Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Doctoral Program

Latest Publications from EEB Core Faculty

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  1. Albert, JS, Abrahão, V, Akin, DR, Andrade, M, Arce, M, Armbruster, JW et al.. An ecological trait matrix of Neotropical freshwater fishes. Sci Data. 2025;12 (1):1127. doi: 10.1038/s41597-025-04674-w. PubMed PMID:40603332 .
  2. Wagner, MA, Wang, Z, Anthony, CJ, Rivera, EA, Strader, ME. iNaturalist data suggests a recent northward expansion of the upside-down jellyfish, Cassiopea. Sci Total Environ. 2025;992 :179948. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179948. PubMed PMID:40582047 .
  3. Cohen, ZP, Perkin, LC, Fifield, AN, Raszick, TJ, Sword, GA, Suh, CP et al.. Source population determination for boll weevil re-infestation Events in Texas. J Econ Entomol. 2025; :. doi: 10.1093/jee/toaf139. PubMed PMID:40581346 .
  4. Ko, JH, Lee, HJ, Kim, HJ, Ryu, JS, Choi, YR, Yoon, CH et al.. Toll-like receptor 2 deficiency exacerbates corneal angiogenesis in injury by impairing regulatory T cells. Theranostics. 2025;15 (13):6082-6099. doi: 10.7150/thno.110322. PubMed PMID:40521204 PubMed Central PMC12159752.
  5. Takata, M, Takahashi, M, Ishibashi, T, Tasaki, E, Rueppell, O, Vargo, EL et al.. Transgenerational epigenetic effect of kings' aging on offspring's caste fate mediated by sperm DNA methylation in termites. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025;122 (24):e2509506122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2509506122. PubMed PMID:40512787 PubMed Central PMC12184646.
  6. Fesenmyer, KA, Poor, EE, Terasaki Hart, DE, Veldman, JW, Fleischman, F, Choksi, P et al.. Addressing critiques refines global estimates of reforestation potential for climate change mitigation. Nat Commun. 2025;16 (1):4572. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-59799-8. PubMed PMID:40500256 PubMed Central PMC12159164.
  7. Bachler, A, Padovan, A, Anderson, CJ, Wei, Y, Wu, Y, Pearce, S et al.. Disruption of HaVipR1 confers Vip3Aa resistance in the moth crop pest Helicoverpa armigera. PLoS Biol. 2025;23 (5):e3003165. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003165. PubMed PMID:40440223 PubMed Central PMC12121769.
  8. Rana, S, Kang, C, Ryu, S, Woller, DA, Kim, D, Song, H et al.. Assessing nanoparticle-enabled dsRNA delivery for oral RNAi in two orthopteran pests: Schistocerca gregaria and Melanoplus sanguinipes. J Insect Physiol. 2025;163 :104825. doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2025.104825. PubMed PMID:40412647 .
  9. Hiers, QA, Wonkka, CL, Treadwell, ML, Dickinson, MB, Kavanagh, KL, Lodge, AG et al.. Bud production, dormancy, and mortality patterns differ by growth form and photosynthetic pathway following high-energy fire. Ecol Appl. 2025;35 (3):e70044. doi: 10.1002/eap.70044. PubMed PMID:40404306 .
  10. Nutt, KM, Thorstenson, CA, Yorzinski, JL. Gray hair influences perceived age and social perceptions. Front Psychol. 2025;16 :1541836. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1541836. PubMed PMID:40400745 PubMed Central PMC12094188.
  11. Jiang, SY, Shen, KW, Brandón, MG, Lu, SB, Tomberlin, JK, Tang, XT et al.. Using black soldier fly larval frass to restore soil health. Bioresour Technol. 2025;432 :132701. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2025.132701. PubMed PMID:40398567 .
  12. Rusch, TW, Sawyer, SJ, Orr, AE, Richter, N, Sohn, D, Gagner, L et al.. Temperature Effects on the Survival and Oviposition of an Invasive Blow Fly Chrysomya rufifacies Macquart (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Insects. 2025;16 (3):. doi: 10.3390/insects16030310. PubMed PMID:40266784 PubMed Central PMC11943446.
  13. Piccardi, F, Bortot, C, Brunoni, L, Poli, F, Rosenthal, GG, Mazzoldi, C et al.. Invasive blue vs. local Green: analysis of substrate preference of two crab species, Callinectes sapidus and Carcinus aestuarii. Mar Environ Res. 2025;208 :107164. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107164. PubMed PMID:40262481 .
  14. Holman, AP, Pickett, DN, West, H, Tarone, AM, Kurouski, D. Portable Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and machine learning for sex determination in third instar Chrysomya rufifacies larvae. J Forensic Sci. 2025; :. doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.70054. PubMed PMID:40248998 .
  15. Wan, G, Sword, GA, Du, J, Huang, Q, Chen, W, Warrant, E et al.. Editorial: Magnetobiology and chronobiology: new opportunities for smart phytoprotection. Front Plant Sci. 2025;16 :1594646. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1594646. PubMed PMID:40235915 PubMed Central PMC11996807.
  16. Mendelson, TC, Renoult, JP, Rosenthal, GG, Shuker, DM. On the biological basis of beauty. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2025; :. doi: 10.1111/brv.70014. PubMed PMID:40211472 .
  17. Block, CJ, Miles, LS, Lewis, CD, Schal, C, Vargo, EL, Booth, W et al.. First evidence of the A302S Rdl insecticide resistance mutation in populations of the bed bug, Cimex lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) in North America. J Med Entomol. 2025;62 (3):740-744. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjaf033. PubMed PMID:40084570 .
  18. Nerlekar, AN, Spalink, D, Veldman, JW. Grass functional traits reflect the long history of fire and grazers in the savannas of Texas. Am J Bot. 2025; :e70013. doi: 10.1002/ajb2.70013. PubMed PMID:40065644 .
  19. Sayin, S, Couzin-Fuchs, E, Petelski, I, Günzel, Y, Salahshour, M, Lee, CY et al.. The behavioral mechanisms governing collective motion in swarming locusts. Science. 2025;387 (6737):995-1000. doi: 10.1126/science.adq7832. PubMed PMID:40014712 .
  20. Tessnow, AE, Nagoshi, RN, Meagher, RL, Gilligan, TM, Sadd, BM, Carrière, Y et al.. Genomic patterns of strain-specific genetic structure, linkage, and selection across fall armyworm populations. BMC Genomics. 2025;26 (1):116. doi: 10.1186/s12864-025-11214-8. PubMed PMID:39920597 PubMed Central PMC11803928.
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Spotlight – Owen Dorsey

