Dept. of Botany

University of Missouri, St. Louis

Postdoctoral Fellow: February 2015 – February 2017

Research Title: Understanding species diversity disparities across tropical forest regions

Advisors: W. John Kress (Interim Under Secretary for Science and Distinguished Scientist and

Curator of Botany) and Jun Wen (Research Botanist and Curator of Botany)

Monica Carlsen received her Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution and Systematics with emphasis on

molecular systematics of Neotropical plants from the University of Missouri, St. Louis and the

Missouri Botanical Garden in August 2011. Her primary research interest is to understand the

evolutionary and ecological mechanisms that affect worldwide patterns of tropical species diversity.

She has published 18 papers, including several new plant species. During her Buck Fellowship,

Carlsen will integrate phylogenetic methods with spatial analyses of species distribution models and

the study of the Smithsonian's herbarium collections of two large, widely distributed, tropical forest

plant groups, Araceae - aroids (ca. 3,000 spp.) and Zingiberales - ginger and relatives (ca. 2,000

spp.), in order to understand why the Neotropics contain twice as many species as the Asian tropics.


Monica Carlsen The Stakes

This research will contribute to a major goal in ecology and evolutionary biology: to understand how

and why the number of species varies among regions and groups, by combining several areas of

biology (i.e. phylogenetics, systematics, ecology, and evolution) in an integrative framework. This

study will increase our understanding of worldwide patterns of species diversity, identify factors

influencing species richness within highly diverse tropical regions, and assess the generality of these

processes across various continents and plant clades. This project will contribute to free, international

online data dissemination efforts (www.araceae.e-monocot.org and www.botany.si.edu/Zingiberales,

Encyclopedia Of Life) by validating taxonomic information and geographic occurrences. Above all,

this study will help meet the Smithsonian’s Grand Challenge of “Understanding and Sustaining a

Biodiverse Planet.”

Research Highlights

During the first five months of my Buck Fellowship, I have been assembling, formatting, and

cleaning up all the data necessary to analyze molecular phylogenetic and geographic distribution

patterns of ca. 3,000 tropical plant species. So far, I have compiled 15,000 DNA sequences from

GenBank and the Barcode of Life databases, and 85,000 localities from herbarium specimens.

Favorite Moment

My favorite moment of the fellowship so far was being featured in the Smithsonian 2014 Annual

Report “Today, Tomorrow, Forever” along with several other Buck Fellows. It was exciting to be

recognized as an exceptional scholar, and to showcase the impact that these fellowships have on the

Smithsonian Institution and on our future careers.


This summer, I had the opportunity to mentor an undergraduate senior student from Smith College,

Massachusetts. The student spent ten weeks working full-time on databasing U.S. Herbarium

collections and producing geographic distribution models. Some of the results from this small project

will be incorporated in a peer-reviewed article with the student as a coauthor.

Looking Ahead

My long-term career goal is to become a Botany curator in a herbarium or museum and to promote

interdisciplinary, integrative research in tropical plant groups. This Fellowship is helping me to

develop a wide-ranging set of analytical and outreach skills that will improve my overall scientific

foundation, as well as offering networking opportunities. The Smithsonian is providing unique

hands-on experiences with frontline technologies, such as genome sequencing.

Word of Thanks

I would like to deeply thank you for your generosity and support to young scholars at the National

Museum of Natural History. I am extremely honored to have been chosen for a Peter Buck

Postdoctoral Fellowship. I feel grateful to be learning so much about research, museum collections,

and professional interactions. Every day is a new wonderful experience at the Smithsonian, and I am

making the most out of it. I am also giving back the best way I can, by volunteering for special

events involving scientific learning activities for kids, such as the “Night at the Museum” series and

Breakfast at the Zoo program through the Smithsonian Associates.


Frederick Davis, Dept. of Mineral Sciences

University of Minnesota

Postdoctoral Fellow: September 2012 – September 2015

Research Title: First-row transition elements in oceanic island basalts and upper mantle lithologies

Advisor: Elizabeth Cottrell (Director, Global Volcanism Program)

Frederick Davis earned his Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Minnesota in 2012. His primary

research interests are in the chemical evolution and dynamics of the Earth’s crust and mantle. He

studies the chemistry of basaltic lavas and mantle xenoliths—rocks that are transported from the

mantle to the surface by volcanoes—to better understand the current chemical state of the Earth’s

interior and its history. While at the Museum, Davis has used the electron microprobe in the

Department of Mineral Sciences to analyze the major element and oxidation-reduction chemistry of

xenoliths as part of an investigation of the formation of basaltic lavas at ocean islands. His work has

also taken him to the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the

Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, where he uses X-Ray absorption

techniques to study the oxidation state of Earth materials.


Frederick Davis The Stakes

Through the processes of plate tectonics, the Earth’s mantle, crust, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are

exchanging material and evolving. Magmas produced in the deep Earth erupt at ocean ridges to make

new crust, and old crust and sediments elements return to the mantle at subduction zones. At the

surface, we can see only a small part of this planet-scale process. My research makes connections

between surface observations from erupted lavas and xenoliths to geochemical processes operating at

depths that we cannot directly observe. These observations inform geophysicists and geodynamicists

who study the physical properties of the whole Earth about processes operating at depth, and together

we paint a clearer picture of the present state and the evolutionary history of our planet.

Research Highlights

By investigating the chemistry of peridotite xenoliths from Earth’s mantle, my collaborators and I

have found that the thermal history of these rocks influences how they record oxidation-reduction

(redox) reactions that operate in the mantle. This thermal history needs to be accounted for to

accurately interpret the redox history of mantle rocks. This discovery may help to resolve an

incongruence in the rock record between lavas generated in the mantle and mantle rocks that have

been transported to the surface.

Favorite Moment

I mentored an undergraduate researcher, Ms. Kellie Wall, through the Museum’s Natural History

Research Experiences program last summer. We investigated the redox chemistry of peridotite

xenoliths from several volcanic Pacific Islands. We learned that the thermal history of these rocks

was critical to interpreting redox processes operating in the Earth’s shallow mantle, which may help

us to better connect the redox records of lavas and mantle rocks to processes operating in the deep

Earth. Ms. Wall presented these results at two international scientific conferences, and we are

preparing a manuscript to be submitted in early 2016. This was an incredibly valuable experience for

me to mentor an undergraduate researcher, while also performing exciting scientific research.


I have had several opportunities for science outreach, including presenting my research interests to

amateur and professional societies in the DC area. The most memorable was a six-minute Lightning

Talk that I gave to the public and museum community. It was a great opportunity to practice

communicating my science to a broad audience and to get feedback about what others find

interesting about my research.

Looking Ahead

This fall I will begin a faculty appointment in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

at the University of Minnesota at Duluth. I credit my time spent as a Buck Fellow with opportunities

to develop my research program, to connect with a fantastic mentor, Liz Cottrell, and other great

collaborators, and to experience mentoring graduate and undergraduate researchers. All of these

experiences have been critical in preparing me to begin my new faculty position.

Word of Thanks

I want to express my sincerest gratitude to Dr. Buck for the opportunities I have had to develop as a

scientist, both as a researcher and a mentor, through the Buck Postdoctoral Fellowship. Dr. Buck’s

generous gift has enabled me to pursue my interests in Earth Science and advance to the next stage of

my career. Thank you so much for your support, Dr. Buck.


Kristina M. G. Douglass, Depts. of Anthropology and Vertebrate Zoology

Yale University

Postdoctoral Fellow: January 2016 – January 2018

Research Title: Human-ratite interaction in southwest Madagascar: Understanding the extinction of

the elephant bird

Advisors: Torben Rick (Director and Curator, North American Archaeology) and Helen James

(Curator-in-Charge, Division of Birds)

Kristina Douglass received her Ph.D. in Anthropology, in the subfield of Archaeology, from Yale

University. Her dissertation investigates the relationship between humans and their environment in

southwest coastal Madagascar through time, from the earliest settlements in the region around 1,500

years ago until the 19th century. She is particularly interested in understanding patterns of resource

exploitation and the dynamics that led to the extinction of Madagascar’s giant flightless elephant

birds. During her Buck Fellowship, Douglass will analyze the eggshell remains of elephant bird eggs

from archaeological contexts to determine whether human predation of eggs played a role in elephant

bird population declines. Her research will provide much needed direct evidence of human impact on

elephant bird populations. She will also study the first recorded worked pieces of elephant bird

eggshell, including the first recovered eggshell beads from Madagascar, which she excavated during

her doctoral fieldwork. Douglass’ analysis will allow her to describe the crafts and trade associated

with elephant bird remains. She will compare Madagascar’s eggshell working traditions to the

working of other ratite species’ eggshell in other regions of the world by using the Museum’s

extensive collection of eggshell and eggshell artifacts.


Kristina M. G. Douglass The Stakes

Madagascar was colonized by humans sometime in the last few thousand years. In the period

following human arrival, a suite of animals went extinct in Madagascar—a scenario that has played

out in other famous examples of island colonization, like New Zealand. In Madagascar, however,

little direct evidence of human impact on the environment and on endemic fauna has been recovered,

particularly for the earliest period of human occupation of the island. Despite the relative paucity of

direct evidence of human impact on the environment and now-extinct fauna, it has long been

assumed that human arrival precipitated this wave of extinctions. My project will provide insight into

the resource exploitation patterns of human communities along the southwest coast of Madagascar

through time. In particular, it will provide data regarding human exploitation of elephant birds, so

that we will have a basis for discussing the role humans may have played in driving elephant bird

extinction.

The Story

Madagascar is an incredibly rich country in terms of culture and biodiversity. Unfortunately, it is also

challenged by extremely difficult economic conditions and widespread poverty. In recent times,

poverty and lack of alternate livelihoods to fishing, hunting, and foraging have put pressures on

communities all over the island to increase the intensity of natural resource exploitation for local

consumption and for market sale. This pressure on natural resources has led to significant declines in

fauna and flora populations and has led conservation groups to promote community-based

conservation initiatives. Many of these initiatives, however, do not have the benefit of a long-term

perspective on local communities’ relationship with their environment. I believe that the choices

people make to exploit natural resources are complex and that an archaeological perspective can lend

important insights to modern conservation initiatives and environmental policy, in addition to helping

us understand past extinctions.


My research questions require the input and expertise of scholars across the sciences, and I am

greatly looking forward to developing my project further with the support and feedback of the

Smithsonian’s incredible core of researchers and with the benefit of the Museum’s lab facilities. The

Museum’s extensive collections of eggshell and eggshell artifacts will provide an unparalleled

comparative collection for my research.

Looking Ahead

My co-advisors’ areas of expertise are a dream pairing for the work I am doing, and I believe that

working on my project with their guidance will allow me to make a stronger contribution to science

and become a better researcher. I am also looking forward to doing research in the context of a

museum, where the objective is to make research and knowledge relevant and accessible to the

public.

Word of Thanks

When I first read about the Peter Buck Fellowship Program, I knew that it would provide me with the

best possible resources, facilities, training, and guidance for my current research project and for my

long-term professional development. I am honored and feel very privileged to have the opportunity to

learn from the scholars at the Museum and to become a part of such a long and important tradition of

research and education. Thank you for supporting me in my research and for giving me this

incredible opportunity to develop as a scientist.


Klint Ericson, Dept. of Anthropology

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Predoctoral Fellow: September 2013 – September 2016

Research Title: Sumptuous and Beautiful, As They Were: Architectural Form, Everyday Life, and

Cultural Encounter in a Seventeenth-Century New Mexico Mission

Advisor: Gwyneira Isaac (Curator of North America)

Klint Ericson is a Ph.D. candidate in the Art History Department at the University of North Carolina

at Chapel Hill, with an emphasis in Spanish colonial architecture and material culture. His

dissertation project combines anthropological and art historical approaches in an interdisciplinary

exploration of seventeenth-century mission architecture in New Mexico, focusing on a case study of

the Purísima Concepción (1629-1672) mission at the Zuni Pueblo of Hawikku. From 1917 to 1923,

the Smithsonian Institution and the Museum of the American Indian-Heye Foundation conducted

excavations at Hawikku, work which was published in 1966, but without the important artifacts from

the Purísima Concepción. Ericson’s research focuses on the cultural encounters and negotiations that

took place between Spanish friars and Zuni members of the mission community, relying upon the

mission artifacts as a body of primary evidence, along with primary sources, ethnographic

contextualization, and comparison to other New Mexico missions. This work will present the mission

artifacts for the first time, nearly one hundred years after their original excavation. Through their

analysis, Ericson will articulate a new interpretation of mission architecture, shifting focus from the

church building and Spanish agency, to the architectural spaces of everyday life and the role of

community members in constructing meaning.


Klint Ericson The Stakes

My research revisits one of the largest excavations in American anthropological history. Located in

western New Mexico, Hawikku is an often-overlooked site of great significance as the place of first contact

between European, African, and Native cultures in the American Southwest (1538). Its later role in the

Spanish campaign to convert Native peoples to Catholicism makes it a prime candidate for glimpsing how

Pueblo and European cultures interacted in the close intimacy of everyday colonial life. Hawikku’s

previously unpublished mission artifacts present a rich source for understanding the reception of architecture

and material culture among Spanish and Zuni community members.

Research Highlights

Through archival work to reconstruct the process of Hawikku’s excavation, I identified artifacts

associated with the mission, which are now the focus of my research as I inspect, measure, photograph,

and document each piece. I employ a range of media-specific techniques which allow me to characterize

the artifacts individually while inferring their relationship to the larger mission assemblage and social

interactions in the mission community. Ongoing dialogue with the Zuni Tribal Council, institutions such

as the A:shiwi A:wan Museum in Zuni Pueblo, and interested tribal members comprise an added level of

review, ensuring the relevance of my work and its availability to the descendent community—the most

important stakeholder in this history’s telling.

Favorite Moment

Travels to both to Zuni Pueblo and to the Extremadura region of Spain have been a highlight of my

research. In Zuni, I was honored and humbled to see the warm reception of my work among tribal

historians. I have been able to fill in areas of interest to them through my access to archives and

collections of their ancestral heritage long removed from their community. Additionally, visiting the

Extremadura region of western Spain has allowed me to document numerous monastic and parish

churches, collecting a body of comparative material that promises to offer new insights on the roots and

significance of colonial architecture in New Mexico.


I have presented papers at the annual conferences of the Society of Architectural Historians and the

College Art Association, two of the premier organizations in my field. I also contributed to a coauthored

chapter for the next volume of Smithsonian’s Handbook of North American Indians. Finally, I will be

presenting my research in several talks over the next year, for the Smithsonian and the Latrobe Chapter of

the Society of Architectural Historians, among others.

Looking Ahead

My career objective is to teach art history as a politically engaged discourse that facilitates more

democratic and inclusive narratives of the past. I am passionate about teaching as a dialogue of mutual

growth, and seek to expand the historical perspectives, expressive voices, and critical faculties of students

in my classes. This fellowship has furnished the research materials that will be the basis of my work and

publications over the coming years, and has allowed me to establish vital relationship with members of

the Zuni and scientific communities which will prove invaluable.

Word of Thanks

Support from the Buck Fellowship has shaped my work and professional identity. If not for its visionary

emphasis on interdisciplinary work and sustained support for original projects, I could not have

completed the time consumptive research program that I laid out for my dissertation. My time at the

Museum has enabled me to undertake a broader scope of research than would otherwise have been

possible, avoiding a narrow project definition that would have limited my future opportunities and failed

to account for the rich potential of the Hawikku artifacts.


Nathaniel Evans, Dept. of Invertebrate Zoology

University of Florida

Predoctoral Fellow: August 2014 – August 2015

Research Title: Morphological and developmental disparity dynamics associated with the

emergence of commensalism and the loss of swimming in “swimming” crabs

Advisor: Rafael Lemaitre (Curator of decapod Crustacea) and Christopher Meyer (Curator of

Mollusca)

Nathaniel Evans is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Zoology at the University of Florida. He is

interested in studying the systematics and evolutionary history of marine invertebrates, especially

crustaceans. He also frequently participates in marine invertebrate biodiversity surveys where he

actively contributes to the collection, identification, and curation of specimens for Museum

collections. His Ph.D. research, including that conducted as a Buck Fellow, focuses on using

molecular and morphometric data to better understand how morphology evolved during the radiation

of an important lineage of tropical, reef associated crabs belonging to the family Portunidae (a group

that includes our local blue crab, Callinectes sapidus). Evans’ research is also considerably

improving our understanding about the systematics of the crab superfamily Portunoidea (a clade

encompassing ~455 species).


Nathaniel Evans The Stakes

Morphological disparity is an important measure of biodiversity and understanding its origin is a

significant part of macroevolutionary theory. An active area of research in this field examines the

relative influence of extrinsic (e.g. ecological) and intrinsic (e.g. developmental) factors on

morphological evolution. As a Buck Fellow, I am contributing to this work by using Museum

collections to investigate how morphological and developmental disparity accumulated in a unique

and charismatic lineage of crabs belonging to the economically important “swimming crab” family

Portunidae. Diversification of these crabs included significant ecological divergence that involved

abandoning a swimming lifestyle for sedentary, symbiotic relationships with reef-associated

organisms.

