Four Students, Two Faculty Present at Herpetology Symposium

Anthony Gilbert discusses ecological plasticity of thermal performance on a polymorphic lizard.

The fourth annual Ohio University/John Carrol University Herpetology Symposium took place Nov. 7-9.

The symposium rotates between the two universities, and this year John Carrol University hosted it.

“This has been a wonderful exchange between the universities, with nearly 50 participants,” says Dr. Shawn Kuchta, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences. “The plenary speaker from Villanova, Aaron Bauer, discussed 100 million years of gecko evolution and an integrative taxonomic approach.”

Jasmine Croghan talks about fossil snakes.

Ohio University faculty and students also gave research talks:

• Paul Converse, biology graduate student, on “Spatiotemporal assessment of gene flow in diamondback terrapins”
• Jasmine Croghan, biology graduate student, on “Description and naming of a Fossil Snake”
• Anthony Gilbert, biology graduate student, on “Examining the ecological plasticity of thermal performance for a polymorphic lizard”
• Sarah Kitson, biology graduate student, on “Performance of Malaclemys terrapin hatchlings: Variation in seasonal emergence and preliminary investigation into hatchling environmental preference”
• Dr. Shawn Kuchta on “Wherefore and wither the ring species?”
• Dr. Don Miles, Professor of Biological Sciences, on “Effects of hydration and temperature on locomotor performance in Marine Toads (Rhinella marina) from Chamela, Mexico”

See the symposium Facebook page.

Paul Converse assesses spatiotemporal gene flow in diamondback terrapins.