Turquoise Tanager (Tangara mexicana)
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Nick Mason - Nick received his B.S. from Vassar College. His project investigates the evolution of vocalizations in tanagers. He is characterizing song and call variation in different species of tanagers. This information is then mapped onto the phylogeny of tanagers to understand how, when, and why differences in vocalizations evolved with the group. These analyses will provide insight into how song relates to the speciation process. In addition, data gathered in his study will be used to investigate the relationship between song and plumage variation in tanagers. |
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Pascal Title - Pascal received his B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley, were he also worked as a georeferencer and GIS assistant in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. His is studying the evolution of ecological niches in tanagers. Using species occurrence data and climate data, he is characterizing the environmental niche of different species of tanagers. He is then tracing this information on the phylogeny of tanagers to understand how niches have changed through time among this group. |
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Allison Shultz - Allison received her B.S. from the University of California at Berkeley. She is an integrative evolutionary biologist and is particularly interested in bird coloration. Her thesis involves identifying the biochemical basis and structural mechanisms responsible for bird coloration. She is currently focusing on tanagers, a group displaying the full range of plumage patterns and colors. She plans to integrate her findings on color production with a molecular phylogeny for the group to better understand how coloration evolves. |
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Former Graduate Students:
 Masked Flowerpiercer (Diglossa cyanea) |
Bill Mauck - Bill studied the molecular systematics of flowerpiercers (Diglossa and Diglossopis). These tanagers have an unusual method of obtaining nectar. In most species, a hook on the end of the upper mandible is used to hold the corolla of a flower while the bird pierces the flower with its lower bill. Because they may obtain nectar without pollinating the flower, they are often called nectar thieves. Bill used molecular data to reconstruct the phylogeny of these species and then mapped the evolution of bill shape onto this phylogeny. Bill finished his thesis in 2008 and currently works in the Ornithology Department at the American Museum of Natural History. The results of his thesis are in press:
Mauck, W. M. and K. J. Burns. in press. Phylogeny, biogeography, and recurrent evolution of divergent bill types in the nectar-stealing flowerpiercers (Thraupini: Diglossa and Diglossopis). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society.
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Raul Sedano - Raul studied the evolutionary relationships of a large clade of tanagers and tanager-finches that include the mountain tanagers (Buthraupis, Bangsia, Anisognathus) . Raul reconstructed a phylogeny for this group that contains 18 genera and nearly 100 species. These species are found in most of the geographic regions of South America. Thus, with his phylogeny, Raul was able to investigate the biogeographic history of the entire continent. Raul finished his thesis in 2007 and is currently working on a PhD at UCLA. The results of his thesis are in press:
Sedano, R. E. and Burns, K. J. in press. Are the Northern Andes a species pump for Neotropical birds? Phylogenetics and biogeography of a clade of Neotropical tanagers (Aves: Thraupini). Journal of Biogeography. |
Moss-backed Tanager (Bangsia edwardsi)
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Tiffany Shepherd - Tiffany studied the population genetics of the Summer Tanager. The Summer Tanager is a species of special concern in California and has recently colonized new areas in the state. She studied levels of gene flow among these populations and others in the Southwest. In addition, she compared genetic and morphological differences between the eastern and western subspecies of the Summer Tanager. She finished her thesis in 2004 and currently works as a biologist in San Diego. Her results were published in The Journal of Avian Biology: Shepherd, T. M. and K. J. Burns. 2007.
Intraspecific genetic analysis of the Summer Tanager (Piranga
rubra): Implications for species limits and conservation. Journal of Avian Biology 38: 12-27. |
Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) |
 Matt's article and photo were featured on the cover of The Condor |
Matt Alexander - Matt studied the phylogeography of the White-headed Woodpecker. The White-headed Woodpecker inhabits high elevation areas in California, Oregon, and Washington and shows morphological differences between individuals in the northern and southern parts of the range. Matt finsihed his thesis in 2005 and currently works as a biologist in Portland, Oregon. He published his results in two papers: Alexander, M. P. and K. J. Burns. 2006. Intraspecific phylogeography and adaptive divergence in the White-headed Woodpecker. The Condor 108: 489-518. Burns, K. J., M. P. Alexander, D. N. Barhoum, and E. A. Sgariglia. 2007. A statistical assessment of congruence among phylogeographic histories of three avian species in the California Floristic Province. Pages 96-109 in Festschrift for Ned K. Johnson: Geographic Variation and Evolution in Birds (C. Cicero and J. V. Remsen, Jr., Eds.). Ornithological Monographs, no. 63. |
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Erik Sgariglia - Erik worked on the
California Thrasher, a chaparral/scrub species found throughout
California. He finished his thesis in 2001 and published his
results in two papers:
Sgariglia, E. A. and Burns, K. J. 2003. Phylogeography of the California Thrasher (Toxostoma redivivum) based on nested-clade analysis of mitochondrial-DNA variation. The Auk 120: 346-361. Burns, K. J., M. P. Alexander, D. N. Barhoum, and E. A. Sgariglia. 2007. A statistical assessment of congruence among phylogeographic histories of three avian species in the California Floristic Province. Pages 96-109 in Festschrift for Ned K. Johnson: Geographic Variation and Evolution in Birds (C. Cicero and J. V. Remsen, Jr., Eds.). Ornithological Monographs, no. 63. |
California Thrasher (Toxostoma redivivum)
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Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata)
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Dino Barhoum - Dino worked on the Wrentit, an unusual bird found in chaparral habitat of California and Oregon. He studied the phylogeography of the species as well as the evolutionary relationships of the Wrentit to other species. He finished his thesis in 2001 and is currently enrolled in medical school. He published his results in three papers: Burns, K. J. and D. N. Barhoum. 2006. Population-level history of the wrentit (Chamaea fasciata): Implications for comparative phylogeography in the California Floristic Province. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 38: 117-129. Barhoum, D. N. and K. J. Burns. 2002. Phylogenetic relationships of the Wrentit based on mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences. The Condor 104: 740-749. Burns, K. J., M. P. Alexander, D. N. Barhoum, and E. A. Sgariglia. 2007. A statistical assessment of congruence among phylogeographic histories of three avian species in the California Floristic Province. Pages 96-109 in Festschrift for Ned K. Johnson: Geographic Variation and Evolution in Birds (C. Cicero and J. V. Remsen, Jr., Eds.). Ornithological Monographs, no. 63. |
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Bryan Sharp - Bryan was co-advised by Burns and by Dr. Barbara Kus of the USGS. He studied brood parasitism of the Least Bell's Vireo by the Brown-headed Cowbird. Bryan finished his thesis in 2001 and currently teaches in Durango, Mexico. His thesis research appeared in three publications: Sharp, B. L. and B. E. Kus. 2006. Factors influencing the incidence of cowbird parasitism of Least Bell's Vireos. Journal of Wildlife Management 70: 682-690. Sharp, B. L., B. L. Peterson, and B. E. Kus. 2005. Puncture ejection of own egg by Least Bell's Vireo and potential implications for anti-parasitism defense. Western Birds 36:64-66. Sharp, B. L. and B. E. Kus. 2004. Sunrise nest attendance and aggression by Least Bell's Vireos fail to deter cowbird parasitism. Wilson Bulletin 116: 17-22. |
Least Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus) |