Research Highlights

One really cool finding from my work has been the discovery of additional portunid crabs that have

evolved symbiotic relationships with other reef organisms. This was only made possible by

examining both phylogenetic data and revisiting habitat collection data. These results add important

context for understanding the diversity of these crabs.

Favorite Moment

My phylogenetic work has confirmed and highlighted the talent of previous taxonomists. That is, as a

result of my findings, I will “resurrect” at least one previously described family, one genus and two

species. Figuring out these issues has brought to life the work of previous scientists and I always

enjoy these discoveries.


My research is contributing to six papers, of which four should be submitted by the end of the year.

However, some of my favorite ways of disseminating my work has been through public outreach.

With the help of our Ocean Education staff, I have done several outreach events in the science

learning center, Q?rius. Through these events, I have interacted with over 350 visitors, discussing my

research and hopefully expanding their appreciation for the diversity of an important group of

crustaceans. More broadly, I believe these interactions have also done a small part in helping visitors

better appreciate the importance of natural history museums.

Looking Ahead

For my career I am interested in continuing to conduct collections-based research to investigate

questions about the biology and evolution of crustaceans. I am also interested in disseminating these

findings to the public. The Buck Fellowship has provided a unique opportunity for me to do both of

these things at a premier institution.

Word of Thanks

I would like to sincerely thank you for supporting the work of early career scientists like myself.

Buck Fellowships support an incredibly important part of the research community here at the

Smithsonian. The Buck Fellowships help bring many talented students and postdocs into a large

community of excellent researchers, and give them access to the world’s best natural history

collections while also providing the necessary infrastructure to conduct cutting-edge science. I have

enjoyed and benefited greatly by being a part of this community.


Danielle Fraser, Dept. of Paleobiology

Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada)

Postdoctoral Fellow: August 2015 – August 2017

Research Title: Late Cenozoic mammal phylogenetic community structure

Advisor: Kate Lyons (Research Geologist for Evolution of Terrestrial Ecosystems (ETE) Program)

and Peter Wagner (Curator of Paleozoic Molluscs)

Danielle Fraser received her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada)

in May 2015 with an emphasis on Cenozoic (65 Ma – present) North American mammal responses to

global climate changes. She is interested in understanding how climate drives changes in both

speciation and extinction and the community structure of terrestrial vertebrates. She has published 12

papers in prestigious journals including Evolution. During her Peter Buck Fellowship, Fraser will be

studying how the phylogenetic structure of North American mammals has changed in both space and

time under late Cenozoic (~25 Ma – present) climate and environmental changes. Danielle’s project

is a critical step in answering “What factors have led to the emergence of communities as we know

them today?” and will generate predictions for the impact of ongoing global climate change on

terrestrial animal communities that particularly addresses the role of extinction.


Danielle Fraser The Stakes I believe that understanding how and why the numbers and types of animals change under climate

perturbation is particularly critical in the context of ongoing global change. I also believe that the

fossil record is the best source of data on the long-term responses of animals to climate change. The

fossil record is a result of a natural experiment that can help illuminate the processes that lead to the

formation of modern communities and uniquely address the roles of speciation and extinction in

climate change responses. I believe that studies based solely on living (not extinct) organisms are

unlikely to accurately predict the response of organisms due to the exclusion of evolutionary

processes. For these reasons, I use the fossil record to develop predictions for how modern animal

communities might change as global climate change continues.

The Story

In general, paleontology appeals to my tendency to think about biological patterns over thousands of

kilometers and across millions of years. I started my academic career as much more of a traditional

paleontologist, measuring bones and making inferences about the life styles of extinct organisms

(particularly the diets of fossil hoofed mammals; something I still find very interesting). However,

the realization that the fossil record contains high resolution information on how animal communities

have changed over millions of years and that it can have real implications for understanding the

modern world is what really gives me that sense of wonder.


The Smithsonian has one of the premier collections of fossil mammals in North America. I can

therefore collect mountains of data on their response to climate change in the last 65 million years.

The National Museum of Natural History is also home to some of the premier researchers in my

field, thus providing me with an unprecedented opportunity for academic enrichment and research

collaboration. Furthermore, I have always worked in departments where almost no one else shared

my research interests. Working at the Smithsonian with researchers whose interests overlap with my

own will be refreshing.

Looking Ahead

I am most excited to meet the numerous research scientists at the Museum and to share my research

ideas with them. I am also looking forward to working with the impressive paleontological

collections at the Museum. On a more specific note, I am looking forward to disseminating my

research at the Museum in both academic (i.e. scientific journals) and public media (e.g. blogs,

twitter) outlets. The Smithsonian affiliation will improve the visibility of my research to the general

public and the impact of my research in the scientific community.

Word of Thanks

I am immensely thankful for the opportunity to work at the Smithsonian Institution. You have given

me an amazing opportunity for career advancement and academic enrichment that I could not have

gotten elsewhere. Your generosity has allowed me to work at one of the most respected institutions in

paleontology and numerous other fields. The benefits of a Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellowship to my

career will be immeasurable. Not only am I given the opportunity to work at a premier institution but

also to live in a beautiful city in a new country. Please accept my sincere thanks for this amazing

opportunity.


Jessica Goodheart, Dept. of Invertebrate Zoology


Predoctoral Fellow: September 2015 – August 2017

Research Title: Phylogenetics of Cladobranchia (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) and the Evolution of

Stinging Organelles (nematocysts) as a Defense Mechanism

Advisors: Ellen Strong (Research Zoologist, Curator of Mollusca) and Allen G. Collins (Research

Zoologist, NMNH & NMFS, NOAA)

Jessica Goodheart is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Maryland, College Park with a

focus on nudibranch systematics. She is interested in understanding the evolutionary relationships

and biodiversity of marine invertebrates, with a particular interest in nudibranch sea slugs. She has

published three papers thus far, including a systematic revision of the sea slug genus

Pleurobranchus. During her Buck Fellowship, Goodheart will perform phylogenomic analyses on

Cladobranchia, a group of nudibranch sea slugs. This will provide a framework for studying the

ability to sequester the stinging organelles of cnidarians, which a number of species within this group

have. Her research will provide the first solid phylogeny of Cladobranchia, and will allow for a

multitude of other studies on the evolution of characters within these sea slugs.


Jessica Goodheart The Stakes

The field of systematics is critical for the advancement of science. Without understanding the

relationships between organisms, we have no basis for comparison in regard to the ecology,

chemistry, behavior, etc., of those organisms. Within sea slugs, there have been multiple species used

for experimentation within the field of medicine, including neurological and pharmaceutical research,

among others. In this regard, two things are critical: 1) the ability to define a species, and 2) an

understanding of which species are most closely related. When these critical points are not followed,

the conclusions drawn in any experiment may be incorrect. My job is to use scientific tools to

organize groups of organisms and to clarify their evolutionary relationships so all scientists can feel

confident in their conclusions.

The Story

Jellyfish are pretty cool organisms already, and the fact that they can sting other organisms to defend

themselves or capture food makes them deadly cool. But what if there were other animals that could

steal those stingers and use them for themselves? Enter nudibranchs! Though not the only animals

that can do so, some of the nudibranchs I study can steal those stinging organelles (called

nematocysts) and use them in their own defense. But how did this ability evolve? Some of the

structures involved are complex, and very little is known about the steps involved in the evolution of

this ability. This story really captured my attention simply by being so fascinating: sea slugs that can

steal stingers from (arguably) some of the more dangerous organisms in the world? How could I not

be interested!


I know the Smithsonian is going to be a fantastic place to do my research. The top-notch laboratory

facilities will make it easy to do my research, but what I’m most excited about is the knowledge and

expertise at the National Museum of Natural History. I expect to learn a lot in my time at the

Smithsonian and I hope to do some really great research.

Looking Ahead

The taxonomic, systematic, and morphological expertise is fantastic at the National Museum of

Natural History, and I am excited to work with some of the top scientists in their fields. It is not

every day you get to work with and beside world-renowned scientists.

Word of Thanks

I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to Dr. Buck for this wonderful opportunity. The

chance to continue my scientific inquiry at an institution as renowned as the Smithsonian is

unbelievably exciting for any young scientist, and I recognize that the National Museum of Natural

History will be a great place to advance my work.


Morgan Gostel, Dept. of Botany

George Mason University


Research Title: A conserved ortholog set (COS) for Compositae: A case study in Moquiniastrum

and outreach through GGI-Gardens

Advisor: Vicki Funk (Curator, Botany) and Rebecca Dikow (co-advisor, Postdoctoral Fellow in

Biodiversity Genomics)

Morgan Gostel joined the Global Genome Initiative as a postdoctoral fellow in September 2015.

Gostel manages outreach, training, and development of the GGI Gardens program and is using

phylogenomics methods to explore species-level evolutionary relationships in flowering plants. He

will be studying the diversity and evolutionary history among approximately 20 species of

Moquiniastrum, a diverse genus of herbaceous plants and trees from South America. The molecular

tools that he is using to study Moquiniastrum will also allow researchers to better understand the

evolutionary history of other groups in the family to which it belongs (Asteraceae) which, with ca.

25,000 species, is one of the most diverse families of angiosperms on Earth. Gostel’s research

interests include angiosperm systematics, comparative phylogenomics, historical biogeography,

biodiversity conservation policy, and the role of natural history collections for genomics. He received

his Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Policy from George Mason University.


Morgan Gostel The Stakes

The diversity of life has an incredible history and GGI is helping to share it by preserving genomes.

My research will represent a collection of genome-quality tissue samples from all of the families and

50% of the named genera from plants on Earth. Thanks to partnerships with botanic gardens,

greenhouses, and arboreta worldwide, GGI Gardens will be a leader in plant genomics. Information

contained within the DNA of genomes is tantamount to understanding the evolutionary history of life

on Earth. Our capacity to understand the evolutionary process depends on methods to sequence and

compare regions of DNA that contain fragments of this history. My research with Moquiniastrum

and the sunflower family (Asteraceae) will enable discoveries that help reconstruct the historical

events and evolutionary innovations leading to one of the most diverse groups on plants on Earth.

The Story

I have been captivated by the natural world since I was a child. Growing up on a small farm, my

earliest memories are of walking through orchards, picking and eating fruit off of a branch. My

family instilled within me a deep appreciation for the beauty of biological diversity by sharing

outdoor experiences across US National Parks throughout my childhood. These memories inspire my

interests and research today, but they are directed by a curiosity to understand the origins of such

incredible diversity. What drives the evolution of such endless forms most beautiful?


The Museum’s Botany Department houses one of the most diverse research collections of flowering

plants in the United States, and GGI is an example of ambitious, transformative biological research

achievable only at the Smithsonian. My work is possible thanks to the vision of GGI, diversity of

Museum collections, global reach of the Smithsonian, technological laboratory resources, and tissue

preservation capacity of the Biorepository. Ultimately, what drives the work of the Smithsonian are

the global experts working here. Vicki Funk is a world-renowned expert in the diversity of

Asteraceae, with over 35 years of research experience. No one on Earth knows more about the

sunflower family—one of the most species rich families of plants—than Dr. Funk. Rebecca Dikow, a

postdoctoral fellow with the Institute for Biodiversity Genomics, brings a similar expertise to 21st

genomic data analysis. Together, we will work to transform our knowledge of tropical plant diversity

and evolution—that is Seriously Amazing.

Looking Ahead

I am most excited about the opportunity to extend the Smithsonian’s global network by expanding

the GGI Gardens program and working with botanic gardens worldwide. This program will allow the

Smithsonian to partner with other research institutions that have living collections of a majority of

plant diversity. Partnering with these institutions to collect genomic tissues will be the biggest project

I have ever been a part of and one that can transform the landscape of plant genomics.

Word of Thanks

The opportunity to work at the Smithsonian as a Buck postdoctoral fellow is the most important

achievement in my life, to date. I remember visiting the Museum as a child and imagining what it

would be like to one day work at such a place. Today I am living a dream, fulfilled through hard

work, but tempered with curiosity and joy that comes through discovery every day. I cannot thank

you enough for making this research fellowship possible and providing researchers like me with an

opportunity to pursue a career in natural history. I hope that I can express my gratitude fully through

my commitment every day to tireless effort and patience that comes with a love for the work I do.


Andrew Gottscho, Department of Vertebrate Zoology

San Diego State University

Postdoctoral Fellow: September 2015 – June 2017

Research Title: Systematics and Species Delimitation of Zebra-tailed Lizards (Callisaurus)

Advisors: Kevin de Queiroz (Research Zoologist) and Michael Braun (Research Scientist)

Andrew Gottscho received his Ph.D. in August 2015 from San Diego State University and the

University of California, Riverside (joint-doctoral program in Evolutionary Biology). His primary

research interests are speciation, species delimitation, phylogeography, and conservation of lizards

(family Phrynosomatidae) in southwestern North America. As a Peter Buck postdoctoral fellow,

Gottscho will be studying the systematics of species of zebra-tailed lizards (Callisaurus), integrating

morphological and genomic data to test alternative species delimitation hypotheses.


Andrew Gottscho The Stakes

One of the four grand challenges of the Smithsonian is understanding and sustaining a biodiverse

planet, specifically to “improve understanding of and access to the biology and natural history of

species” and to “increase knowledge of the evolutionary and ecological history of species and

ecosystems.” I anticipate that my research will make valuable contributions to the fields of

population and evolutionary biology and historical biogeography by synthesizing and integrating

across a variety of disparate disciplines including morphology, genomics, bioinformatics, ecology,

and geology.

My research may also have important conservation implications. Notwithstanding disagreements

over definitions, the species remains the most fundamental unit of biodiversity for conservation, and

the North American deserts represent a high conservation priority. Thus, systematic research is

important because we need to have a solid understanding of species limits and relationships to

accurately quantify biodiversity. We cannot protect biodiversity, much of it hidden in plain sight,

unless we know what is out there and how it evolved.

The Story

Over the course of my graduate education, I have worked with Callisaurus extensively in the field

and they have become, in my opinion, the most interesting lizard in southwestern North America. I

am especially interested in them because: 1) they have a huge range across the deserts of North

America, including the Great Basin, Mojave, Sonoran, and Peninsular Deserts, spanning a large

latitudinal range, 2) they occur on at least 16 islands in the Gulf of California/Pacific Ocean, making

them ideal organisms to test hypotheses regarding islands biogeography, 3) they occur on either side

of the Gulf of California, making them ideal organisms to test hypotheses regarding the role of the

San Andreas Fault system in promoting speciation, and 4) numerous subspecies have been described

over the past 100+ years, but none of these subspecies are currently recognized, making them an

ideal group to test alternative species delimitation hypotheses.


I am sure that my time as a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian will open many doors for me,

especially future career opportunities. I am excited that USGS and NOAA also have offices at the

Museum, because these are agencies that I would be happy to work with in the future—I would like

to make a real difference in biodiversity conservation and management. Regardless of whether I end

up primarily doing teaching, research, or outreach in the future, I expect that I will grow as a scientist

during my fellowship and build new connections that will last throughout my career.

Looking Ahead

I am looking forward to building connections with other researchers at the Museum and National

Zoo, finishing my years of work on Callisaurus, and reaching some sort of closure regarding the

numbers of species and their geographic boundaries within this complex. I am also looking forward

to experiencing the rich intellectual culture of Washington, DC outside of the Museum.

Word of Thanks

I am incredibly grateful for this amazing opportunity, which is afforded to so few researchers. The

applicant pool was very competitive and I am truly fortunate to have made the final cut. Thank you,

Dr. Buck, for funding this fellowship program!


AJ Harris, Dept. of Botany

Oklahoma State University


Research Title: The effects of time, speciation and extinction rates, and morphological traits on

assembly of the woody flora of North America

Advisors: Research Botanists and Curators Jun Wen, Pedro Acevedo, Warren Wagner, and Elizabeth

Zimmer

AJ Harris completed her Ph.D. in Plant Science at the Oklahoma State University in December 2014.

She is interested in all aspects of plant evolution, particularly historical biogeography. She has

published 12 papers, including a new method in historical biogeographic analysis. Additionally,

Harris has also worked extensively on temperate, Northern Hemisphere biogeography with

collaborators in China through a National Science Foundation East Asia Pacific Summer Institutes

Fellowship. She plans to continue her study of the historical biogeography of Northern Hemisphere

plants during her Buck Fellowship. In particular, she will examine the relationships between the

historical colonization of North America by woody tree species in 15 plant families and their rates of

evolution; especially molecular divergence, evolution of functional traits, and speciation and

extinction rates. To more critically examine the relationships between colonization success and

functional traits, Harris will concentrate some of her research efforts on extant and fossil species in

the sister genera Acer L. (maples) and Aesculus L. (buckeyes; Sapindaceae or soapberries). She

expects that her research will lead to a better understanding of the historical assembly of the woody

North American flora and its present patterns of plant biodiversity.


