Research Interests:
Research
in my lab focuses on the evolution, systematics, functional
morphology, and biogeography of marine mammals especially
cetaceans. Projects currently being pursued include the
morphological and evolution of locomotion in walruses
and forelimb anatomy and evolution in odontocetes.
My research is currently funded by NSF (Systematic
Biology) and I am accepting MS graduate students.
Morphological
systematics and biogeography of the South American foxes
Frances Johnson’s MS thesis is a
phylogenetic study of living South American foxes based
on morphology (cranial, dental, postcranial, soft anatomical
characters) using rigorous systematic methods (e.g.
parsimony and Bayesian analyses). The origin and radiation
of South American foxes will be considered in an ecologic
and evolutionary context.
Comparative
anatomy and evolution of the Odontocete forelimb
Alex Sanchez’s
MS thesis will investigate forelimb osteology and muscular
anatomy of representative odontocetes in an evolutionary
context. The
functional implications of flipper structure in relation
to various ecologic habitats (i.e. coastal vs. oceanic)
will also be considered.
Anatomy and Evolution of Walrus Locomotion
Josh
Yonas' MS thesis will investigate fore and hind limb
osteology in the walrus using dissection, x-ray and
MRI imaging. The evolution
of locomotion in fossil and modern walruses and other
pinnipeds will be considered.
Neonate Fin whale Dissection SDSU,
August, 2006
(from left:
J. Behm, A. Jorgensen, A. Berta, R. Racicot, M. Churchill,
and T. Deméré)
Ted Cranford, Adjunct Professor, SDSU,
is acknowledged for specimen access.
FORMER
MS STUDENTS
Peter
Adam padam@ucla.edu
Peter’s MS
research involved mapping feeding and locomotor characters
onto a phylogeny of pinnipeds. Peter earned a Ph.D. in 2007 from the University
of California, Los Angeles.
Morgan
Churchill mmcjawa@yahoo.com
Morgan completed
a MS in 2007. His research was a comprehensive morphological
study of balaenoid phylogeny including extant species
and several well known fossil taxa.
He also evaluated the origin and diversification
of balaenoids through time in the context of a phylogenetic
framework. Morgan
is a Ph.D. student in the Clementz lab at the University
of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming.
Lisa
Cooper lisa1225cooper@yahoo.com
Lisa completed
a MS in 2004. Her research was an evaluation of the phylogenetic
and functional significance of the forelimb in mysticetes. In addition to forelimb osteology, the soft
tissue anatomy of several extant species
were examined using dissection and histology.
Lisa is a Ph.D. student in the Thewissen lab
at Kent State University, Ohio.
Liliana
Fajardo-Mellor lulu_fajardo@hotmail.com
Liliana completed a MS in 2005.
Her research was a comprehensive morphological
study of phocoenids (porpoises) including extant species
and a few well know fossil species.
She also considered the origin and diversification
of phocoenids through time within the context of the
phylogenetic framework. Liliana is a Ph.D. student in the Department
of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the Brody School of Medicine,
East Carolina University, Greenville,
North Carolina.
Carrie
Fyler caroline.fyler@uconn.edu
Carrie completed a MS in 2003.
Her research was a phylogenetic analysis of monk
seals using molecular sequence data. This phylogenetic framework was then used to
consider the historical biogeography of the group. Carrie is a Ph.D. student in the Caira lab at
the University of Connecticut.
Mandy
Keogh mandyk@alaskasealife.org
Mandy completed a MS in 2006.
Her
research involved comparative histological
examination of the corpus callosum morphometry (relative
size, fiber density) in representative odontocetes consider
in both phylogenetic and functional contexts.
Mandy is a Ph.D. student in the Atkinson
lab at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Michael
McGowen mmcgo002@student.ucr.edu
Michael (Rocky) completed a MS in 2005.
His research mapped characters related to feeding
morphology, behavior and diet onto a phylogeny of mysticetes.
Rocky is a Ph.D. student in the Gatesy lab at
the University of California, Riverside.
Megan
McKenna mmckenna@rohan.sdsu.edu
Megan completed a MS in 2005.
