Jason L. Brown
Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies
The overarching goal of my research is to develop a conceptual framework for understanding the interplay between spatial, genetic, ecological, and evolutionary processes. I integrate theoretical perspectives on evolution, ecology, and population genetics with geospatial, field-based, and molecular research to address fundamental questions about speciation, distribution patterns, and the processes of generating and maintaining diversity. Most of my research fall into two focal areas: (1) Explicit integration of ecological, genetic, and geospatial analyses to address evolutionary and conservation questions—focusing on methodological and statistical issues. (2) Behavioral ecology, evolution, and systematics of South American poison frogs (Family Dendrobatidae).
Education
BA, Minnesota State University Moorhead
PhD, East Carolina University
Postdoctoral: University of Michigan, Duke University, City College of New York
Courses taught
ZOOL 478 Animal Behavior
Selected Recent Publications
Brown JL, Yoder AD (2015). Shifting ranges and conservation challenges for lemurs in the face of climate change. Ecology and Evolution 5(6): 1131–1142. Highlighted in Science 347: 1434
Brown JL, Cameron A, Yoder AD, Vences M (2014). A necessarily complex model to explain the biogeography of the amphibians and reptiles of Madagascar. Nature Communications 10:5
Barrett MA, Brown JL, Yoder AD (2013). Protection for trade of precious rosewood. Nature 499: 29
Brown JL, Twomey E el al. (2011). A taxonomic revision of the Neotropical poison frog genus Ranitomeya (Amphibia: Dendrobatidae). Zootaxa 3083: 1–120
Barrett MA, Brown JL, Morikawa M, Labat JL, Yoder AD (2010). Modeling the effects of illicit rosewood logging in Madagascar: A call for CITES designation. Science 328: 1109–1110
Brown JL, Morales V, Summers K (2010). A key ecological trait drove the evolution of biparental care and monogamy in an amphibian. The American Naturalist 175: 436–446. Highlighted in Nature 464: 990–991
Click here to view Dr. Brown’s lab webpage.