AJ Harris The Stakes

Prior studies have focused on geographic area size as a primary driver of colonization success. My

study will be among the first to consider the roles of biological processes, particularly molecular and

morphological evolution, on colonization success. I expect that my study will provide insights into

the biological influence on colonization success of North American woody plant clades. Moreover,

my study will provide a methodological framework for better integrating biological processes into

future work on colonization.

The Story

I am excited by historical biogeography for two main reasons. First, its multidisciplinary nature

enables me to design and conduct research that utilizes a diverse skill set including skills at working

in molecular and anatomy laboratories, in the field, and behind the computer. Thus, very few ‘days in

the office’ are ever alike. Second, and more importantly, historical biogeography has been

fundamental to advancing theories of evolution (Wallace, 1858; Darwin, 1859), biodiversity (von

Humboldt, 1807), and continental drift (Wegener, 1915). I strongly believe that historical

biogeography can continue to make essential contributions to these great disciplines and others. I am

very happy that I get to play a small role in that.

The research that I plan to accomplish during my Buck Fellowship capitalizes on my existing

research strengths in the areas of phylogeny, bioinformatics, and biodiversity informatics, floras, and

Sapindaceae.


My project will benefit from the talents of my four advisors and others in the Smithsonian Botany

and Paleontology Departments in the areas of systematics, morphology, paleobotany, and

biogeography. My project will be dependent upon Smithsonian facilities, especially the herbarium

collections which are unparalleled for representing North American plant species. I will also utilize

the plant anatomy lab for morphological trait research, L.A.B for generating molecular sequences,

and the paleobotanical collections for studying extinct species of Aesculus and Acer, and the high

performance computing system for my data analyses.

I believe that training at Smithsonian facilities will prepare me for a strongly and necessarily

multidisciplinary research career in historical biogeography, and that professionally networking with

Smithsonian scientists will help me to become established in my field.

Looking Ahead

I am excited to get started at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History to take

ownership of my multifaceted project. The project is a big undertaking and will be challenging, but it

is made possible by the Institution’s diverse, onsite resources and facilities.

Word of Thanks

The opportunity to work at the Smithsonian and pursue a self-designed research project in historical

biogeography has been a dream for me since I started work on my M.S. degree. I am not fully able to

convey in words my extreme gratitude to Dr. Buck for his essential role in making my dream a

reality. I sincerely hope that the small contributions of my work will be consistent with Dr. Buck’s

vision for the Fellowship.


Maria Heikkilä, Depts. of Entomology and Paleobiology

University of Helsinki (Finland)

Postdoctoral Fellow: February 2015 – January 2017

Research Title: Improved time frame for the diversification of Lepidoptera (moths & butterflies): a

synthesis of paleontology, next-generation sequencing and morphology

Advisors: Conrad Labandeira (Curator in Paleobiology), Don Davis (Emeritus Curator of

Lepidoptera), and Charles Mitter (NMNH Research Associate, University of Maryland)

Maria Heikkilä received her Ph.D. in December 2014 from the Finnish Museum of Natural History,

University of Helsinki, Finland. In her thesis she dealt with the evolutionary history of one of the

largest groups of insects, moths and butterflies (> 157,000 described species). The emphasis of her

research was in finding morphological evidence to help resolve the evolutionary relationships among

major lineages of moths and butterflies. During her Buck Fellowship she will be using this large

dataset of morphological characters to examine and identify several hundred moth and butterfly

fossils. The securely identified fossils will be used as calibration points in dating analyses aiming at

estimating a time frame for the evolution of this diverse group of insects. She will also explore when

and under what paleoecological circumstances did the major moth and butterfly lineages arise and

how transitions from feeding on dead plant material to live plants have affected diversification rates.


Maria Heikkilä The Stakes

The aim of my project is to greatly increase the number of securely identified moth and butterfly

fossils both in the Smithsonian collection and major external collections. By combining evolutionary

trees based on genomic data and information obtained from fossils, we are able to estimate better

when moths and butterflies have evolved and diversified. We can also explore why certain lineages

are more diverse in terms of species numbers than others, and could the causes be in the geological

and climatic history of the Earth. Such information can potentially help in predicting the effects of

climate change on the extant lineages. Understanding the evolutionary history of moths and

butterflies will also help understand that of many other groups of organisms, for example, bats and parasitoid wasps.

Research Highlights

In the six months that I have worked on my fellowship project, I have already been able to critically

examine the identifications of over 100 fossils. A number of these fossils show reliable

morphological characters that will allow me to place them in a phylogenetic context and use them as

calibration points in divergence time analyses.

Favorite Moment

Finding fossils of moths showing morphological structures that are clear evidence that the moth has

shared a common ancestor with a group extant moths also having this character. Such fossils of

moths and butterflies are rare!


I was asked to coauthor a study to be published in Systematic Entomology on the phylogeny of the

superfamily Gelechioidea by another Buck Fellow, Jae-Cheon Sohn. I have also been invited to

organize a symposium on fossil moths and butterflies at the congress of Societas Europaea

Lepidopterologica this fall.

Looking Ahead

I think the opportunity to work at the Smithsonian will have a significant influence on my

professional development and future possibilities to receive grants and hopefully a permanent

position as a researcher or curator. The Museum has a great reputation also in my home country,

Finland. Having been given the opportunity to work in the exceptional collections and learn from the

leading experts in my field will be appreciated by potential funders and employers. I have already

learned a lot and made many contacts, as many researchers, both American and international, have

visited the Museum.

Word of Thanks

I am truly grateful that this grant is available for researchers in evolutionary systematics. I have often

felt that this field has less funding opportunities, as people may not see the importance of

understanding the evolutionary history of organisms. I also appreciate that researchers from all

around the world are eligible to apply for the grant. I am very grateful to have been given this

opportunity and will do my best to advance research on the Museum collections.


Margaret A. G. Hinkle, Dept. of Mineral Sciences

Washington University in St. Louis

Postdoctoral Fellow: June 2015 – June 2017

Research Title: Controls on Mycogenic Manganese Oxide Phase Transformations and Subsequent

Impact on Contaminant and Micronutrient Fate

Advisor: Jeffrey E. Post (Geologist and Curator-in-Charge, Mineral Collection) and Cara M. Santelli

(Geologist, Division of Mineralogy)

Margaret Hinkle obtained her Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis in Earth and Planetary

Sciences this past May, focusing on aqueous geochemistry and mineralogy. Her interest centers on

understanding how constituents common in natural systems (such as micronutrients and

contaminants) are affected during iron and manganese biogeochemical cycling, and how

biogeochemical processes at the mineral-water interface affect the compositions of natural waters in

present day and geologic systems. She has published three papers and has two papers currently in

review. Through her Buck Fellowship, she will investigate fungi that control the precipitation of

manganese oxides and assess the degree to which these mycogenic manganese oxides alter nickel,

zinc, cobalt, and chromium sorption behaviors and long-term sequestration. Hinkle’s research is

directly applicable to coal mine drainage remediation methods, as manganese oxidizing fungi are

used in some coal mine drainage remediation strategies. In addition, her research will provide insight

into the controls fungi exert on micronutrient bioavailability and the specific manganese oxide

minerals observed in modern and ancient systems.


Margaret A. G. Hinkle The Stakes The research I will conduct with my Buck Fellowship is important in understanding the processes

that affect trace metal concentrations and manganese (Mn) oxide mineral reactivity in natural

systems. Mn oxides are widespread minerals that exert substantial controls on trace metals, including

nickel, zinc, cobalt, and chromium, all of which are important micronutrients but also water and soil

contaminants at higher concentrations. Fungi may be very important in controlling the reactivity of

Mn oxides and Mn oxide formation in natural and metal-polluted systems, such as coal mine

drainage remediation sites, and may stabilize highly reactive Mn oxides similar to those most

common in the geologic record. My project will identify how trace metal uptake in mycogenic Mn

oxides change over time and will provide insight into the controls fungi exert on Mn oxide reactivity.

The Story

I have long been interested in understanding mineral surface reactions as a means to predict the

large-scale behavior and health of environmental systems. Fungi are intimately linked to several

geologic processes, such as element cycling, mineral formation and dissolution, and rock weathering,

and are important players in soil formation, the bioavailability of micronutrients, and the mobility of

contaminants. I find biomineralization to be a fascinating topic, and am very excited to be entering

the burgeoning field of geomycology with my Smithsonian research.


Researching biogenic Mn oxides presents a unique set of technical challenges, but the Mineral

Sciences Division at the Smithsonian houses instruments optimized for analyzing such materials: two

rapid µ-X-ray diffractometers and an environmental scanning electron microscope. Making use of

the free and unlimited access to these instruments considerably increases the number of conditions

and variables that could be researched at another institution. During my project, I will learn microbial

research techniques and methods at the cutting-edge of biogeochemical research.

Looking Ahead

I am thrilled to embark on a project that I have envisioned and designed from the ground up. Until

now, I have always focused on abiotic systems, so I am excited to learn how to conduct microbial

experiments as I start my work in the Geomicrobiology lab. Part of my proposed research will entail

conducting synchrotron-based X-ray microprobe analyses—a technique that I have long wanted to

learn and incorporate into my research. Above all, I am most excited to learn from my colleagues in

the Mineral Sciences Department here at the Smithsonian.

Word of Thanks

I would like to thank Dr. Buck for supporting young researchers like myself with his fellowship

program. It is incredibly generous to provide so many Ph.D. graduates and candidates the opportunity

to conduct independent research projects. With your support through this fellowship, I have the

freedom to focus on developing and implementing my own research plan and the ability to learn

microbial research techniques from experts in my field. As I intend to obtain a faculty position and

run a research laboratory focused on mineral surface reactions in microbial systems, the skills I will

learn during my postdoc at the Smithsonian are of critical importance. No other institution has better

resources (both in terms of the instrumentation and the personnel), and I count myself lucky to be

able to spend my next two years here. I hope to be able to help aspiring scientists in their endeavors

as you have helped me through your fellowship program.


Ana Ješovnik, Dept. of Entomology


Predoctoral Fellow: July 2014 – July 2016

Research Title: Phylogeny and taxonomy of the fungus-growing ant genus: species delimitation in

Sericomyrmex

Advisor: Ted R. Schultz (Curator of Hymenoptera)

Ana Ješovnik graduated with a Master degree from University in Zagreb in Croatia. She studies ants

and is most interested in their natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. She published four papers,

two of them on fungus-growing ants, and another two are being prepared for publications this year.

During her time as Buck Fellow, she is planning to finish her study of the fungus-growing ant genus

Sericomyrmex: revise its taxonomy, reconstruct its evolutionary history using novel genomic

markers, and understand the relationship of ants with its symbiont—the fungus cultivar they grow in

their nests. She is also interested in ant nest architecture, and is trying to understand what factors

drive nest architecture specificity in Sericomyrmex and other fungus-growing ants. Ješovnik’s

research will provide the much needed key to understanding the species of Sericomyrmex and will be

the first reconstruction of evolutionary history of their fungal cultivars.


Ana Ješovnik The Stakes

Understanding the diversity and biology of fungus-growing ants will bring us closer to understanding

the diversity of very endangered biomes of Central and South America, like the rainforest of Amazon

and Brazilian savanna, and hopefully facilitate the conservation efforts to preserve them.

Research Highlights

Unlike the typical taxonomic revision of any neglected insect genera, where we usually find

previously hidden diversity, genus Sericomyrmex appears to have fewer number of species than

previously believed. This is surprising because it suggests that Sericomyrmex has achieved a broad

geographic and biotic distribution with only a small degree of accompanying speciation, in contrast

to most other ant species.

Favorite Moment

Finding the elusive fungus-farming ant species Mycetosoritis asper during a field trip in Brazil,

previously known from only three specimens. We had the luck of finding and collecting 20 colonies

of this very rare ant, whose position in phylogeny of fungus-growing ants is uncertain, and whose

fungal cultivar was never before collected.


Invited talks

“South American ant farmers: evolution of genus Sericomyrmex” BIOM lectures, held at University

of Zagreb, Faculty of Sciences, Zagreb, Croatia, June 2015. A great opportunity to share my research

to colleagues, friends, and former professors.

“Journey to the Ants,” Croatian Embassy, Washington DC, January 2014. A general public talk for

the monthly social event, “Croatian Hour,” and attended by journalist Branka Slavica, who got

inspired by ants and asked me to film a short news story about me in the Museum’s Antlab for

Croatian National Television show, “Glas domovine” (broadcasted in December 2014).

Looking Ahead

All of the skills that I acquired and will acquire during my stay at the Museum will be highly

valuable once I return to my country, Croatia, where resources and opportunities are much more

limited. I will be highly qualified for many scientific positions in my country, and I will be able to

share my knowledge with people that need them and will appreciate them.

Word of Thanks

The idea that someone cares about students and postdocs, people in early stages of their careers, and

cares enough to donate significant funds for them still amazes me. This reminds me of old-time

science and art patrons, that I read about in old books, and it gives me a lot of hope for humanity in

general. So thank you very much for not just amazing financial support, but for also believing that we

are worthy of that support.


Caroline D. Judy, Dept. of Vertebrate Zoology

Louisiana State University

Predoctoral Fellow: January 2014 – January 2016

Research Title: Speciation and hybridization in the Jamaican-endemic streamertail hummingbirds

(Trochilus polytmus and T. scitulus)

Advisor: Gary R. Graves (Curator of Birds and Head of Vertebrate Zoology) and Robb T. Brumfield

(Director of the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science & Roy Paul Daniels

Professor of Biology)

Caroline D. Judy is working toward her doctorate at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge,

Louisiana. Her primary research interests are in the biodiversity and evolution of birds. She

integrates specimen-based research, behavioral studies, and molecular approaches to better

understand what drives speciation and hybridization in natural populations. Her dissertation focuses

on disentangling the evolutionary history of the recently-diverged streamertail hummingbirds

(Trochilus polytmus and T. scitulus). The results of her work will aid in delimitation and conservation

of these Jamaican endemics.


Caroline Judy The Stakes

How species are delimited has a big impact on biodiversity assessments and management decisions.

Yet, in nature, hybridization between or among closely-related organisms can complicate

morphological and genetic patterns, rendering taxonomic decisions difficult. Using an

interdisciplinary approach, my research aims to elucidate the evolutionary patterns that underpin

species divergence in the closely-related streamertail hummingbirds, which are known to hybridize.

The morphological, genetic, and behavioral studies I have conducted throughout my two-year

fellowship will help answer the taxonomic question, “Are these one species or two?” Doing so will

impact how the populations are managed and marketed for ecotourism. Stay tuned!

Research Highlights

In December 2014, I collected streamertail hummingbirds from Jamaica. This effort resulted in the

addition of 29 new museum specimens to the collection. Additionally, I was able to preserve fresh

RNA and DNA material for my genetic studies, which are underway. I have co-authored two papers

this year, and have a third, first-author paper currently in review. I also participated in the Woods

Hole Workshop for Molecular Evolution, an excellent training opportunity for the field of

evolutionary biology.

Favorite Moment

Perhaps my most favorite moment was catching an especially elusive hybrid streamertail in eastern

Jamaica. We have few definitive hybrid individuals in the collection, so targeting hybrids to increase

their representation in the collection was a primary goal of mine during my field season. This hybrid

male was pretty smart (for a hummingbird) and kept evading our nets. So, my team of Jamaican

assistants got creative, and we found a way to rig the nets in a vertical alignment that ultimately led

to his successful capture. We had spent two days managing the nets under difficult weather

conditions, and it was a happy moment when we finally outsmarted him!


I presented my research findings at the Evolution meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina (2014), and

again at the American Ornithologists Union meeting in Estes Park, Colorado (2014). While in

Jamaica, I also presented my research to the National Environment and Planning Agency, the agency

in charge of issuing wildlife permits and protecting Jamaican wildlife and habitats. Discussing the

merits of projects like mine goes a long way in shaping positive attitudes toward museums and paves

the way for good science and conservation both home and abroad. I am also disseminating my work

through peer-reviewed publication.

Looking Ahead

After finishing my Ph.D., I hope to secure a position that will enable me to continue doing research

in the field of evolutionary biology. My husband and I are considering permanent residence in the

D.C. area, and the Smithsonian has been hugely helpful to me both in terms of training and in terms

of networking. This fellowship opportunity has allowed me to meet and get to know many local

evolutionary biologists, which will help me tremendously as I apply to jobs in the area.

Word of Thanks

Thank you so much for giving so generously to our scientific community. I never dreamed I would

receive such ample financial support to pursue my research from the National Museum of Natural

History. Please come visit us here one day.


Ehsan Kayal, Dept. of Invertebrate Zoology

Iowa State University

Postdoctoral Fellow: September 2014 – August 2016

Research Title: Molecular systematics of demosponges in the genomic era: developing new

morphology-like molecular tools for taxonomic studies

Advisor: Allen G. Collins (Research Zoologist, NMNH & NMFS, NOAA)

Ehsan Kayal received his Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology from the Department of Ecology, Evolution,

and Organismal Biology (EEOB) at Iowa State University in December 2011. He is interested in the

evolution of linear mitochondrial genomes and the relationship between first diverging animal

groups. He has published seven papers and presented several talks at international conferences.

