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Renee Rosier PhD Candidate |
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Email: rlr265@psu.edu Office: Mueller Laboratory, room 314 Phone: 814.865.7540
Education
BS 2007 Lock Haven University
Research Interests
I am interested in the evolutionary consequences of interspecific interactions with a particular focus on niche construction and the mechanisms behind species coexistence. My current work branches from research that has already been done in the lab with fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus) and red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) in the southern USA. Since we know that fence lizards that live with fire ants have longer legs than those from uninvaded regions (Langkilde 2009) and that environmental structure can affect hind limb length in other lizard species (Losos et al. 2000, Downes and Hoefer 2007), my goal is to determine how the hindlimb length is changing in fire-ant invaded populations.
Right now I am determining if limb length is a plastic trait in fence lizards by providing juvenile lizards with the opportunity to climb in a lab setting. I noticed that some of the lizards in my limb length experiment are much larger than their siblings, which indicates competition for food in spite of feeding ad libitum. Therefore, I am also studying the relationship between boldness and stress within clutches by running a series of behavior trials. In future I hope to determine if boldness in juveniles can be used to predict adult body size. In addition to the changes in limb length and within-clutch behavior differences, I am also planning to investigate the consequences of fire ant invasion as they relate to lizard foraging strategies, composition of lizard diets, and territory size. |
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Pennsylvania State University Biology Department |
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Langkilde laboratory |
