Dr. Liz Lange's research research combines evolutionary studies, animal behavior, genetics, and theoretical modelling to understand when and how individuals use information from the social environment to alter phenotypes.
liz.lange [at] oswego.edu
Student Researchers
If you are a student interested in animal behavior, evolutionary biology, quantitative genetics, or theory and want to talk about a research project, please contact me.
MADISON GRIFFIN
2020-2022
Madison examined the environmental determinants of age at first grooming in wild baboons. Currently, she is working on writing up a manuscript for publication while finishing her senior year at Duke.
COLBY CHESIRE
2021-2022
Colby joined the lab as a Biological Science Undergraduate Research Fellow where he assessed the heritability of social traits. He is now starting a new project on lunar cycle effects on behavior while completing his third year at Duke.
IVONNE MENDIETA
2015-2020
Ivonne examined temporal variation in social environment and alternative mating strategies. Her senior thesis found repeatable seasonal differences in alternative mating behaviors (stay tuned for the publication!). Ivonne is currently a lab tech for the Travis lab at Florida State University
SHANNON POPE
2017-2018
Shannon worked as a tech in the molecular lab where she preserved fish tissues samples and extracted and quantified DNA. Currently, she is a medical student at Florida State University College of Medicine
VERONICA SITARAS
2015-2018
Veronica examined the influence of elastomer tags on female preference. She is currently pursuing a Master's of Public Health at Florida State University while teaching science at a local high school.
ALYSON FAN
Summer 2015
Alyson examined temporal variation in male mating behavior as part of the Young Scholar's Program. She recently graduated from the University of Florida where she studied Mechanical Engineering. Alyson is currently working full-time with ExxonMobil.
SIMONE GABLE
2016-2017
Simone joined the lab with the Undergrad Research Opportunity Program (UROP). Her work examined the effects of social environment on juvenile feeding behavior. Simone is currently a PhD student in the Tollis lab at Northern Arizona University.
STEPHEN ERK
2018-2019
Stephen determined how social environment during development affected male mating behavior. He is currently working on a BS in Environmental Science at Florida State University"
MEGAN LEWIS
2018-2020
Megan is working on understanding how social environment affect's male fitness. Stay tuned for results as she is currently genotyping. Mehan works full-time at Dermatology Associates of Tallahassee and at TMH on the weekends. She is applying to Physician Assistant Programs for Fall 2021.
EMILY LUO
Summer 2015
Emily examined temporal variation in female mating behavior as part of the Young Scholar's Program. She recently graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a major in Cognitive Science and is preparing for a Fulbright ETA grant to teach English in Taiwan.
NICK VARIAS
2018-2020
Nick is assessing fitness differences of males who experience different social environments. He is currently genotyping thousands of microsats. Stay tuned for results!
ERIN EMOTT
2016-2017
Erin is a great aquarist who helped with animal husbandry and transcribing behavioral data. She continues to put her husbandry skills to use as a teaching lab manager at FSU. Erin cares for aquaria and terraria of invertebrates, and prepares class materials for the undergraduate Bio 1 lab and Bio 2 lab classes at FSU.
KIMBERLY WATTS
2019
Kimberly was excellent at extracting DNA and running PCR. She also shared her excitement for human genetics during our reading groups. Kimberly is current;y pursuing a graduate degree in Public Health at FSU.
ERIN WADHAMS
2015-2018
Erin pursued many projects in the lab. Her main focus was examining how male age affected mating behavior. Erin also assessed feeding behavior of juveniles and helped take lots of life history data.
COURTNEY BENTER
2013-2017
Courtney's UROP project examined the development of male life history traits in sailfin mollies. She also worked on how social environment affected the development of juvenile feeding behavior. Courtney is currently a zookeeper.
ASHTON BOON
2016-2017
Ashton's UROP project assessed how social environment affected the development of male morphology. She found that social environment affected body area but not fin morphology. Ashton is currently a vet student at the University of Florida.
CHRISTINA CORPUS
2013-2015
Christina joinged the lab as part of the Women in Math, Science and Engineering program. She found the first evidence of seasonal effects on male mating behavior. Currently, Christina is pursuing a doctorate of osteopathic medicine.
ERIC RICE
2011-2013
Eric's senior honor's thesis on the effects of diet on male ornamentation and morphology found that male sexually selected traits were more sensitive to diet than non-sexually selected traits. Eric graduated Clemson University in 2013 and is currently an environmental chemist.
STEVE
Steve is an honorary non-assistant researcher that lived in our field site, Steve's Ditch. He ruined our 25 month census streak, but didn't care. Luckily he only stayed in the ditch for a month before he said see you later alligator. Hobbies include scaring biologists and eating study organisms.
HANNAH WARREN
2011-2012
Hannah worked on the genetic basis of age and size at maturation in sailfin mollies. She found no evidence of mc4r mutations. Currently, Hannah is a genetic counselor at Greenwood Genetic Center.
Not pictured:
Rachel Hite, animal care and husbandy, Clemson University, 2011-2013, currently an RN
Grant Davidson, effects of social environment on development, Clemson University, 2012-2013, currently a Certified Physician Assistant
Emilio Cardenal, effects of social environment on male morphology, Florida State University, 2018-2020
Taylor Allen, feeding behavior in juvenile mollies, Florida State University, 2018-2019
Kenna Dwinell, fieldwork, DNA extraction and quantification, Florida State University, 2017-2018
Patricia Hernandez, fieldwork, animal care and husbandry, Florida State University, 2015-2017, currently a nurse
Nickolas Hernandez, fieldwork, animal care and husbandry, Florida State University, 2019
Mishala Horowitz, fieldwork, animal care and husbandry, Florida State University, 2015-2016 currently a nurse
Patrick Huyck, DNA extraction and quantification, Florida State University, 2016
Julieanna Keclik, fieldwork, animal care and husbandry, Florida State University, 2017-2019
Alyssa Patneaude, fieldwork, animal care and husbandry, Florida State University, 2016-2017
Kyra Reifenberg, fieldwork, animal care and husbandry, Florida State University, 2017-2018
Brianna Reynolds, fieldwork, animal care and husbandry, Florida State University, 2018
Erica Snook, fieldwork, animal care and husbandry, Florida State University, 2015-2016
Jorge Serrano, DNA extraction and quantification, Florida State University, 2019
Gino Tornese, effects of temperature of male life history traits, Florida State University, 2018-2019, currently studying to be a pharmacist
Anni Wang, DNA extraction and quantification, Florida State University, 2016-2017
Alexandra Rose, fieldwork, animal care and husbandry, Florida State University, 2019
Jonathan Chappell, DNA extraction and quantification, Florida State University, 2016-2017
Katie Kyle, DNA extraction and quantification, Florida State University, 2015-2016, currently a PhD student at UConn
​