Her research involved detailed morphological
description of the melon among various lineages of odontocetes
derived from CT images.
Melon structure and function was also
considered in an evolutionary context.
Megan is a Ph.D. student at the University of
California, San Diego.
Rachel
Racicot rachel.racicot@gmail.com
Rachel completed a MS in 2007. Her research involved
detailed morphological description of the pterygoid
sinus among extant species and a fossil phocoenid derived
from dissections and CT images.
The pterygoid sinus is one component of a complex
sinus system associated with sound production and reception.
She considered the evolution of the pterygoid
sinus among phocoenids and evaluated its phylogenetic
and functional significance. In fall of 2007 Rachel will be employed at the
University of Texas CT imaging
facility in Austin, Texas.
Amanda
Rychel arychel@u.washington.edu
Amanda completed a MS in 2002.
Her research used both mitochondrial genes and
a nuclear marker to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships
among mysticetes. Amanda
is a Ph.D. student in the Swalla lab at the University
of Washington.
Breda
Walsh bmckay@yahoo.com
Breda completed
a MS in 2006. Her research was a comparative morphologic study
of growth patterns in mysticetes based on ontogenetic
stages of cranial ossification among extant species
and several fossil species. Relative age determinations were based on sequence
of cranial suture closure.
Breda is employed at a research lab at UCSD in
addition to being a new mom.
Representative Publications (last 5 years):
Deméré, T.A., M. R. McGowen, A. Berta, and J. Gatesy. Accepted pending minor revision.
Morphological and molecular evidence
for a step-wise evolutionary transition from teeth to
baleen in mysticete whales. Systematic
Biology
Cooper, L.N., S.D. Dawson, J. Reidenberg, and A. Berta. In press. Neuromuscular
anatomy and the evolution of the cetacean forelimb.
Anatomical Record
Cooper,
L.N., A. Berta, J. Reidenberg, and S.D. Dawson.
2007. Hyperphalangy and digit reduction: evolution of
the cetacean manus. Anatomical Record 290: 654-673.
Fajardo-Mellor,
L., A. Berta, R.L. Brownell, Jr., C. Boy and N. Goodall.
2006. The phylogenetic relationships and biogeography
of true porpoises (Mammalia: Phocoenidae) based on morphological
data. Marine Mammal
Science 22(4): 910-932.
Hemila, S., S. Nummela, A. Berta, and T. Reuter. 2006. High-frequency
hearing in phocid and otariid pinnipeds: an interpretation
based on inertial and cochlear constraints. Journal
of the Acoustical Society of America, 120(6): 3463-3466.
Berta,
A. J.L. Sumich, and K. Kovacs. (2006). Marine Mammals: Evolutionary Biology. 2nd
ed. Elsevier, 547 pp.
Deméré, T.A., A Berta, and
M.R. McGowen (2005).
The taxonomic and evolutionary history of fossil
and modern balaenopteroids, Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 12 (1/2):
99-143.
Deméré, T.A. and A. Berta (2005). New skeletal material of
Thalassoleon (Otariidae: Pinnipedia) from
the late Miocene-early Pliocene (Hemphillian) of California.
Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History,
45(4): 379-411.
Fyler,
C., T. Reeder, and A. Berta (2005). Historical
biogeography and phylogeny of monachine seals (Pinnipedia:
Phocidae). Journal of Biogeography 32: 1267-1279.
Rychel, A., T. Reeder, and A. Berta (2005). Response to Ulfur
Arnason: Where’s the beef? Molecular
Phylogenetics and Evolution 35(1); 311-312.
Rychel, A., T. Reeder, and A. Berta (2004). Molecular phylogeny
of mysticete whales using likelihood and Bayesian methods.
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 32:
892-901.
Deméré, T.A., A. Berta and P. Adam (2003). Pinnipedimorph evolutionary biogeography. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural
History 279: 32-76.
___________________
Annalisa
Berta
Professor
Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley
Department
of Biology
San
Diego State University
5500
Campanile Dr.
San
Diego, CA 92182-4614
(619)
594-5392
Email-aberta@sunstroke.sdsu.edu
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