During his Buck Fellowship, Kayal will try to develop an easy and inexpensive method for obtaining

the complete sequence of the mitochondrial genome. The goal is to make the mitochondrial DNA

(mtDNA) the new barcoding molecular marker replacing the traditionally used single-gene approach.

To do so, Kayal will focus on the largest group of sponges, Demospongiae, for which traditional

taxonomy is difficult. He also hopes to test newly proposed evolutionary scenarios for the group

using mtDNA data.


Ehsan Kayal The Stakes

Given the relatively high cost of genome sequencing, most phylogenetic and diversity studies still

rely on at most one nuclear (18S) and two mitochondrial (COI and 16S) genes. Recent works in

sponges have shown the limitations of these markers. Obtaining complete mitochondrial DNA

(mtDNA) data will provide additional molecular characters that could be used to infer the

evolutionary history of sponges. If successful for sponges, a group considered difficult, this approach

can easily be applied to other, more “traditional” animal groups as well. In addition, a standard

method to sequence the complete mtDNA can also be adapted to other small genomes, such as the

plast and bacterial DNA. Such a method would be of great help in the study of small genomes by

improving data acquisition.

Research Highlights

So far, we have tested the above-mentioned protocol and learned that while the first part (capturing

the mtDNA through long-range PCR reaction) is problematic, the second part (sequencing many

templates through a high-level multiplexing approach) is successful. The next step consists in

figuring out news ways of capturing the genetic regions of interest (complete mitochondrial DNA)

using a baiting approach.

Favorite Moment

That particular moment when, after running a test, we saw promising results and I realized the

sequencing approach was successful. I really appreciate seeing that at least part of the protocol I was

trying worked.


During the past month, I had the opportunity to mentor an intern through the Museum’s YES! (Youth

Engagement through Science) program. The intern (Max) helped me with the test the sequencing

protocol that was part of my fellowship project. It was a great and challenging experience to try

explaining quite complex concepts to a high-schooler, and I was lucky to be working with a very

bright kid. I was told that his experience at the Museum has shaped his wish for becoming a

molecular biologist.

Looking Ahead

I plan to develop an academic career, preferably at a university, with my time split between teaching

and research. This fellowship has provided me with the opportunity to pursue my work at the

Smithsonian and to collaborate with great researchers. The Smithsonian is a well-respected

institution and my experience there will be a definitive boost in pursuing my career.

Word of Thanks

I am grateful to Dr. Buck, and others like him, for providing the opportunity for young scientists to

pursue their goals, in that way indirectly helping in the acquisition and spread of knowledge.


Neil Kelley, Dept. of Paleobiology

University of California, Davis

Postdoctoral Fellow: January 2014 – December 2015

Research Title: Macroevolutionary convergences in the adaptations of marine tetrapods: evaluating

large-scale morphological parallelisms from Mesozoic to Cenozoic

Advisor: Nicholas D. Pyenson (Curator of Fossil Marine Mammals) and Matthew T. Carrano

(Curator of Dinosauria)

Neil Kelley received his Ph.D. in Geology from the University of California, Davis in 2012. His

primary research focus is the evolution and paleoecology of marine vertebrates descended from land-

dwelling ancestors including whales, seals, and sea turtles as well as extinct Mesozoic marine reptiles

such as ichthyosaurs. During his Buck Fellowship, he is investigating the parallel evolutionary

histories of these groups. He has authored or co-authored nine papers and presented his research at

numerous conferences and invited lectures. He has worked in museum collections in Europe, China,

and North and South America as well as organized fieldwork in the western United States.


Neil Kelley The Stakes

The repeated invasions of the sea by land vertebrates provide a series of evolutionary “experiments”

helping to reveal the macroevolutionary mechanisms that allow different organisms to achieve

dramatic shifts in anatomy and ecology. Because these animals occupy or occupied a wide variety of

ecological roles—from herbivores to apex predators—they provide an important index of changes in

global marine ecosystems over many millions of years.

Research Highlights

This past year I have focused on compiling the history of more than 30 living and extinct groups of

terrestrial vertebrate that have readapted to marine life. The broad pattern of fossil diversity of these

groups resembles patterns observed in the marine invertebrate fossil record, in particular a notable

inflection point in fossil richness following the end-Cretaceous extinction that likely reflects an

increase in ocean productivity and a restructuring in marine ecosystems. These results were

published as part of a paper in Science earlier this year. I am also comparing metrics of evolutionary

“success” between groups (e.g., diversity, lineage duration, geographic range), and find a clear link

to key evolutionary innovations, such as the ability to give birth in the water and specialized

swimming modes. These results are being prepared for submission to a top-tier academic journal.

Finally, I have led the effort to digitize a key fossil site in Nevada that records the mass death of

whale-sized ichthyosaurs roughly 220 million years ago. Comparing this site to similar mass death

events among marine mammals and other marine vertebrates in the fossil record and today will

provide a key indicator of marine ecosystem perturbations through time.

Favorite Moment

Visiting Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park in Nevada last September was a highlight of my experience. I

have heard and read about the site for many years: giant skeletons of extinct “sea monsters” studding

the hillside in a remote corner of the Nevada desert. Finally getting to see the site up close—and not

merely as a tourist but as a research scientist—actively reconnected me to the wonder of using the

fossil record to peer into deep time and understand the dynamic history of our planet.


I had two well-received papers published earlier this year: a comparative study of diet and

morphology in marine tetrapods in Biology Letters and a review of marine tetrapod evolution in

Science. I was also fortunate to have the opportunity to discuss this work with several media outlets

including an interview on the NPR show Splendid Table, talking about the dietary evolution of

marine tetrapods (http://www.splendidtable.org/story/how-land-animals-became-marine-animals-

they-followed-their-stomachs).

Looking Ahead

I am currently applying for tenure-track positions at multiple universities, seeking a position that will

allow me to combine my love of research and engaging students and the public about the history of

life on our planet. My Buck Fellowship has been a tremendous asset in working toward this goal,

both in terms of prestige but more importantly in opportunities to advance my research and

communication skills.

Word of Thanks

I cannot exaggerate my gratitude for this opportunity! I hope the research successes documented

underscore my appreciation.


Fredrick Larabee, Dept. of Entomology

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign


Research Title: Morphometrics and Biomechanics of Ant Mouthparts

Advisor: Ted R. Schultz (Curator of Hymenoptera)

Fredrick Larabee received his Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-

Champaign in August 2015. His research interest centers on the evolution and biomechanics of insect

mouthparts. For his doctoral dissertation, he explored the evolutionary relationships among species

of trap-jaw ants using molecular phylogenetics and described the mechanical mechanism of their

jaws. During his Buck Fellowship, he will compare mandible and muscle anatomy among ant species

and look for correlations between mandible structure and ecological use. This research will provide a

better understanding of how ant mouthparts work and reveal some of the evolutionary processes that

have generated the more than 13,000 ant species on the planet.


Fredrick Larabee The Stakes

Ants are one of the most numerically abundant and ecologically dominant life forms on the planet,

with over 13,000 species currently known. My research will document how much variation exists in

ant mouthpart and muscle anatomy and look for correlations between the shape of ant mouthparts

and how they are used. I will generate digital three-dimensional models of ant heads with X-Ray

imaging that will allow for a non-destructive visualization of internal anatomy. These models will

also allow me to measure the mechanical properties of ant muscles and mouthparts in a digital

environment to reveal how they work. How insect mouthparts operate and how they have evolved is

critical for understanding how evolution has generated the patterns of diversity we observe in nature.

The Story

I like using new tools to answer difficult questions. Next-generation imaging technology, like the X-

Ray scanning I will be using during my fellowship, has allowed biologists to visualize biological

structures in completely new ways and use collections to answer questions that would never have

been possible in the past. Examining nature in this fresh and integrative way is very satisfying to me.


The ant collection at the National Museum of Natural History is one of the largest in the world, and

has representatives from the majority of named ant species. Access to this collection will be critical

to completing my work, but even more important to me professionally is access to the curators and

researchers who are also using the collection. I have been amazed at the insight, excitement, and

guidance I have received from Smithsonian scientists during previous interactions at the Museum.

Looking Ahead

Beyond conducting my research, I am excited about the opportunity for outreach at the Museum.

Three-dimensional models are a great way to communicate anatomy, and I am looking forward to

making my ant visualization available to the public to convey insect biology in a new and exciting

way.

Word of Thanks

I am so grateful for the opportunity to begin my career at the Smithsonian Institution. My research

would not have been possible without support from Dr. Buck, and I cannot think of a better place to

investigate and communicate my love for the natural world.


Francesca Leasi, Dept. of Invertebrate Zoology

University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy)

Postdoctoral Fellow: September 2015 – August 2017

Research Title: Genome Diversity and Evolution in Microscopic Organisms (Meiofauna)

Advisor: Jon L. Norenburg (Chair and Research Zoologist), Jonathan A. Coddington (Curator of

Arachnids & Myriapods, and Director, GGI), Kelley W. Thomas (Hubbard Center for Genome

Studies, University of New Hampshire)

Francesca Leasi received her Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology with an emphasis on the evolution and

phylogeny of microscopic invertebrates (meiofauna) at University of Modena and Reggio Emilia,

Italy in April 2007. She then worked as a postdoc in Denmark, England, and the United States. She is

interested in investigating the diversity and distribution of meiofauna, phylogenetic relationships and

evolutionary history reconstructions among different taxa. She has published about 30 papers, and a

book on the rotifer fauna in the Mediterranean Sea. During her Buck Fellowship, Leasi will explore

the genome of species across different taxa that have been separated by the geological closure of the

seaway across the Panama Isthmus. Having reference genomes available from these neglected

organisms will provide significant insights with regards to the genomics of speciation, and build

upon previous research that has examined the impact of vicariance on genetic divergence and the

evolution of reproductive isolation.


Francesca Leasi The Stakes

Meiofauna represent an outstanding model to address evolutionary and ecology questions for many

reasons. Genetic information, however, remains rare for meiofauna and data usually represent only

short regions of the genome. This project aims to use Next-Generation sequencing methods to

investigate the whole genome in meiofauna species across different phyla, and will establish the first

comparative genomics for meiofauna and the first extensive molecular clock calibrations for

microscopic soft-body phyla. This will enable us to assess how the sampled genome has changed

over time and among different major groups; it will enhance our understanding of meiofauna

evolution, and set the stage for including meiofauna in fundamental questions about genomic

evolution and ecology. I also aim to develop novel technology to improve characterization of marine

benthic ecosystems. This will be accomplished by the identification and implementation of robust

biomarkers that reflect changes in complex biological communities, and will be largely used in the

perspective of ecological biomonitoring.

The Story

Since I was an undergraduate, my research interests have been focused on the distribution, diversity,

phylogeny, and evolutionary history reconstructions of meiofaunal organisms. I used to address these

evolutionary ecology questions by using advanced microscopy and molecular methods implemented

by traditional Sanger sequencing. Although faster and cheaper DNA sequencing is of key importance

for many applications, the massively parallel capacity of Next Generation Sequencing technologies is

emerging for genomics and environmental applications. I wished to consider cutting-edge molecular

tools (next generation sequencing) to further address fundamental questions about speciation,

evolution, macroecology, adaptation, and evolutionary histories. This project will have direct

implications for management and restoration of ecological communities, and can help us understand

the consequences of local human activities and global change.


My research is conducted under one of the few experts in meiofauna taxonomy in the world, and

molecular work will be performed at the Laboratories of Analytical Biology, a dynamic, cutting-edge

center of excellence for genomic studies, equipped with the newly purchased Illumina Miseq

sequencer, and bioinformatics expertise. I expect to achieve the aims of my project and establish

fruitful and long-term collaborations with other postdocs and researchers of the Smithsonian.

Looking Ahead

My project is challenging from different points of view: meiofauna represent a no-model group of

extremely small animals, which do not possess genome references. Moreover, the bioinformatics

work after achieving genomic information will be exceptionally hard. This challenge is very exciting

and stimulating to me. Moreover, I expect to build good collegial relationships and collaborations

with other postdocs at the museums, who are hopefully my future best colleagues in a near future.

Word of Thanks

For researchers like me, without permanent positions who struggle every year to find support, the

contribution of Dr. Buck has been probably the most important and determinant of my career,

keeping vital the spark in persevering this fascinating job. I am very grateful to Dr. Buck for

improving my personal path. I wish his high consideration about education as a basic priority for

current and future generations could be considered a model for all other citizens.


Stéphanie Leclerc-Caffarel, Dept. of Anthropology

University of East Anglia (Norwich, UK)


Research Title: The American presence in Fiji (1800-1875) with reference to Smithsonian

Collections

Advisors: Adrienne Kaeppler (Curator of Oceania) and Joshua Bell (Curator of Globalization)

Stéphanie Leclerc-Caffarel received her Ph.D. in World Art Studies with an emphasis on Pacific Arts

from the University of East Anglia (Norwich, UK) in July 2014. She studies early museum

collections from Fiji in order to understand exchange relations between Fijian islanders and Euro-

Americans travelers. During her Buck Fellowship, Leclerc-Caffarel will study a little known

collection of ethnographic artifacts gathered by Dr. Isaac M. Brower, who was U.S. consul in Fiji in

the 1860s. In comparison with other collections held by the Smithsonian Institution, she hopes to

shed light on the under examined presence of American citizens in Fiji until the establishment of the

British Protectorate (1874). Leclerc-Caffarel has done research on early ethnographic material from

Fiji in a number of museums across the Pacific, Europe, and the United States. As a research

associate to the national museum of Fiji, she encourages exchange of knowledge between institutions

holding important historical collections and their country of origin.


Stéphanie Leclerc-Caffarel The Stakes

My research intends to fill gaps in knowledge in two main ways. First, by using museum collections

as primary sources, I hope to better understand cultural features and cultural exchanges in Fiji in the

19th century from a double-sided perspective. In contrast to other sources (literary and pictorial) that

exclusively originated from Euro-American actors, and even though some seek to encompass

indigenous agencies, collections inherently bear testimonies of both sides of the interactions that

produced them. Secondly, mostly due to the absence of colonial link, the American presence in the

Pacific before WWII is often underestimated and little documented. However, it appears crucial in

Fiji due to the great impact of American traders and planters on the economy and politics of the

archipelago. Historical collections held by the Smithsonian Institution are key evidences to

understanding this.

The Story

I first encountered Brower’s collection during a previous ten-week fellowship at the Museum in

2009. I was surveying the US Exploring Expedition collection as a graduate student. I was amazed

by the quality of Brower’s collection, a quite early one in comparison with others I had studied, and I

was surprised when I realized how little was known about it and its collector—even though he was

U.S. Consul in Fiji for almost ten years and an important planter and entrepreneur before and after

that appointment. I am delighted with the opportunity to study this case in detail and learn more

about those artifacts, including early specimens of culturally significant items. I also look forward to

knowing more about Brower, whose collection indicates he was an important exchange partner for

Fijians and much more than simply an opportunist collector.


What makes the difference for me, first, is the quality and historical relevance of Smithsonian

collections, fortunately completed with great archival material. I am also thankful to be given the

opportunity to work again with Adrienne Kaeppler and Joshua Bell as my advisors. I highly value

their work and keep positive memories of the previous fellowship I did with them, along with other

staff at the Museum, including the Smithsonian Libraries and Museum Support Center. I learned a lot

in 2009 and I am sure I will again during these two years. I also find the multidisciplinary

environment of the Museum extremely stimulating.

Looking Ahead

Above all, I look forward to being part of an institution that is on the cutting edge of museum work,

and especially of collaboration with source communities in the Pacific, in a very different way than

what we do in Europe from a post-colonial perspective. I hope this will make a true difference and

bring my work to a new level of collaborative thinking and outcomes. I am also eager to focus on the

American side of these connected histories.

Word of Thanks

I feel deeply indebted to Dr. Buck, as the Buck Fellowship program finances 18 months of my

forthcoming two-year fellowship. This is a wonderful opportunity for me, for my work, for my

résumé and, I hope, for the general knowledge on Fijian material culture and history. Most

researchers, particularly in Human Sciences, spend a lot of their early career worrying about getting a

position, funding, etc. This opportunity to focus exclusively on my research for a full two years feels

like an immense privilege.


Nicole Lunning, Dept. of Mineral Sciences

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Postdoctoral Fellow: September 2015 – 2017

Research Title: Partial Differentiation of the CV Chondrite Parent Body

Advisor: Timothy McCoy (Curator of Meteorites)

Nicole Lunning received her Ph.D. in Geology from University of Tennessee, Knoxville in August

2015. She is interested in understanding formation and evolution of rocky planetesimals using

asteroidal meteorites, which are samples of these early solar system bodies. During her Buck

Fellowship, she will conduct melting experiments on meteorite powders to examine the process of

core formation on rocky bodies under varying environmental conditions that likely occurred in the

Solar System’s protoplanetary nebula.