EEB student Owen Dorsey graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2014 with a BS in Biology. After graduation, he took a couple of years off, working as a laboratory technologist at the American Red Cross, before starting his MS work at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. For his research, he investigated inbreeding avoidance and mate choice behavior in the invasive western mosquitofish (a close relative of swordtails!) using a combination of behavioral assays and genetic analyses.

Owen joined the Rosenthal lab in 2019 and is broadly interested in studying the fitness consequences of inbreeding and the evolution of pre- and post- copulatory mechanisms to avoid inbreeding. Owen plans to investigate the “cost-benefit” to inbreeding in swordtails.

Spotlight – MC Hannon

Her dissertation research focuses on the reproductive habits of a local species of polychaetes, the common clam worm. She is taking a four-pronged approach to get a comprehensive picture of what is occurring by using ecological, genetic, histological, and biomechanic tools.

In her spare time, MC is very active and enjoys playing Ultimate Frisbee and going to a Crossfit gym (when conditions are safe). Fun fact: MC is an ordained minister in the state of Texas and officiated her first wedding earlier this year!

Spotlight – Angie Achorn

Angie Achorn (ANTH behavioral ecology) graduated from Rhode Island College in 2016 with a B.A. in Anthropology and a minor in Environmental Studies. Previously, she has studied cultural perceptions of primates as pets, trash-raiding behaviors by white-faced capuchins, and intestinal parasite infections in three lemur species. She earned her M.A. in Anthropology at Texas A&M in 2018, and is now a PhD candidate in the anthropology department under Dr. Sharon Gursky.

Angie is currently in Indonesia on a Fulbright fellowship collecting data for her dissertation, which explores relationships between coloration, mating behaviors, parasite infections, and hormones in Sulawesi crested macaques. She just published a paper on sexual selection in Trends in Ecology and Evolution with EEB faculty Dr. Gil Rosenthal.

Spotlight – EEB Recruiting

The Interdisciplinary Degree Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) at Texas A&M University offers a Ph.D. in the field of Ecology and Evolution.

We offer a world-class training program that incorporates fields relevant to EEB, spanning evolutionary genomics to animal behavior to landscape ecology. Our faculty and students are associated with 11 departments and 7 colleges across Texas A&M University, bringing together a diverse array of perspectives.

Find out more about the program here.