JADIN EXPEDITIONS

Robert Jadin's Herpetology Journal

U.T. Tyler page

For my Master's Degree in Biology I attended the University of Texas at Tyler. I was in the Gutberlet lab and used morphology to investigate the phylogenetic relationships of a clade of Middle American pitvipers—genera Atropoides, Cerrophidion, and Porthidium— known as the Porthidium group.  Parkinson et al. (2002) coined the term Porthidium group for this terrestrial clade and its monophyly is supported by molecular data (Kraus et al., 1996; Parkinson, 1999; Parkinson et al., 2002; Castoe and Parkinson, 2006). Eighteen species are included within the Porthidium group (i.e., A. mexicanus, A. nummifer, A. occiduus, A. olmec, A. picadoi, C. barbouri, C. godmani, C. petlalcalensis, C. tzotzilorum, P. arcosae, P. dunni, P. hespere, P. lansbergii, P. nasutum, P. ophryomegas, P. porrasi, P. volcanicum, and P. yucatanicum; Campbell and Lamar, 2004). Although molecular data have recently been used to reconstruct the phylogeny of the Porthidium group (Castoe et al., 2005), a phylogenetic analysis of this clade inferred from morphological evidence was still needed. Middle America has great diversity and endemism—despite its relatively small land mass—which has been influenced by many events of vicariance and dispersal (Campbell, 1999), making Middle American pitvipers excellent models for evolutionary research.

 

 

	Gutberlet Lab
			Allyson M. Modra, Also used morphology to examine the phylogenetic relationships within the Bothrops complex
My former advisor Dr. Ronald L. Gutberlet, Jr.	Me looking at some of our specimens in the teaching collection.	Jessica Coleman surveying turtles. Thesis work on Graptemys basking behavior	Currently a Ph.D. student in the Parkinson lab at Univ. of Cent. Fl.

The Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center at the University of Texas at Arlington was invaluable to my research. I thank all the faculty and staff for their assistance while I worked on my different projects. This institution loaned most of the specimens needed for my thesis research and it was also the place where I deposit most of the specimens I collect.

The outside of the Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center	The UTA collection houses an extensive collection of more than 115,000 specimens	Carl Franklin (Collection Manager) holding a Goliath frog and a jar of Bufo periglenes	Eric Smith and I looking over a map of Mexico and discussing biogeography

  These 4 photos were all taken by Bill Love

Robert Jadin's Herpetology Journal

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