Nicole Lunning The Stakes

Differentiation is the process by which iron-nickel metal separates from the silicate portion of rocky

planetary bodies. It is one of the fundamental processes relating to the formation of the Earth and the

other terrestrial planets; however, because the Earth’s core is not geochemically accessible and the

Earth has undergone many stages of evolution since it differentiated, we know very little about how

differentiation occurred on Earth. We can better understand this fundamental process by studying

differentiated planetesimals, whose post-core formation history was not as complex as the Earth’s

geologic history.

The Story

The geologic processes at work during the early history of the Solar System fascinate me. Most

meteorites are different in many interesting ways from terrestrial rocks. Meteorites are scientifically

compelling rocks to study because, as relicts of the early Solar System, meteorites contain records of

the processes that formed the first solids in the Solar System as well as clues regarding the formation

of the terrestrial planets.


The National Museum of Natural History will be an incredible place to pursue meteorite research

because of the combination of its meteorite collection, the broad range of expertise of its meteorite

researchers, and its experimental and analytical facilities. As regards meteorite studies, the

combination of the meteorite collection, experts, and laboratories at the Smithsonian is unrivalled in

the United States.

Looking Ahead

During my time as a Buck Fellow, I anticipate learning new experimental methods and analytical

skills and conducting experiments that have not been previously undertaken. I am most excited about

exploring scientific questions related to differentiation while expanding my skills as a scientist.

Word of Thanks

Thank you, Dr. Buck, for your support of the National Museum of Natural History and early career

scientists! I greatly appreciate the opportunities you have made for young scientists through your

fellowship program. I am proud to have been selected as a Buck Fellow. I am excited to start my

postdoctoral fellowship in the Division of Meteorites and to embark on a new stage of my scientific

career. Thank you for this opportunity!


Matthew R. McCurry, Dept. of Paleobiology

Monash University and Museum Victoria (Australia)

Predoctoral Fellow: August 2015 – August 2016

Research Title: The evolution of tooth striations in aquatic mammals and reptiles

Advisor: Nicholas D. Pyenson (Curator of Fossil Marine Mammals)

Matthew McCurry is a Ph.D. student from Monash University and Museum Victoria, Australia. His

dissertation work focuses on the evolution of skull and tooth shape in aquatic mammals and reptiles.

He has published six peer-reviewed papers, mainly focusing on the application of biomechanical

techniques to ecological and evolutionary questions. McCurry’s research involves a combination of

dissections, computer modelling, and fieldwork. During his predoctoral fellowship, McCurry will

examine the evolution of tooth striations (ridges of enamel that run along the long axis of the tooth)

in aquatic mammals and reptiles. The function of these striations, and the question of why they are so

common in aquatic taxa, has long puzzled biologists and paleontologists. Modern force testing and

computer modeling techniques offer a way for him to shed light on the function of these perplexing

structures.


Matthew McCurry The Stakes

Tooth striations have evolved in many different lineages of mammals and reptiles. Exactly how many

times have tooth striations evolved? And why? The answers to these questions have the potential to

greatly expand our knowledge of the evolutionary history of aquatic mammals and reptiles. The vast

majority of evidence of extinct life comes in the form of fossils; because of this, paleobiology relies

on inference of ecology from morphology. This study will provide valuable data with which we can

infer the diet and behavior of extinct marine reptiles based on the occurrence of tooth striations. In

this way, the results will have bearing on our understanding of the paleobiology of some of the most

charismatic fossil species. This work also has the potential to produce valuable information for

biomimicry of puncturing tools.

The Story

I am fascinated by the anatomy of vertebrates and how it is related to their ecology. I am constantly

surprised by how the evolutionary process finds solutions to problems that organisms face. Looking

through collections of marine animals over the last few years, I have often encountered specimens

with tooth striations. I was surprised to find many papers where people were similarly puzzled by the

occurrence of these striations, but no data showing when or why they had evolved. I am excited by

the opportunity to answer this longstanding question with my experience with modern techniques.


This research topic relies on access to a broad range of living and fossil specimens. The National

Museum of Natural History is one of the few museums worldwide that houses collections of

sufficient size and containing enough taxonomic and temporal breadth to do this work. For example,

its marine mammal collection is unequaled. Furthermore, current Smithsonian staff, such as Dr.

Nicholas Pyenson, represent invaluable sources of supervision on this topic. I see my time here as an

important step in my development as a scientist, allowing me to gain experience in a large, world-

leading institution that has a strong history of research on marine mammals and reptiles.

Looking Ahead

I am most excited about the opportunity to start engaging with the collections here, as well as the

potential to start collaborating with other Smithsonian scientists. I hope to soon begin 3D digitizing

specimens. In the two weeks that I have been here, I have already undertaken fieldwork in Nevada on

Triassic ichthyosaurs and learned a great deal. I hope to be able to continue learning from the staff

here over the next year while leading a research project that champions the amazing collections of

the Museum.

Word of Thanks

I am greatly appreciative of this opportunity. As someone who was born and raised in Australia, I

have encountered difficulty accessing museum collections and attending conferences here in the

United States. This opportunity has allowed for me to access the best collection in the world, and

engage with extremely talented and knowledgeable scientists. I cannot thank you enough for your

support.


Molly McDonough, Dept. of Vertebrate Zoology

Texas Tech University

Postdoctoral Fellow: February 2014 – February 2016

Research Title: Understanding the evolutionary origins of pygmy gerbils

Advisor: Kristofer Helgen (Curator-in-Charge, Division of Mammals) and Jesus E. Maldonado

(Research Geneticist)

Molly McDonough received her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences with an emphasis on molecular

systematics of small mammals from Texas Tech University in December 2013. She is interested in

understanding the evolutionary relationships and biodiversity of mammals, particularly African

rodents. She has published 13 papers, including a description of a new bat species from western

Ecuador. During her Buck Fellowship, Molly will estimate the number of species of pygmy gerbils

that occur throughout North Africa and the Middle East. Pygmy gerbils exhibit a remarkable amount

of species diversity (~60 spp.) and occur in small geographic ranges, making them particularly

susceptible to regional extinction. Her research will provide the first insight into the number of

species in this group, and where to focus future conservation efforts.


Molly McDonough The Stakes

My research seeks to understand the historical processes that have shaped the mammalian diversity

that we find today. This work primarily involves the use of genetics techniques to reconstruct the

evolutionary history and estimate divergence times for when different rodent lineages appear. I

mainly work on African rodents in arid and semi-arid geographic regions that have robust fossil

records. Ultimately, my research aids in understanding how past environmental conditions shaped

rodent communities so we can make predictions about effects of future events.

Research Highlights

The Peter Buck Fellowship has allowed me the freedom to develop and nurture my own scientific

research program. This includes developing collaborations, learning new techniques, and developing

skills that have prepared me for my next step as a scientist. One of the highlights for me was

attending a 3-week bioinformatics course in Leipzig, Germany to learn computer programming for

evolutionary biology. Another highlight for me is that recently I have accepted to co-advise a Kenyan

Master’s student at the University of Nairobi in a project using genetic techniques to identify prey

items of carnivores on Mt. Kenya.

Favorite Moment

My favorite moment from my time as a Buck Fellow was sequencing the mitochondrial genome from

a museum specimen from the Natural History Museum in Germany that dated back to 1852. This

result will be included in an upcoming publication regarding the remarkable diversity of southern

African gerbils.


I have had the opportunity to present my research at international scientific meetings in Lisbon,

Portugal and Antananarivo, Madagascar. Also, I have been part of four peer-reviewed publications

during my time as a Buck Fellow at the Smithsonian.

Looking Ahead

Currently I am in Kenya getting ready to spend five weeks on Mt. Kenya resurveying a historical

mammal trapping transect that Theodore Roosevelt surveyed in 1909-1911. During this survey we

will collect small mammals and document large mammals with camera traps along an elevational

gradient. We will use TR’s field notes to examine how the communities have changed over 100

years. For this project, I am co-advising a female Kenyan Master’s student who will assist in the

carnivore camera-trapping project and will examine how carnivore diets change across elevational

gradients using genetic techniques.

After my Buck Fellowship, I will transition to pursuing biomedical research through another

fellowship opportunity. During this year-long project, I will screen museum specimens for DNA

poxviruses in order to better understand the evolutionary origins of human small pox. I hope to begin

applying for faculty or curatorial positions where I can continue my research and train the next

generation of scientists.

Word of Thanks

Words cannot express the deep thanks I have to be one of the Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellows. This

fellowship has created many opportunities for me to advance both professionally and personally.


Bryan McLean, Dept. of Vertebrate Zoology

University of New Mexico

Predoctoral Fellow: January 2015 – December 2015

Research Title: New Constraints on Fossil Constraints: Clarifying Tempo and Mode in the

Radiation of Holarctic Ground-dwelling Sciurids

Advisor: Kristofer Helgen (Curator-in-Charge, Division of Mammals)

Bryan McLean received bachelors and master’s degrees in Biology, and is currently working towards

a Ph.D in Biology (anticipated completion – Summer 2016). He is interested in the evolutionary

relationships, morphology, and fossil record of ground-dwelling squirrels of North America and

Asia. During his Buck Fellowship, McLean is completing a species-level phylogeny of this group as

well as an extensive fossil dataset that will allow this phylogeny (based on genome-scale data) to be

robustly dated.


Bryan McLean The Stakes

Ground-dwelling squirrels of the tribe Marmotini (chipmunks, ground squirrels, marmots, prairie

dogs) are a diverse group of rodents that have undergone an impressive radiation in North America

and Asia over the past 20 million years. The group is now widespread in a variety of open habitats

across these continents, and in North America alone comprises nearly one-quarter of rodent diversity

at the genus level. However, despite being the focus of much attention in the fields of ecology and

evolution over the past century, the exact evolutionary relationships among these species, as well as

the timing of their diversification, remains incompletely understood.

Research Highlights

While a Buck Fellow at the Smithsonian, I have made major progress on reconstructing these

relationships using genome-scale data. This work is revealing interesting and unexpected

relationships, as well as the complexities that rapid radiation has imprinted in the genome. My work

also involves compiling a dataset of known ground squirrel fossil material that can be used to time-

calibrate this phylogeny. In doing this latter work, I have gotten hands-on views of these fossils,

which span many geologic ages across North America, as well as the opportunity to review much

classic paleontological literature on the group.

Favorite Moment

Yet another accomplishment has been the completion of a dataset of 3D cranial shape in ground

squirrels. This is the first such dataset that I am aware of and allows the evolution of cranial shape in

the group to be understood in a much richer context. This research was only possible through my

residence at the Smithsonian, where extensive collections of this group of mammals are housed as

well as the machinery to collect these data. I have also recently attended a training workshop in

Sabadell, Spain, that was partly funded by the Institution and will help me to analyze these 3D data

in an evolutionary context.


Within a year, I hope to defend my Ph.D. dissertation at University of New Mexico, and will publish

results of my research in peer-reviewed scientific journals as well as at upcoming scientific meetings

of the Society of Systematic Biologists and American Society of Mammalogists. After I return to

New Mexico for matriculation, I will continue to work on further questions in mammalian evolution

and ecology, hopefully extending the approach I have developed during my Ph.D. to other species

and regions of the world.

Looking Ahead

My time at the Smithsonian as a Buck Fellow has been formative, and greatly enriched my graduate

experience by providing access to important research collections and facilitating scientific and

professional interaction with Smithsonian curators as well as researchers associated with the

Museum. After matriculation, I will continue to work on mammalian evolution and ecology, and I

am certain that museum-based inquiry will always remain a part of my research program.

Word of Thanks

I would like to personally thank Dr. Buck for financial resources that allow these important

fellowships to continue every year.


Theresa L. Miller, Dept. of Anthropology

University of Oxford

Postdoctoral Fellow: June 2015 – June 2017

Research Title: Biodiversity Management in the Canela Indigenous Community of Brazil:

Linking People, Plants, and Landscapes

Advisor: Joshua Bell (Curator of Globalization) and William Crocker (Curator Emeritus, South

America)

Theresa L. Miller received her DPhil (Ph.D.) in Anthropology from the University of Oxford in April

2015. Her research focuses on human interactions with the environment, especially plants, in

indigenous lowland South America. From April 2012 through March 2013, she conducted her

doctoral fieldwork with the Ramkokamekra-Canela indigenous community in the Brazilian Cerrado

(savannah), documenting gardening practices, interactions with cultivated plants, and valuations of

varietal and biological diversity. During her Buck Fellowship, Miller will utilize collections in the

Anthropology and Botany departments to further her research on past and present engagements

between indigenous peoples and cultivated plants in the Brazilian Cerrado.


Theresa Miller The Stakes

Across the globe, biological, cultural, and linguistic diversity are increasingly under threat from

habitat loss and encroachment onto local and indigenous communities’ traditional lands. This is

especially evident in Brazil, where numerous studies show that the loss or maintenance of biological

diversity in the Amazon basin is closely correlated to the “extinction” or survival of indigenous

languages and cultures. Less is known about these links in the Cerrado (savannah) biome of central

and northeast Brazil, however, despite the fact that it is experiencing higher deforestation rates than

that of the Amazon and is known as a ‘hotspot’ of biological diversity. My postdoctoral research

attempts to fill this gap by focusing on how the indigenous Ramkokamekra-Canela community of

northeast Brazil interact with their Cerrado environment and maintain its biological diversity despite

ongoing threats to their lands from illegal logging, cattle ranching, industrialized agriculture, and

timber production. The research will contribute to our understanding of how an indigenous

community interacts with and maintains the biological diversity of their local environment, a topic of

study that is increasingly important in the wake of rapid environmental destruction throughout the

globe.

The Story

I have always been interested in gardening and plants, and through my master’s degree at the

University of Oxford I became interested in indigenous communities living in northeast and central

Brazil. In early 2011, I arranged a meeting with Dr. William Crocker, who generously invited me to

accompany him on his final fieldwork trip to the indigenous Canela community that summer. His last

visit of over 50 years of fieldwork with the Canela became my first one, and he introduced me to the

community and the family into which I was “adopted.” I learned about the community’s deep interest

in gardening and biodiversity maintenance and was therefore eager to conduct my own fieldwork the

following year (2012-2013).


The Smithsonian is enabling me to conduct interdisciplinary research on human-plant engagements

within the Anthropology and Botany departments. This is a unique opportunity for me to be able to

study both anthropological and botanical collections, and to learn more about the Museum’s

collecting techniques, the origin of such materials, and how they relate to my fieldwork experience.

This fellowship is an invaluable opportunity to learn from these materials and expand my

understanding of people and plants in a multifaceted and innovative way.

Looking Ahead

It is exciting to work with researchers in different departments within the Museum, and to be able to

visit and study various collections, including botanical specimens, ethnographic objects, and film and

photographic archives. I am looking forward to engaging with these materials and seeing what they

have to teach me!

Word of Thanks

I am thankful for this opportunity to further my study and have the time to expand my research

portfolio during the fellowship. It is truly a unique opportunity to be able to conduct research in the

Museum for two whole years and devote myself to my own field of study during this time. I am

certain that this fellowship will benefit my professional career and for that I am truly grateful.


C. Miguel Pinto, Dept. of Vertebrate Zoology

City University of New York

Postdoctoral Fellow: February 2015 – January 2017

Research Title: Evolutionary history of mammal-trypanosome associations using museum

collections

Advisors: Kristofer M. Helgen (Curator-in-Charge, Division of Mammals), Jesus E. Maldonado

(Research Geneticist), and Robert C. Fleischer (Scientist, National Zoo Park)

C. Miguel Pinto, an Ecuadorian citizen, received his Ph.D. in February 2015 from City University of

New York in association with the American Museum of Natural History. His research interests are

directed to understand: (1) the evolutionary associations of mammals with their parasites and

infectious agents, and (2) the biogeography, diversity, and evolution of Neotropical mammals. For

this research, Pinto relies on diverse information sources ranging from molecular markers to

literature, field data, and museum specimens. Currently, as a Buck Fellow, Pinto is investigating

aspects of evolutionary interactions between mammals and trypanosome parasites to better

understand the origins of human trypanosomiasis, particularly Chagas disease—an important

infection affecting around 18 million people in the Americas. Miguel’s research has resulted in over

20 peer-reviewed publications.


Miguel Pinto The Stakes

Traditionally, medical scientists have worked independently from biologists to pursue questions

regarding the origins of infectious diseases. With my research I plan to contribute to changing this

paradigm by demonstrating the usefulness of museum collections and the knowledge of evolutionary

biologists to truly understand infectious diseases. My research focuses on trypanosome parasites of

mammals, and I use museum collections to detect these parasites in mammalian tissues. I am able to

obtain genetic information from these parasites to reconstruct their evolutionary history, together

with the evolutionary history of human pathogens also present in other mammals.

Research Highlights

In nearly eight months since beginning my fellowship, I have contributed to the understanding of the

genetic variation of Trypanosoma cruzi, the pathogen that causes Chagas disease in humans and also

infects hundreds of other mammals. My collaborators and I have analyzed the genetic distinctiveness

of a lineage of T. cruzi that mostly infects bats. Because this lineage is well differentiated from the

other lineages, we are recognizing it as a “diagnostic typing unit.” Previously only six of these units

were recognized. The manuscript showing these results has been accepted by the journal Acta

Tropica.

