|
|
Amy C. Driskell
Section
of Evolution and Ecology &
Center for Population Biology
Postdoctoral
Researcher
Contact Information:
Sanderson Lab
Section of Evolution and Ecology
One Shields Ave
University of California
Davis, CA 95616
Office: Storer Hall 5350
Phone (530) 752-3097
Email acdriskell@ucdavis.edu
|
|
Research
Interests
M
y research program
focuses on phylogenetics: developing optimal methods for the
construction and analysis of data sets to explore the molecular and
evolutionary underpinnings of biological diversity. Typically I
am drawn to understanding the practical applications of new tools and
methods. I have been
applying molecular data to evolutionary questions since 1989 and have
gained the molecular and analytical expertise to give me the
flexibility of addressing questions at all levels. For the last
few years I have been concentrating on
the application of bioinformatics tools, techniques and molecular data
to
phylogenetic and other evolutionary questions. I am particularly
interested in designing methods to exploit the massive amounts of
sequence and genomics data present in the public domain. Part of
this research is investigating the performance of traditional
phylogenetic methods on very large and very sparse data matrices as
well as the development of new methods and modifications of existing
ones. I
believe it is important that my methods and techniques be accessible to
systematists working on smaller-scale and lower level questions, so I
am
also producing functional tools that will be available to the
systematics community (available from http://www.phylota.org).
I
also occasionally manage to hit the bench and pick up a pipettor. I
have long-standing interests in the biogeography of the australo-papuan
region and islands in the south Pacific. I am also particularly
interested in understanding the remarkable passerine radiation in this
region...a fauna that is largely unique to this area. My
molecular phylogenetic and phylogeographic studies primarily
concentrate on the passerine birds of this biogeographic region. I have
ongoing projects on the systematics of the honeyeaters (Meliphagidae),
a large and ecologically important group in Australia and New Guinea,
and the systematics and biogeography of the charming fairy-wrens
(Maluridae) also from this area. I have a number of collaborative
projects on other groups as well.
|
Publications:
2004
A. C. Driskell, C. Ané,
J. G.
Burleigh, M. M. McMahon, B. C. O'Meara, M. J. Sanderson. Prospects for
building the tree of life from large
2004 A. C. Driskell, L. Christidis.
Systematics and evolution of the Honeyeaters (Meliphagidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution,
2004 D. Kelch, A. C. Driskell,
B. Mishler. Inferring phylogeny using
genomic characters: a case study using land plant plastomes. Monographs
in Syst. Bot., Missouri Bot. Gard., 85. 
2003
M. J. Sanderson, A. C. Driskell, R. H. Ree, O.
Eulenstein, S. Langley. Obtaining maximal phylogenetic data sets
from large sequence
databases. Molecular Biology and Evolution 20:
1036-1042.
2003
M. J. Sanderson, A. C. Driskell. The challenge
of constructing large phylogenetic trees. Trends in Plant Science 8: 374-379.
2003 A.
C. Driskell, G. A. Feldhamer. Genetic variation in North
American pygmy shrews (Sorex hoyi)
and sympatric soricids. Biochemical
Systematics and Ecology 31: 739-750.
2002 A. C. Driskell, S. Pruett-Jones, S.
Hagevik, and K. A. Tarvin. Evolutionary relationships among blue-
and black-plumaged populations
of the White-winged
Fairy-wren (Malurus leucopterus).
Australian Journal of Zoology 50:
581-595. [NEXUS FILE]
1994
C. Krajewski, J. Painter, A. C.
Driskell, L. Buckley, and M. Westerman. Molecular
systematics of New Guinean dasyurids (Marsupialia:
Dasyuridae). Science in New Guinea 9:157-166.
1993 G. A. Feldhamer, R. S. Klann, A. S.
Gerard, and A. C. Driskell.
Habitat partitioning, body size, and timing of parturition in pygmy
shrews
and associated
soricids. Journal of Mammalogy
74(2): 402-411.
1992 C. Krajewski, A. C. Driskell, P. R. Baverstock,
and M. J. Braun. Phylogenetic relationships of the Thylacine
(Mammalia: Thylacinidae)
among dasyuroid
marsupials: evidence from cytochrome-b DNA sequences. Proceedings Royal Society London Series B
250: 19-27.
Manuscripts in prep:
in prep A. C.
Driskell, R. O. Prum, S. J. Pruett-Jones. The evolution of
black-plumage in Fairy-wrens (Malurus):
feather nanostructure and molecular
evidence. To be
submitted to Evolution July,
2005.
in prep A. C.
Driskell, F. K. Barker, L.
Christidis, B. Gill. Phylogenetic relationships of the New Zealand
"Honeyeaters." To be submitted to Auk, 2005.
in prep J. G. Burleigh, A.
C. Driskell, M. J. Sanderson. Performance of supertree
bootstrapping methods for assessing phylogenetic variation among
genes in
genome-scale data sets. To be submitted to Systematic Biology, 2005.
in prep
A. C. Driskell, L.
Christidis. Genetic differentiation in Wattlebirds (Anthochaera) across the Great
Australian Bight. Australian
Journal
of Zoology.
in prep A. C. Driskell, S. J. Pruett-Jones,
J. Norman, L. Christidis. Phylogenetic relationships among the
fairy-wrens (Passeriformes, Maluridae).
To be submitted to the Auk.
in prep A. C.
Driskell, T.
S. Schulenberg, S. J. Hackett. Phylogenetic relationships of the
Madagascar Vangas: mitochondrial and nuclear gene evidence.
To be submitted to Proceedings of the Royal Society of London.
My complete CV
Last modified: Oct 20, 2004