Masters Thesis

PhD Dissertation

Other Research

My Research

I have always been captivated by the diversity of life we see around us. This fascination has led me to focus my research efforts on understanding the factors that have shaped biodiversity. In the search for understanding I try to utilize and integrate the theories and methodologies from the fields of Evolution, Phylogenetics, Population Genetics, Ecology, Biogeography, Geology, Paleontology and Systematics. The synthesis approach allows me to more fully explore the myriad of pathways and processes by which living organisms have diversified through time, and to infer explanations for the patterns we see in nature. Hopefully this information can in turn be used in an attempt to conserve biodiversity, and to help people fully appreciate the amazing organisms that share Earth with us.

Molluscs are exceeded only by Arthropods in the number of scientifically described species. This makes them an ideal group to use in investigating the determinates of biodiversity. So far my work has focused on snails, however, there are a wide variety of mollusc groups that can serve as models for understanding biodiversity.

To get more details about my research follow the links above. If you have questions, want more details, or just want to say hello feel free to contact me.