Favorite Moment

I was asked to show a group of interns a few mammalian specimens in the Hall of Mammals. It was a

nice experience to interact with dozens of interns; however, the best moment happened when the

program ended and regular visitors showed up, including several young kids who were fascinated by

the bats and skulls I was showing. They had lots of questions, and I did my best to answer as many as

I could. As I was leaving the hall, one of these kids yelled: “this is cool science!” For me, this

personal anecdote exemplifies why museums and outreach programs are important, and how

rewarding it is to be a scientist and educator.


In June, during the 95th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists in Jacksonville,

Florida, I helped coordinate the symposium, Advanced Tools for Collection-Based Mammalogy, and

presented the talk “Bats, bedbugs, and Chagas disease: an Olinguito connection” in the symposium,

Methods in Disease Ecology. I have also coauthored the paper, “Genetic diversity of Trypanosoma

cruzi in bats, and multilocus phylogenetic and phylogeographical analyses supporting Tcbat as an

independent DTU (discrete typing unit),” currently in press at the journal Acta Tropica.

Looking Ahead

Having a postdoctoral fellowship at the Smithsonian to conduct my own research is a great privilege.

Academic positions are very competitive, but surely the Buck Fellowship is helping me greatly in my

goal of obtaining a faculty/researcher position. Since I started my fellowship, I have been

interviewed by two Ecuadorian universities to join their academic staff.

Word of Thanks

Dr. Buck, thank you so much for having the vision to contribute to the advancement of the National

Museum of Natural Sciences and its science. On a personal note, thank you so much for extending

my interaction with the Museum. Eleven years ago, I came for the first time to the United States to be

an undergraduate intern at the Museum; that experience changed my career. Your fellowship allowed

me to come back to this special place that has taught me so much.


Eduardo Rivail Ribeiro, Dept. of Anthropology

University of Chicago

Postdoctoral Fellow: July 2014 – June 2016

Research Title: Language and prehistory in South America: A reconstruction of Proto-Jê and an in-

depth investigation of the Macro-Jê hypothesis

Advisor: William Merrill (Curator, North America)

Eduardo Rivail Ribeiro received his Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Chicago in 2012. He

is dedicated to documenting and analyzing the indigenous languages of South America, especially

those belonging to the Macro-Jê stock, an ancient stock that includes Jê and a number of small

language families. He is particularly interested in the historical linguistics of lowland South America,

including the study of language contact. His current project aims at completing a reconstruction of

Proto-Jê, the common ancestor of around a dozen indigenous languages spoken from the Amazon to

southern Brazil. This reconstruction, requiring a comprehensive review of all the currently-available

data on the languages in question, will provide the basis for the first systematic evaluation of the

historical relationships among these languages and their speakers.


Eduardo Rivail Ribeiro The Stakes

Macro-Jê, one of the largest language groups in South America, remains largely unknown, especially

when compared with better-known language families such as Arawák, Carib, and Tupí. Very little is

known about the migratory and cultural past of the Macro-Jê peoples, and even the inclusion of some

of its members into the stock is still open to discussion. Macro-Jê studies are particularly urgent,

considering that most of the languages belonging to the stock are either extinct or severely

endangered.

Research Highlights

Over the past year, I have made substantial progress toward reconstructing Proto-Jê, both

qualitatively and quantitatively. I have now reconstructed around 400 proto-words, four times the

number that had been reconstructed by other linguists when I began my research. I also have

determined more precisely the sound (phonological) correspondences among the Jê languages and

can now describe in detail the morphology of the proto-language. This comparative linguistic study is

providing the basis for a much better understanding of the internal relationships within the stock as

well as of the cultural history of Proto-Jê speakers, revealing additional evidence for the existence of

agriculture and weaving among them.

Favorite Moment

My favorite moments include in-depth conversations with my colleagues at the Smithsonian,

particularly my advisor, Dr. William Merrill, and Dr. Ives Goddard, a leading authority in historical

linguistics. Such interactions have contributed to refining my research methodology and expanding

my view of the mutually reinforcing relationship of research in historical linguistics, ethnography,

archaeology, and paleobotany. I have also been able to obtain valuable insights into the long history

of Jê studies at the Smithsonian, thanks to conversations with curator emeritus, William Crocker, and

access to his vast collection of original data and bibliographic resources on Jê and Macro-Jê peoples,

organized by Barbara Watanabe, Museum Specialist.


I presented preliminary results of my research at a Recovering Voices Seminar in May. I currently

am preparing several articles for publication, including a comprehensive study of Tupí loanwords

into Macro-Jê. I will present the results of another study, focused on auditorily-based cognitive

metaphors as a recurrent feature of Macro-Jê languages (and a likely retention from the proto-

language), at a major international linguistics conference in January 2016. In addition, I am preparing

a 125-page chapter on Macro-Jê to be included in a state-of-the-knowledge book on South American

languages, to be published in 2017 by Mouton.

Looking Ahead

I intend to combine the results of my various comparative studies into a comprehensive book-length

account of Macro-Jê historical linguistics. That study will pave the way for an in-depth

interdisciplinary exploration of the territorial dispersion of Macro-Jê speaking tribes, their contacts

with speakers of both related and unrelated languages, and their long-term cultural history.

Word of Thanks

The Buck Fellowship has allowed me to pursue an ambitious research project that would have been

difficult if not impossible to undertake elsewhere, and has allowed me to become part of the

Museum’s stimulating, intellectual community. For these opportunities, I will be forever grateful.


Erin M. Sigel, Dept. of Botany

Duke University


Research Title: Phenotypic, Genetic, and Genomic Consequences of Allopolyploidy in Ferns:

Establishing Polypodium hesperium as a Model System

Advisor: Eric Schuettpelz (Assistant Curator of Ferns)

Erin Sigel received her Ph.D. in Biology from Duke University in August 2014, where her doctoral

dissertation focused on the systematics and evolution of ferns. During her Peter Buck Postdoctoral

Fellowship at the Smithsonian, she is combining her knowledge of systematics, high throughput

sequencing technologies, and bioinformatics to study the phenotypic, genetic, and genomic

consequences of polyploidy (i.e. having more than two sets of chromosomes) and hybridization in

ferns. Specifically, she has adopted the Polypodium vulgare species complex as a focal fern group for

investigating how allopolyploid plants (those resulting of interspecific hybridization) preferentially

express and retain duplicate gene copies inherited from their parent species. Erin has authored eleven

papers, and is currently preparing a manuscript on the gene expression during different phases of the

fern life cycle.


Erin Sigel The Stakes

Extant plant biodiversity is a testament to the evolutionary importance of polyploidy, or whole

genome duplication. All lineages of seed plants and ferns have experienced at least one

polyploidization event, and approximately 15% to 30% of flowering plant and fern speciation events

have been accompanied by an increase in ploidy. Despite the prevalence of polyploid plant species,

our current understanding of the fate of duplicated genes is shaped by a handful of plants—all of

which are flowering plants, and most of which are crops, model systems, or synthesized polyploids.

My fellowship research contributes to my scholarly goal of investigating the genetic phenomena that

shape fern diversity, and plant diversity in general.

Research Highlights

So far, I have discovered that certain “rules” dictate the expression of duplicate gene copies in

allopolyploid ferns. My focal research plant, Polypodium hesperium, is an allopolyploid fern that has

formed multiple times by genome duplication and hybridization between two other fern species,

Polypodium amorphum and Polypodium glycyrrhiza. By analyzing gene expression patterns in

individual plants belonging to independently formed populations of P. hesperium, I have found that

gene copies derived from the P. amorphum parent are preferentially expressed. Similar gene

expression patterns have been found in allopolyploid flowering plants, suggesting that the genomic,

and ultimately evolutionary, consequences of genome duplication and hybridization may be universal

across plants.

Favorite Moment

In July 2015, I accompanied my advisor, Dr. Eric Schuettpelz, on a collecting expedition to Puebla,

Mexico. In addition to collecting a significant portion of Mexican fern diversity for the

Museum’s Biorepository, I was able to see many polyploid and hybrid ferns related to my study

group in the field.


In June 2015, the Museum hosted an international conference on fern and lycophyte biology entitled

“Next Generation Pteridology.” This conference brought ferns biologists from all over the world to

the Smithsonian, and I was able to present my research on gene expression in allopolyploid ferns.

Since the meeting I have received significant positive feedback on my work and interest in

collaboration. I also co-organized a conference field trip to see ferns of the Washington, D.C. area—

an exotic outing for biologists from other continents!

Looking Ahead

My Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellowship has given me the time, resources, and funding to focus on

developing my own research program on genomic and evolutionary consequences of polyploidy in

plants. Most postdoctoral positions at universities drive research according to the interests or agenda

of the advisor. Developing my own research program gives me a significant advantage when

applying for tenure track evolutionary biology and genomic teaching and research positions.

Word of Thanks

Having a Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellowship is a career- and life-changing opportunity. I sincerely

thank you for your tremendous generosity.


Emily Smith, Dept. of Paleobiology

Harvard University


Research Title: Constraining the tempo of environmental and biological change across the

Ediacaran-Cambrian Transition

Advisor: Doug Erwin (Curator of Paleozoic Invertebrates)

Emily (Emmy) Smith received her Ph.D. in September 2015 from Harvard University in Earth in

Planetary Sciences. Her research addresses the co-evolution of life, climate, the ocean, and tectonics

during the Neoproterozoic to early Cambrian, a time interval when changes in oxygen and carbon

cycles coincided with rapid diversification of complex life on Earth. The majority of her research

focuses on the Cambrian radiation, a biological radiation in which all the major body plans first

appeared. By using an interdisciplinary, field-based approach in sites that include western Mongolia,

South China, and the southwest United States, she tests hypotheses about mechanistic links between

environmental and evolutionary change.


Emily Smith The Stakes

During the Neoproterozoic to early Cambrian (1,000–525 million years ago), the Earth transitioned

from an uninhabitable place to a habitable one with as much diversity and complexity in life as we

have today. This radiation in life was accompanied by major swings in geochemical cycles and two

total global glaciations. My research aims to understand why macroscopic, complex life “exploded”

during the early Cambrian. More generally, my work aims to understand the patterns and tempo of

evolutionary change. When and how did life first appear on Earth? How did the evolution of life

affect the planet, and vice versa? Did the diversification of life initiate climate catastrophe? How

might we use records of ancient organisms on Earth as analogue to look for evidence for

extraterrestrial life? My research aims to address these questions by building accurate records of

what happened.

The Story

In college, I realized that I could combine two of my main interests, science and the outdoors, by

studying Earth sciences. I was quickly drawn to one of the most provocative stories in Earth history:

Snowball Earth. The Snowball Earth hypothesis posits that from ~720–635 million years ago,

massive glaciers increased the Earth’s albedo, reflecting more sunlight, cooling the Earth, and

eventually resulting in a complete global glaciation. Later, I learned that the eukaryotic crown groups

and animals first appeared at around the same time as these total glaciations. “Why is this?” I asked

my professors, to which they responded, “Good question!” I was hooked on this time interval of

major climatic, environmental, and biological change as soon as I realized that the feedbacks in the

Earth system were still very poorly understood.


There are three primary ways in which the Smithsonian will benefit my development as a scientist.

At the Museum, there are three leading experts in late Neoproterozoic and early Cambrian

paleontology. I look forward to learning from and working alongside them. Secondly, the

paleontological collections at the Museum are some of the best in the world. I plan to compare my

own early Cambrian samples from Mongolia to the ones already at the Museum, and eventually to

archive my samples at the Smithsonian. Finally, the Institution offers an opportunity to become

engaged in a wide range of outreach and educational initiatives; I look forward to spreading my

passion for geology during my tenure at the Smithsonian.

Looking Ahead

I am excited to contribute to and learn from the world-class researchers at the Smithsonian. I also

look forward to sharing my research with visitors to the Museum through Smithsonian outreach

initiatives.

Word of Thanks

Thank you very much, Dr. Buck, for giving me an opportunity to independently design and pursue

my own research goals. I am very grateful!


Laura Soul, Dept. of Paleobiology

University of Oxford (United Kingdom)

Postdoctoral Fellow: July 2015 – July 2017

Research Title: Macroevolutionary responses to invasion in the Miocene mammalian fossil record

of North America

Advisor: Gene Hunt (Curator of Ostracoda)

Laura Soul completed her DPhil in Evolutionary Palaeobiology in the Department of Earth Science

at the University of Oxford, UK, in July 2015. Her research focuses on phylogenetic approaches to

understanding macroevolutionary patterns in the vertebrate deep-time fossil record. During her Buck

Fellowship, Soul will implement a variety of phylogenetic methods to detect evolutionary responses

to biological invasion in the mammalian fossil record. Specifically during periodic invasions of many

mammalian genera at a time, over the Beringia land bridge from Eurasia during the early Miocene.

Her research will demonstrate methods of detecting a signal of invasion in the evolutionary trajectory

of clades. As a Deep Time fellow she will also work on initiating citizen science projects in the

Paleobiology department, to set up a framework so that such outreach activities can be continued in

the future.


Laura Soul

The Stakes

Invasive species and interactions between them and native species are a huge issue in modern

ecosystems. Through my research, I hope to shed light on how we can expect species to respond in

the long term to these invasions, and establish whether modern human mediated invasions are

fundamentally different to those that occurred in the geological past. These conclusions will

contribute to the discussion on strategies of managing invasive species, biodiversity, and extinction.

The Story

My research has always focused on what it is possible to learn about evolution from the fossil record.

Fossil data is very different than data we have about living species, and so the methods we can use to

understand patterns in evolution have to be carefully adjusted to account for this; the answers to

some questions can be difficult to get at using fossil data. However, the fossil record contains a

wealth of information unavailable from the study of living species alone and I am personally very

excited about the opportunities to understand how evolution works on the broadest scales that fossils

provide. The past is a kind of “natural laboratory” for the effects of events which are happening now.

One of these events is invasion, and because invasion has happened many times before, this is a great

example of a current problem that we can lean about from studying analogous events in the past.


Getting the opportunity to work in the United States will be of huge benefit as I will be able to

interact with a different group of researchers, gaining a new and broader perspective. The quality of

research output from the Museum is very high and I will benefit from exposure to the expertise and

enthusiasm of the many people working here. In addition, working in a museum rather than a

university department will provide me with an opportunity to expand particular areas of my skill set;

for example, I have been learning specimen preparation and conservation by volunteering for the

preparators here. My hope is to use my time here to become a better-rounded researcher.

Looking Ahead

I am most excited about the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with the many outstanding

researchers working at the Museum. In addition, I am excited by the opportunity to work in a

museum environment where public engagement plays such a large part in the day-to-day of

researchers, and the opportunities to work with the public and spread the word about all the

interesting science that goes on here are so frequent.

Word of Thanks

This is an amazing opportunity for me to live and work in a new country with academics of an

extremely high standard, during which I can hopefully both provide and gain new perspectives. I

would like to thank Dr. Buck for providing funding that facilitates this international exchange of

ideas and provides an opportunity unavailable elsewhere. The time to pursue individual research

interests with the support of outstanding colleagues and develop as a researcher in this very early

stage in my career is invaluable.


Lauren A. Spearman, Dept. of Entomology

Rutgers University


Research Title: South African grasshopper communities examined across biomes and seasons

through the lens of community phylogenetics and mathematical biodiversity assessment

Advisors: Lee-Ann Hayek (Chief Mathematical Statistician and Senior Research Scientist), Ted

Schultz (Curator of Hymenoptera), and Seán Brady (Curator of Hymenoptera)

Lauren Spearman completed her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution at Rutgers University in October

2008. She was a full lecturer and later a visiting assistant professor at Towson University for several

years while starting a family and has now returned to examining the threatened and highly diverse

grasshopper communities in South Africa. With graduate training in community ecology at Rutgers

University and taxonomic skills acquired from years at the Academy of Natural Sciences in

Philadelphia, as a Buck Fellow, she is acquiring new skills in molecular systematics and

mathematics. Spearman will have the ability to examine the rare grasshopper data gathered during

her Fulbright IIE fellowship in South Africa in novel ways showing dramatic community

membership change per unit space and time across seasons and locations. She will be the first to

examine phylogenetic community structure involving the effects of seasonal turnover for an animal

community.


Lauren Spearman

The Stakes

A major challenge in using insects for conservation assessment and management is understanding

how insect populations change over time. Unlike most vertebrates, many insect species may only be

active for a brief period of time each year. Grasshoppers are ecologically important members of

grassland and savanna insect communities and because you can quantitatively and relatively easily

sample them, they are also ideal candidates for studying how communities change over time. I am

studying changes that occur in grasshopper communities seasonally for the first time in two South

African national parks using both molecular phylogenetic and mathematical techniques. This work is

providing unique insight into community phylogenetics by addressing fundamental concepts having

to do with insect community assembly (both short- and long-term), and it will also shed light on

conservation and management measures utilized for biodiverse, threatened habitats.

