Research

Drivers of phenotypic trait integration

Why are some trait combinations common across the tree of life, while others are rare or absent? Analytical advances have enabled inferring correlated trait evolution across lineages, yet the mechanisms driving these correlations remain unclear. Are they shaped primarily by selection acting on individual traits? Or do shared genetic mechanisms shape trait co-evolution? To understand the factors that generate and maintain phenotypic integration, my research combines population analyses of trait variation and the genomic basis of traits.

Species cohesiveness and its variation

Why do some species show high levels of phenotypic and genetic variation while others are strikingly conserved? Dramatic variation across lineages in "cohesiveness" has consequences for speciation and trait divergence. To understand how species' genomes and phenotypes remain cohesive in the face of introgressive hybridization, geographic separation, and ecological gradients, I combine inferences of species boundaries with analyses of genome-wide and trait divergence.

Origins and consequences of sexual signal variation

Signaling traits involved in mate choice can vary geographically, providing opportunities to test how adaptive and neutral processes generate phenotypic diversity and contribute to genetic divergence and speciation. Focusing on lizards and frogs, I have characterized patterns of sexual signal variation using multi-spectral imaging. To understand the proximal and ultimate drivers of this variation, I have employed genomic scans and tested trait associations with environmental gradients and co-occurrence with closely related species.

Species diversification at continental scales

Changes in climate and landscape over time alter the geographic distribution of habitats and species, ultimately shaping large-scale biodiversity patterns. My research investigates how these changes have promoted dispersal, disrupted gene flow, and led to new evolutionary radiations. To this goal, I have inferred population histories within species based on genome-wide loci. I have also inferred phylogenetic relationships across species to estimate the temporal dynamics of diversification. I have partnered with Earth scientists to test paleoclimatic hypotheses based on genomic data and inform projections of species responses to anthropogenic global change.

Biodiversity discovery and species' placement in the tree of life

Herpetofaunas worldwide remain poorly characterized, with many species still unknown to science. To fill gaps about diversity, distribution, and evolutionary relationships, my research integrates genetic and morphological data from field-sampled and natural history museum specimens. This work has led to the discovery of species new to science, presumed extinct, or invasive. It has also provided insights into morphological evolution and historical biogeography. I have focused on lizards, frogs, and snakes from the Amazon basin, Brazil's mountains, and Australia's arid zone.