Research
Our research investigates the consequences of climate change for vertebrate populations and explores how evolutionary change and phenotypic plasticity may facilitate adaptation to climate-related stressors. We integrate a broad range of approaches, including intensive field surveys, museum specimens, high-resolution climate and environmental data, and advanced statistical modeling.
Phenological mismatch in seasonal camouflage
One of the clearest signals of climate change globally is the shortening duration of snow cover. We and our colleagues developed a model system, camouflage mismatch in color‑molting species, to investigate how animals respond to this stressor and adapt to climate change more broadly. An early and important contribution of this work was quantifying the high fitness costs of camouflage mismatch in wild snowshoe hares. We also measured the limited potential for phenotypic plasticity in molt timing and behavior to buffer against mismatch across multiple color‑molting species. Together, this research demonstrates that adaptive evolution will be critical for these species to persist as snow cover continues to decline.
Climate change responses in high-elevation mammals
In response to climate change, wild organisms can shift their distributions, adapt in place, or go extinct. This research direction aims to understand both past and future responses of mammal communities in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, a region characterized by steep elevational and climatic gradients and a high diversity of endemic and imperiled small mammals. Key questions we pursue in this system include identifying climate change refugia and quantifying the capacity of high-elevation mammals to respond through range shifts and local adaptation.
Morphological shifts in vertebrates
Across the globe, species are shifting their morphology, phenology, and distributions in response to environmental change. Using museum specimens, we and our colleagues have shown that multiple morphological traits, including body size and wing length, have changed consistently over the past four decades in more than 50 species of North American birds. Over the same period, major shifts in both spring and fall migration phenology occurred in these species. A primary goal of this research is to improve our understanding of the role of evolution in driving morphological shifts in birds and mammals, and to enhance our ability to predict biotic responses under future climate change.