Research Highlights

These first six months of my fellowship, I updated and resolved the taxonomic status for the

grasshopper collections and updated the database to contain relevant habitat information for each

collection event. I now have a clearer picture of how many new species I will describe, and my

database is ready for diversity calculations. I have also completed training in the molecular lab. One

of my biggest challenges has been that grasshoppers have one of the largest known animal genomes

and this means amending techniques that work in other insects to accommodate the unique genomic

structure of grasshoppers. Working in the Smithsonian’s L.A.B. facility has been very exciting and I

will soon be able to construct my first phylogeny!

Favorite Moment

Looking at this picture was my favorite moment!

To finally actually see the DNA results for these

little grasshoppers that I have spent so much time

and effort to collect, identify, database, and prepare

was quite a wonderful moment.


I am working on two taxonomic revisions resulting

from my collecting efforts in South Africa; one is concerning the description of 15 new species, and

the other is the description of a new endemic genus from the threatened Cape fynbos biome.

Looking Ahead

Receiving training in molecular techniques is especially critical. The genomics revolution is

influencing every aspect of biology and my training at the Smithsonian is providing me the necessary

skills for bringing these techniques to my research, thus enhancing the prospect of my someday

becoming a university professor.

Word of Thanks

As a female biologist, with two young children at home, I began to fear all my years of work and

sacrifice would be lost to financial and childcare needs. I found myself amidst the “leaky pipeline,” a

term coined to describe the disappearance of female Ph.D.s from science upon graduation. Getting

the Buck Fellowship will help to plug at least one hole in the leaky pipeline. I see this postdoctoral

fellowship as a life-changing experience. My family and I cannot thank you enough for your support

of those of us that have worked hard to follow our passion and learn more about life on Earth.


Nawa Sugiyama, Dept. of Anthropology

Harvard University

Postdoctoral Fellow: September 2014 – December 2015

Research Title: Icons of Power: Ritualization of Animals in Ancient Mesoamerica

Advisors: Torben Rick (Director and Curator, North American Archaeology) and Christine France

(Physical Scientist, Museum Conservation Institute)

Nawa Sugiyama received her Ph.D. in Anthropology at Harvard University in May 2014 applying

zooarchaeological and isotopic analysis of animal remains from two major monuments at

Teotihuacan, Mexico. She has published in several peer-reviewed journals and book chapters in

English and Spanish including Latin American Antiquity and American Antiquity. She has obtained

external and internal grants from various sources, including the National Science Foundation (NSF),

Fulbright foundation, Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, and David Rockefeller

Center for Latin American Studies. Her research focuses on reconstructing ancient human-animal

interactions through zooarchaeological and isotopic research. Since beginning her Buck Fellowship

last September, she has successfully collected and analyzed animal bones from Maya offerings from

Copán Honduras, and is now working on a collection from the Tropical Research Institute from ruins

in Panama in collaboration with Richard Cooke. In addition, she has begun a new excavation project

at Teotihuacan, Mexico at a principal palace structure to identify ancient foodways of this urban

center.


Nawa Sugiyama The Stakes

The Pre-Columbian exchange revolutionized global foodways with the introduction of highly

productive agricultural plants like potatoes, corn, tomatoes, and chili to the Old World. The

Spaniards arriving to Mesoamerica were fascinated by the highly advanced agricultural system, yet

little attention was paid to the ancient animal economy because of the lack of large domestic

livestock (with the exception of camelids in Peru). My present research highlights the impact of

many previously undetected small-scale animal management strategies. In certain instances, some of

the most ferocious carnivores (pumas and jaguars) across Mesoamerica were kept in captivity for

ritual purposes.

Research Highlights

Human-animal encounters in Mesoamerica were much more active than previously theorized and we

need to develop increasingly nuanced methods that capture the true extent to which humans

manipulated, tamed, and maybe even bred various species. Isotopes extracted from bones and teeth

of pumas and jaguars offered during the reign of the last ruler of Copán demonstrate that even during

a period of deforestation and political imbalance, some of these animals were kept in captivity prior

to sacrifice.

Favorite Moment

During my trip to Copán, I found a previously unanalyzed box from an offering cache of a shaman

buried with a puma, a deer, and crocodile scoots. The box contained the remains of animal bones

from the vessels that accompanied this individual, including a turkey, a couple of perching birds, and

a couple of turtles, possibly offered as food for the afterlife.

Disseminating My Science

At the Smithsonian, I presented my work at the Migratory Bird Center (National Zoo), the Museum

Conservation Institute, and at the National Museum of the American Indian. I also presented at the

International Congress of Archaeozoology (Argentina, Sept. 2014), American Anthropological

Association (Washington D.C., Dec. 2014), Central American Workshop (Organized by Dumbarton

Oaks Research Library and Collection, held at the Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Jan. 2015),

and Society of American Archaeology (San Francisco, April 2015). Currently I have a publication

coming out this fall in PlosOne.

Looking Ahead

I have accepted a tenure-track position at George Mason University. At GMU, I will be able to

continue active collaborations formed during my time as a Buck Fellow, and look forward to

integrating students from GMU into these collaborative projects. I have just received a NSF grant for

a collaborative field excavation project at the site of Teotihuacan, Mexico, and will be able to apply

many of the research methods and goals formed during my fellowship into this multi-year project.

Word of Thanks

My time as a Buck Fellow has formed a foundation for many new collaborative projects and has been

fundamental to my subsequent tenure-track position at George Mason University. I learned valuable

lab methods and initiated many new projects that crosscut various sectors of the Smithsonian

Institution (National Museum of Natural History, Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian

Tropical Research Institute) and greatly value the opportunity given by the Buck Fellowship. Thank

you very much.


Luke Tornabene, Dept. of Vertebrate Zoology

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Postdoctoral Fellow: August 2015 – August 2017

Research Title: Adaptive evolution of deep-reef fishes: looking to the past for evidence of

morphological and genomic responses to a changing ocean

Advisors: Carole Baldwin (Research Zoologist) and D. Ross Robertson (Staff Scientist, Smithsonian

Tropical Research Institute)

Luke Tornabene received his Ph.D. in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi

in 2014. His research focuses on the systematics and evolution of bony fishes, with specific emphasis

on how changes in morphology, ecology, and life history impact the tempo and pattern of fish

diversification. Tornabene also has a strong interest in taxonomy and classification of gobioid fishes

(gobies and sleepers), one of the most species-rich lineages of vertebrates in the world. His

fellowship project investigates the evolutionary origins of a diverse and poorly known community of

fishes from deep-reefs (50-300 m) in the Caribbean. The project utilizes the manned submersible,

Curasub, to collect specimens of reef fishes from depths far below the limits of traditional SCUBA

diving. Morphological and phylogenomic data from these fishes will then be used to assess: (1) when

and how deep-reef fishes evolved from their shallow water relatives; (2) what were the ecological

drivers behind this habitat transition, and (3) what were the morphological and genomic adaptions

that facilitated the exploitation of these novel niches.


Luke Tornabene The Stakes

Shallow coral reefs are in a state of global decline. Some researchers have suggested that in periods

of stress, deep reefs may be more resilient to environmental stress than shallow reefs and thus may

serve as refuge for impacted shallow marine species. However, it is unclear how shallow reef fishes

adapt to exploit deep-reef habitats, where conditions differ dramatically from shallow reefs, or how

frequently these ecological transitions happened in the past. My project attempts to answer these

questions by examining the evolutionary history of Caribbean reef fishes to understand the frequency

of habitat transitions in the past and determine the types of adaptations that facilitated life on deep-

reefs, ultimately leading to a better understanding of what modern shallow water species may be

facing with today’s changing ocean environment.

The Story

There are several unique aspects of this project that attracted me. The study is truly a

multidisciplinary study that bridges several fields including systematics, genomics, marine ecology,

and paleoceanography, to address relevant questions regarding how marine species can respond to a

dramatically changing ocean environment. This study also has an element of mystique associated

with exploring uncharted territory. There is an underlying excitement anytime you are delving into

the unknown, whether it be diving in a submersible in unexplored parts of the ocean, or teasing apart

the genome of a reef fish for the first time looking for signs of adaptation. Each new discovery is a

new source of motivation and inspiration.


The Smithsonian’s Deep Reef Observation Project (DROP) has pioneered the reconnaissance of

Caribbean deep-reefs and has made the Museum a worldwide leader in deep-reef exploration. The

rate at which new species are being discovered by DROP is remarkable, and my contribution will be

to help us understand the evolutionary origins of this new wave of biodiversity. DROP’s world-class

team of scientists and the Smithsonian’s research facilities provide the ideal research setting for me

to achieve my goals, and I couldn’t be happier to join this amazing team.

Looking Ahead

The next two years will undoubtedly be filled with amazing opportunities and unforgettable

experiences. The most exciting aspect of my upcoming fellowship will be diving to 1,000 feet in the

Curasub submersible. The idea of exploring the oceans from a submersible has fascinated me since

childhood. Being able to do this alongside the some of the world’s leading ichthyologists is an

opportunity of a lifetime.

Word of Thanks

I am exceedingly grateful for the generous contributions that make the Peter Buck Fellowship

possible. I look forward to using every moment of the next two years to help the Smithsonian meet

its Grand Challenge of understanding and sustaining a biodiverse planet.


Mauren Turcatel, Dept. of Entomology

North Carolina State University


Research Title: The evolutionary history of robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae)

Advisor: Torsten Dikow (Curator of Diptera)

Mauren Turcatel received her Ph.D. in Entomology from North Carolina State University in

September 2014. She is interested in understanding the evolutionary relationships and biodiversity of

flies, particularly Brachycera. During her Buck Fellowship, Turcatel will employ Transcriptome and

Targeted-Sequencing techniques to investigate the evolutionary history of robber flies (Asilidae).

Phylogenetic analyses will be performed, enabling a better understanding of the relationships within

Asilidae, testing character evolution and the monophyly of several newly established taxa with many

more loci in addition to available morphological data, and a divergence time analysis will be used to

estimate ages of major lineages within the radiation of robber flies.


Mauren Turcatel The Stakes

Insects account for most of the known life on Earth, yet their evolutionary relationships remain

unclear. Within insects, flies are an ideal group to advance as a model-system for phylogenomics

because their phylogeny and biology are well-studied and they have a great amount of genomic data

publicly available. However, these genomes mostly belong to lineages of flies positioned in the two

extremities of the Diptera Tree of Life, for instance, to early diverged and medically important

mosquitoes, Anopheles, and to higher flies such as the model organism Drosophila, the vinegar flies.

These organisms diverged about 250 Ma and their average sequence identity is comparable to that of

humans and puffer fish (Tetraodontidae), which diverged about 450 Ma. The generation of

phylogenomic data representing other major fly lineages is needed to fill this evolutionary gap and

the target taxa of this project are positioned evolutionarily between mosquitoes and vinegar flies, in

the center of the Diptera Tree of Life.

Research Highlights

Up to date, we have generated de novo transcriptome assemblies for eight species of robber flies, as

well as one whole genome sequence, which is the first for this group of flies.

Favorite Moment

I cannot think of one favorite moment of my Buck Fellowship, but I always enjoy the time I spend

doing lab work at the Natural History Building. The Laboratories of Analytical Biology (L.A.B.) is a

fantastic facility and there is always something new to learn.


Last June, I attended the Evolution Meeting in Guaruja, Brazil, where I had the chance to present and

discuss my findings with researchers from several different countries.

Looking Ahead

The Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellowship granted me a perfect opportunity to continue and expand my

own professional development, especially in providing an exciting position that allows me to perform

research and public outreach. A position that includes research and teaching is a major career goal for

me. My time at the Smithsonian Institution will allow me to pursue my research interests, which are

broadly applied across diverse areas of systematics and biodiversity, but specifically include using

natural history and phylogenetic information to test evolutionary hypotheses, expand public

understanding of science, build appreciation of the importance of organisms in natural and human

environments, and preserve critically important biological interactions.

Word of Thanks

Thank you, Dr. Peter Buck, for supporting early career scientists! Your generosity is greatly

appreciated.


Rachel CM Warnock, Dept. of Paleobiology

University of Bristol (UK)

Postdoctoral Fellow: March 2014 – March 2016

Research Title: A phylogenetic and stratigraphic model for estimating evolutionary rates and times

Advisor: Peter Wagner (Curator of Paleozoic Molluscs) and Christopher Meyer (Curator of

Mollusca)

Rachel Warnock is a paleobiologist interested in computational approaches to estimating

evolutionary rates and times, and is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of

Paleobiology and Invertebrate Zoology at the National Museum of Natural History. She completed

her Ph.D. at the University of Bristol, where her research focused on how to characterize

paleontological and geological uncertainty in the calibration of the molecular clock. Her current

research aims to develop approaches to incorporate stratigraphic information in Bayesian models of

divergence time and evolutionary rate estimation. Her project focuses on the diversification of the

coral-reef-associated gastropods Cypraeidae, or cowries, and will assess the impact of environmental

changes on the radiation of this important tropical fauna during the Cenozoic.


Rachel Warnock The Stakes

There are two independent records of evolutionary history: the genomes of living species and the

fossil species sampled from the rock record. The history of life cannot be inferred on the basis of

genetic data alone, because the living world represents only a molecular snapshot of all life, and the

geological record reveals that the co-evolution of life and the environment has been vast and

complex. Unfortunately, only a tiny and non-random proportion of life has been preserved in the

geological record. Understanding the past, present, and future of biodiversity is therefore contingent

on our ability to utilize two independent and incomplete records of time. My research aims to find

the best strategies for combining molecular and paleontological data, so we can test hypotheses in

evolutionary biology with higher accuracy and precision.

Research Highlights

An important project goal was to create an exemplar dataset of fossil occurrences. The Museum’s

fossil Cypraeidae specimens are housed in the Cenozoic Stratigraphic Mollusc collections, which

contains over 600 cabinets of uncatalogued material. With the assistance of four interns, who made a

huge contribution to my project (and to the fun I had), I surveyed this entire collection; the resulting

database contains >2,000 specimens. In combination with available genetic data, this forms a useful

resource not only for the study of the evolution in Cypraeidae, but also for assessing the performance

of different methods. Data will be made publically available through the Museum’s online database.

Favorite Moment

The Museum hosts an evening seminar series on behalf of the Washington Area Phylogenetics

Consortium (Phylopizza). A previous speaker has been developing some exciting models for

combing molecular and fossil evidence, and invited me to join her for four weeks at her institute in

Iowa. We are now working together on developing methods for estimating speciation and extinction

rates.


I have presented my research to a broad range of international audiences, including the annual

Evolution meeting in North Carolina and the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Berlin. I will

present at the Geological Society of America meeting in Maryland and I am especially excited to be

attending a special meeting, Dating species divergence using rocks and clocks, at the Royal Society

in London later this year.

Looking Ahead

It is my ambition to become a research leader in computational and molecular paleobiology. I plan to

develop methods that combine realistic geological, paleontological, and phylogenetic models for

estimating evolutionary parameters, essential for testing hypotheses in evolutionary biology. I have

applied for a fellowship in Switzerland to work with a world leader in the development of

phylogenetic models for understanding evolutionary history. She is enthusiastic about learning about

the fossil record and I am excited to share my experiences of working with empirical collections.

Word of Thanks

Thank you for the tremendous opportunity to become a researcher at the Museum. This opportunity

has played an important role in enriching my understanding of the fossil record and of museum

collections, given me the opportunity to interact with amazing scientists at all levels, and I believe

this experience has been absolutely invaluable to me at this stage in my career.


Laura E. Waters, Dept. of Mineral Sciences

University of Michigan

Postdoctoral Fellow: January 2015 – December 2016

Research Title: Ascent Rates of Obsidians: Experiments and New Model Speedometer

Advisor: Benjamin J. Andrews (Geologist)

Laura Waters received her Ph.D. in Igneous Geochemistry and Volcanology from the University of

Michigan in December 2013. She completed a year of post-doctoral research at the University of

Michigan on the effect of H2O on orthopyroxene-liquid equilibrium. She is interested in combining

observations from the volcanic record with petrological experiments that target specific magmatic

processes over a wide range of physical conditions and time scales to draw conclusions about the

origins of continental crust. She has published three papers, including an experimental study of the

kinetics of plagioclase crystallization during rapid decompression. During her Buck Fellowship,

Waters will experimentally simulate magmatic ascent paths at a variety of rates and document the

effect ascent rate on the crystallization behavior of the melts. Her research will provide some of the

first insights into the kinetics of crystallization during continuous ascent. Additionally, the entire

experimental series conducted during her fellowship will be used to create a model geo-speedometer

that will be used to calculate ascent rates of natural lavas.


Laura Waters The Stakes

Obsidians, or lavas consisting of mostly glass with sparse crystals, are often found in regions of

extension, where tectonic plates are ripping apart. The mechanisms that form obsidian are unknown,

however, it can be inferred from experiments that the crystal poor nature of obsidians must be due to

kinetic processes, and lava textures (e.g., glassy) are strongly influenced by decompression rate.

