Research
Our research focuses on quantifying consequences of climate change for vertebrate populations and understanding the potential for evolutionary change to facilitate adaptation to climate change-related stressors. Our work integrates a broad range of tools and 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 strongest signals of climate change globally is the decreasing duration of snow cover. We and our colleagues developed a model system—camouflage mismatch in color molting species—to uncover how species respond to this stressor and adapt to climate change in general. One of the early important contributions of this work are the high fitness cost estimates of camouflage mismatch in wild snowshoe hares. Further, we quantified the low potential for phenotypic plasticity in molt phenology and behavior to buffer against mismatch in multiple color molting species. Collectively, this line of research continues to show that adaptive evolution will be critical for these species to persist under declining snow cover.
Morphological shifts in migratory birds
Across the globe, species are shifting their morphology, phenology and distributions in response to global environmental change. Using museum specimens, we and our colleagues showed that multiple morphological traits, including body size and wing length, have consistently changed over the past four decades in >50 species of North American birds. Over the same period, major shifts in both spring and fall migration phenology occurred in the same species. One of the main goal of this research is to improve our understanding of the role of evolution in morphological shifts and our ability to predict biotic responses under future climate change.