Dr. A. (Amy) Bickham Baird
Research interests
My research focuses on using molecular phylogenetics to answer questions about processes involved in species evolution. My dissertation research (completed December 2007 at the University of Texas at Austin, supervisor: David Hillis) examined chromosomal evolution and speciation in the bat genus Rhogeessa. For this project I examined phylogenies derived from maternal (mtDNA), paternal (Y-chromosome) and bi-parentally (nuclear autosome) inherited markers to test expectations of a chromosomal speciation model (speciation by monobrachial centric fusions). At the University of Texas, I also collaborated on a study examining phylogeography of the salamander species Plethodon albagula. Currently at Naturalis I am collaborating with Pim Arntzen and Gonçalo Themudo to examine hybridization and/or incomplete lineage sorting between species of Triturus newts using nuclear DNA sequences.
Publications
A.B. Baird, G.B. Pauly, D.W. Hall and T.J. LaDuc. 2009. Records of the porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) from the eastern margins of the Edwards Plateau of Texas. The Texas Journal of Science 61: 65-67.A.B. Baird, D.M. Hillis, J.C. Patton and J.W. Bickham. 2009. Speciation by Monobrachial Centric Fusions: A Test of the Model Using Nuclear DNA Sequences from the Bat Genus Rhogeessa. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 50: 256-267.
A. B. Baird, D. M. Hillis, J. C. Patton, and J. W. Bickham. 2008. Evolutionary history of the genus Rhogeessa (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) as revealed by mitochondrial DNA sequences. Journal of Mammalogy 89: 744-754. pdf
A.B. Baird, J.K. Krejca, J.R. Reddell, C.E. Peden, M.J. Mahoney and D.M. Hillis. 2006. Phylogeographic structure and color pattern variation among populations of Plethodon albagula on the Edwards Plateau of Central Texas. Copeia 2006: 760-768. pdf
A.B. Baird and R.K. Chesser. 2005. Chernobyl. In: Encyclopedia of Toxicology (Second Edition). Edited by Philip Wexler. Elsevier: Oxford.
J.K. Wickliffe, A.M. Bickham, B.E. Rodgers, R.K. Chesser, C.J. Phillips, S.P. Gaschak, J.A. Goryanaya, I. Chizhevsky, and R.J. Baker. 2003. Exposure to chronic, low-dose rate gamma-radiation at Chornobyl does not induce point mutations in Big Blue mice. Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis 42:11-18. pdf
L.R. Shugart, C.W. Theodorakis, A.M. Bickham and J.W. Bickham. 2002. Genetic effects of contaminant exposure and potential impacts on animal populations. Handbook of Ecotoxicology: Second Edition, chapter 41.
R.J. Baker, A.M. Bickham, M. Bondarkov, S. Gaschak, C.W. Matson, B.E. Rodgers, J.K. Wickliffe, and R.K. Chesser. 2001. Consequences of Polluted Environments on Population Structure: The Bank Vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) at Chornobyl. Ecotoxicology 10: 211-216. pdf
Submitted manuscripts
A.B. Baird (accepted; in press) Genetic identification of cryptic species: An example in Rhogeessa. In: DeWoody, Bickham, Michler, Nichols, Rhodes, and Woeste (eds). Molecular Insights into Natural Resource Management and Conservation.
Manuscripts in preparation:
A.B. Baird, J.C. Patton and J.W. Bickham. Molecular phylogenetics of Lasiurus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae).
A.B. Baird, M.R. Marchan, S.G. Perez and R.J. Baker. Morphological analysis and description of two new species of Rhogeessa.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011