There are no experimentally derived models that quantify decompression and crystallization rates of

natural samples. A model speedometer that would determine decompression rates (thus ascent rates)

of natural rhyolite-obsidians would provide valuable details about the time scales and mechanisms by

which magmas are transported through crust.

Research Highlights

The Buck Fellowship has provided me with time and material to conduct a specific experimental

series to capture a kinetic process known as nucleation delay, which is the time it takes for the

crystalline nuclei to form. From my work with natural samples, I have suspected that nucleation

delays due to cooling (at a constant pressure) were shorter in duration than nucleation delays due to

decompression (at a constant temperature); our experiments confirm this suspicion. This result will

potentially allow geologists to determine whether or not crystallization in natural lavas was induced

due to degassing or cooling.

Favorite Moment

In addition to the discovery about the timing of nucleation delays for

cooled v. degassed liquids, I was also able to experimentally grow a

texture described as granophyre, by limiting the number of

nucleation sites in the melt. This texture has never been

experimentally replicated prior to my experimental series.


This year, I published an article in Journal of Petrology that faced a

great amount of criticism during review, as it challenged a paradigm

many geologists have concerning the formation of large crystals. We show that large crystals may

grow in a short amount of time (less than a week), provided nucleation is strongly inhibited, which

contrasts with the commonly held view that large crystals must form during a long incubation period

in a magma chamber.

Looking Ahead

I am planning to apply for tenure track faculty positions, so that I can build a facility dedicated to

experimental petrology, which I will use to continue my experimental series and resolve outstanding

questions about nucleation and growth of crystals during degassing and cooling. My position at the

Smithsonian will add to my credentials as a scientist and has provided me with much needed time to

establish the foundations of the research questions that form my career.

Word of Thanks

I would like to thank Dr. Buck and the Smithsonian Institution for the financial, institutional, and

temporal support that I have received through the fellowship. I find myself experiencing a great sense

of relief that I have received funding from the Peter Buck Fellowship, as it has provided me with

stability, time, and access to samples, laboratories and analytical equipment, so that I may improve

and embellish upon my existing results.


Peter Buck Fellows Bibliography September 2014 – September 2015

Over 80% of the publications from the past year are accompanied by an Altmetric score, which

is a high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention received. Those with a

particularly high number of online mentions (from a variety of sources, such as news outlets,

blogs, tweets, and Facebook and Wikipedia pages) are indicated among the entries below.

Cheryl Ames

Marques, Antonio C., García, Jimena and Lewis Ames, Cheryl. 2015. Internal fertilization and

sperm storage in cnidarians: a response to Orr and Brennan. Trends in Ecology & Evolution,

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2015.06.002

Pawson, David L., Nizinski, Martha S., Ames, Cheryl Lewis and Pawson, Doris J. 2015. Deep-

sea echinoids and holothurians (Echinodermata) near cold seeps and coral communities in the

northern Gulf of Mexico. Bulletin of Marine Science, 91(2): 167-204.

doi:10.5343/bms.2014.1064

Jamie Baldwin-Fergus

Baldwin Fergus, Jamie L, Johnsen, Sö and Osborn, Karen J. 2015. A Unique Apposition

Compound Eye in the Mesopelagic Hyperiid Amphipod Paraphronima gracilis. Current Biology,

25(4): 473-478. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2014.12.010

Richard Barclay

Barclay, Richard S., Rioux, Matthew, Meyer, Laura B., Bowring, Samuel A., Johnson, Kirk R.

and Miller, Ian M. 2015. High precision U–Pb zircon geochronology for Cenomanian Dakota

Formation floras in Utah. Cretaceous Research, 52A: 213-237.

doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2014.08.006

Ricardo Betancur

Arcila, Dahiana, Alexander Pyron, R., Tyler, James C., Ortí, Guillermo and Betancur-R,

Ricardo. 2015. An evaluation of fossil tip-dating versus node-age calibrations in tetraodontiform

fishes (Teleostei: Percomorphaceae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 82 Pt A: 131-145.

doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2014.10.011

Arcila, Dahiana, Alexander Pyron, R., Tyler, James C., Ortí, Guillermo and Betancur-R.,

Ricardo. 2015. An evaluation of fossil tip-dating versus node-age calibrations in tetraodontiform

fishes (Teleostei: Percomorphaceae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 82(A): 131-145.

doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2014.10.011

Betancur-R, Ricardo, Ortí, Guillermo and Pyron, Robert Alexander. 2015. Fossil-based

comparative analyses reveal ancient marine ancestry erased by extinction in ray-finned fishes.

Ecology Letters, 18(5): 441-450. doi:10.1111/ele.12423

https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/26690


http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2015.06.002




http://dx.doi.org/10.5343/bms.2014.1064

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2014.12.010

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2014.08.006

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2014.10.011


http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ele.12423


Thompson, Andrew W., Betancur-R., Ricardo, Lopez-Fernandez, Hernan and Orti, Guillermo.

2014. A time-calibrated, multi-locus phylogeny of piranhas and pacus (Characiformes:

Serrasalmidae) and a comparison of species tree methods. Molecular Phylogenetics and

Evolution, 81: 242-257. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2014.06.018

Bonnie Blaimer

Blaimer, Bonnie B., Brady, Seán G., Schultz, Ted R. and Fisher, Brian L. 2015. Functional and

phylogenetic approaches reveal the evolution of diversity in a hyper diverse biota. Ecography,

doi:10.1111/ecog.01370

Monica Carlsen

Costion, Craig M., Simpson, Lalita, Pert, Petina L., Carlsen, Monica M., John Kress, W. and

Crayn, Darren. 2015. Will tropical mountaintop plant species survive climate change?

Identifying key knowledge gaps using species distribution modelling in Australia. Biological

Conservation, 191: 322-330. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2015.07.022

Nazareno, Alison G., Carlsen, Monica and Lohmann, Lúcia G. 2015. Complete Chloroplast

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Evans, Nathaniel, Gilbert, Antoine, Andréfouët, Serge and Paulay, Gustav. 2015. A massive

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Eliécer Gutiérrez

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Hawkins, Melissa T. R., Hofman, Courtney A., Callicrate, Taylor, McDonough, Molly M.,

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2015. In-Solution Hybridization for Mammalian Mitogenome enrichment: Pros, Cons, and

Challenges Associated with Multiplexing Degraded DNA. Molecular Ecology Resources,

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Gutiérrez, Eliécer E., Anderson, Robert P., Voss, Robert S., Ochoa-G., José, Aguilera, Marisol

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Gutiérrez, Eliécer E., Boria, Robert A. and Anderson, Robert P. 2014. Can biotic interactions

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AJ Harris

Harris, A. J., Lutz, Sue, Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro and Wen, Jun. 2015. The utility of the

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Caroline Judy

Harvey, Michael G., Judy, Caroline Duffie, Seeholzer, Glenn F., Maley, James M., Graves, Gary

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Myers, Christopher G., Oster, Jessica L., Sharp, Warren D., Bennartz, Ralf, Kelley, Neil P.,

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Kelley, Neil, Motani, Ryosuke, Rieppel, Olivier, Jiang, Da-yong and Schmitz, Lars. 2014.

Selective extinction of Triassic marine reptiles during long-term sea level changes illuminated by

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Liu, Jun, Hu, Shi-xue, Rieppel, Olivier, Jiang, Da-yong, Benton, Michael, Kelley, Neil,

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Pyenson, Nicholas D., Kelley, Neil P. and Parham, James F. 2014. Marine tetrapod

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Fredrick Larabee

Larabee, Fredrick J. and Suarez, Andrew V. 2015. Mandible-Powered Escape Jumps in Trap-Jaw

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Larabee, Fredrick J. and Suarez, Andrew V. 2014. The evolution and functional morphology of

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Tyler Lyson

Warnock, Rachel C. M., Parham, James F., Joyce, Walter G., Lyson, Tyler R. and Donoghue,

Philip C. J. 2015. Calibration uncertainty in molecular dating analyses: there is no substitute for

the prior evaluation of time priors. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological

Sciences, 282(1798) doi:10.1098/rspb.2014.1013

Bourke, Jason M., Ruger Porter, Wm, Ridgely, Ryan C., Lyson, Tyler R., Schachner, Emma R.,

Bell, Phil R. and Witmer, Lawrence M. 2014. Breathing Life Into Dinosaurs: Tackling

Challenges of Soft-Tissue Restoration and Nasal Airflow in Extinct Species. The Anatomical

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Lamanna, Matthew C., Sues, Hans-Dieter, Schachner, Emma R. and Lyson, Tyler R. 2014. A

New Large-Bodied Oviraptorosaurian Theropod Dinosaur from the Latest Cretaceous of Western

North America. Plos One, 9(3): 1-16. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092022

Lyson, Tyler R., Schachner, Emma R., Botha-Brink, Jennifer, Scheyer, Torsten M., Lambertz,

Markus, Bever, G. S., Rubidge, Bruce S. and de Queiroz, Kevin. 2014. Origin of the unique

ventilatory apparatus of turtles. Nature Communications, 5 doi:10.1038/ncomms6211

Molly McDonough

Hawkins, Melissa T. R., Hofman, Courtney A., Callicrate, Taylor, McDonough, Molly M.,

Tsuchiya, Mirian T. N., Gutiérrez, Eliécer E., Helgen, Kristofer M. and Maldonado, Jesús E.

2015. In-Solution Hybridization for Mammalian Mitogenome enrichment: Pros, Cons, and

Challenges Associated with Multiplexing Degraded DNA. Molecular Ecology Resources,

doi:10.1111/1755-0998.12448

Schlitter, Duane A., Ferguson, Adam W. and McDonough, Molly M. 2014. [Review]: Mammals

of Africa (Vol. I-VI.). Journal of Mammalogy, 95(6): 1299-1303. doi:10.1644/14-MAMM-R-

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Lima, Luciana, Espinosa-Álvarez, Oneida, Ortiz, Paola A., Trejo-Varón, Javier A., Carranza,

Julio C., Pinto, C. M., Buck, Gregory A., Camargo, Erney P. and Teixeira, Marta M. G. 2015.

Genetic diversity of Trypanosoma cruzi in bats, and multilocus phylogenetic and

phylogeographical analyses supporting Tcbat as an independent DTU (discrete typing unit). Acta

Tropica, doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2015.07.015

Cottontail, Veronika M., Kalko, Elisabeth K. V., Cottontail, Iain, Wellinghausen, Nele,

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Trypanosoma in a Common Bat Species, and Implications for the Biogeography and Taxonomy

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Leslie Reeder-Myers

Reeder-Myers, Leslie, Erlandson, Jon M., Muhs, Daniel R. and Rick, Torben C. 2015. Sea level,

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Rick, Torben C., Ogburn, Matthew B., Kramer, Margaret, McCanty, Sean T., Reeder-Myers,

Leslie, Miller, Henry M. and Hines, Anson H. 2015. Archaeology, taphonomy, and historical

ecology of Chesapeake Bay blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus). Journal of Archaeological Science,

55: 42-54. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2014.12.016

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Braje, Todd J., Rick, Torben C., Reeder-Myers, Leslie, Campbell, Breana and Minas, Kelly.

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Jew, Nicholas P., Erlandson, Jon M., Rick, Torben C. and Reeder-Myers, Leslie. 2014. Oxygen

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Reeder-Myers, Leslie. 2014. 9,000 Years of Settlement in the Carrington Point Area of Santa

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Rick, Torben C., Reeder-Myers, Leslie, Cox, C. Jane, Sperling, Stephanie T., Jansen, Alex and

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Rhode River Sub-Estuary of Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA. Geoarchaeology-an

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Galipeau, Russell, Huston, Ann, King, Julie, Laughrin, Lyndal, Maldonado, Jesús E.,

McEachern, Kathryn, Muhs, Daniel R., Newsome, Seth D., Reeder-Myers, Leslie, Still,

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to the Anthropocene. Bioscience, 64(8): 680-692. doi:10.1093/biosci/biu094

Erin Sigel

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Ruhsam, Markus, Deyholos, Michael, Soltis, Douglas E., Stewart, C. N., Shaw, Shane W.,

Pokorny, Lisa, Chen, Tao, dePamphilis, Claude, DeGironimo, Lisa, Chen, Li, Wei, Xiaofeng,

Sun, Xiao, Korall, Petra, Stevenson, Dennis W., Graham, Sean W., Wong, Gane K. -S and Pryer,

Kathleen M. 2015. The evolutionary history of ferns inferred from 25 low-copy nuclear genes.

American Journal of Botany, doi:10.3732/ajb.1500089

Wolf, Paul G., Sessa, Emily B., Marchant, D. B., Li, Fay-Wei, Rothfels, Carl J., Sigel, Erin M.,

Gitzendanner, Mathew A., Visger, Clayton J., Banks, Jo Ann, Soltis, Douglas E., Soltis, Pamela

S., Pryer, Kathleen M. and Der, Joshua P. 2015. An exploration into fern genome space. Genome

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Sigel, Erin M., Windham, Michael D. and Pryer, Kathleen M. 2014. Evidence for Reciprocal

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Slater, Graham J. 2015. Iterative adaptive radiations of fossil canids show no evidence for

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United States of America, 112(16): 4897-4902. doi:10.1073/pnas.1403666111

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Biogeography and taxonomy of extinct and endangered monk seals illuminated by ancient DNA

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Jae-Cheon Sohn

Doorenweerd, Camiel, Nieukerken, Erik J. Van, Sohn, Jae-Cheon and Labandeira, Conrad C.

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Regier, Jerome C., Mitter, Charles, Davis, Donald R., Harrison, Terry L., Sohn, Jae-Cheon,

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revised classification for the oldest ditrysian moth lineages (Lepidoptera: Tineoidea), with

implications for ancestral feeding habits of the mega-diverse Ditrysia. Systematic Entomology,

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Sohn, Jae-Cheon. 2015. A Catalogue of the Type Specimens of Yponomeutoidea (Lepidoptera)

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Sohn, Jae-Cheon, Davis, Donald R. and Lopez-Vaamonde, Carlos. 2015. Revision of the genus

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Sohn, Jae-Cheon, Labandeira, Conrad C. and Davis, Donald R. 2015. The fossil record and

taphonomy of butterflies and moths (Insecta, Lepidoptera): implications for evolutionary

diversity and divergence-time estimates. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 15 doi:10.1186/s12862-

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Sohn, Jae-Cheon, Park, Kyu-Tek and Cho, Soowon. 2015. A taxonomic review of Schoenobiinae

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Sohn, Jae-Cheon, Park, Kyu-Tek and Cho, Soowon. 2015. Seven species of Olethreutinae

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Sohn, Jae-Cheon. 2014. A Taxonomic Review of Stachyotis (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea:

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Sohn, Jae-Cheon. 2014. A taxonomic review of the Neotropical genus Anchimacheta

(Lepidoptera: Urodidae) with descriptions of a new congener and an allied, new genus and

species from Sri Lanka. Journal of Natural History, 48(43-44): 2617-2631.

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Sohn, Jae-Cheon. 2014. Three new species of Spiladarcha Meyrick, 1913 (Lepidoptera:

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Rachel Warnock

Eberle, J., Walbaum, W., Warnock, R. C. M., Fabrizi, S. and Ahrens, D. 2015. Asymmetry in

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Ksepka, Daniel T., Parham, James F., Allman, James F., Benton, Michael J., Carrano, Matthew

T., Cranston, Karen A., Donoghue, Philip C. J., Head, Jason J., Hermsen, Elizabeth J., Irmis,

Randall B., Joyce, Walter G., Kohli, Manpreet, Lamm, Kristin S., Leehr, Dan, Patané, José S. L.,

Polly, P. D., Phillips, Matthew J., Smith, N. A., Smith, Nathan D., Tuinen, Marcel van, Ware,

Jessica L. and Warnock, Rachel C. M. 2015. The Fossil Calibration Database, A New Resource

for Divergence Dating. Systematic Biology, 64(5): 853-859. doi:10.1093/sysbio/syv025

Warnock, Rachel C. M., Parham, James F., Joyce, Walter G., Lyson, Tyler R. and Donoghue,

Philip C. J. 2015. Calibration uncertainty in molecular dating analyses: there is no substitute for

the prior evaluation of time priors. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological

Sciences, 282(1798) doi:10.1098/rspb.2014.1013

Laura Waters

Waters, Laura E., Andrews, Benjamin J. and Lange, Rebecca A. 2015. Rapid Crystallization of

Plagioclase Phenocrysts in Silicic Melts during Fluid-saturated Ascent: Phase Equilibrium and

Decompression Experiments. Journal of Petrology, 56(5): 981-1006.

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Maya Yamato

Yamato, Maya and Pyenson, Nicholas D. 2015. Early development and orientation of the

acoustic funnel provides insight into the evolution of sound reception pathways in cetaceans.

PloS One, 10(3): 1-15. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0118582

Ning Zhang

Zhang, Ning, Wen, Jun and Zimmer, Elizabeth A. 2015. Expression patterns of AP1, FUL, FT

and LEAFY orthologs in Vitaceae support the homology of tendrils and inflorescences

throughout the grape family. Journal of Systematics and Evolution, doi:10.1111/jse.12138

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