-
Jessica E. Light
- Associate Professor and Curator of Mammals
- Office:
- WFES 268
- Email:
- jlight2@tamu.edu
- Phone:
- (979) 458-4357
- Resume/CV
- https://www.jessicalight.org/
- Undergraduate Education
- B.S. Biology, University of Michigan
- M.S. Resource Ecology and Management, University of Michigan
- Graduate Education
- Ph.D. Zoology, Louisiana State University
Pronouns
she/her/hers
Professional Summary
Dr. Light is interested in evolution, systematics, and population genetics of vertebrates and invertebrates. In particular, her interests are in investigating cospeciation between mammals and their parasites to determine which factors are important in driving the associations between distantly related taxa. She also serves as the Faculty Curator of Mammals for the Biodiversity Teaching and Research Collections.
Research Interests and Specializations
Evolutionary Biology, Mammalogy, Parasitology
The Light Lab
Research in the Light lab is focused broadly in evolutionary biology with a focus on systematics, population genetics, and coevolutionary associations between distantly related organisms, particularly mammals and their parasites. In general, our research relies on field work and Museum specimens, and we use molecular and morphological data from recently collected and ancient specimens to help elucidate broad evolutionary processes operating in distantly related taxa.
Recent Publications
Miller, S.E., L.N. Barrow, S.M. Ehlman, J.A. Goodheart, S.E. Greiman, H.L. Lutz, T.M. Misiewicz, S.M. Smith, M. Tan, C.J. Thawley, J.A. Cook, and J.E. Light. 2020. Building natural history collections for the 21st century and beyond. Bioscience 70: 674-687.
Cook, J.A. and J.E. Light. 2019. The emerging role of mammal collections in 21st century mammalogy. Journal of Mammalogy 100: 733-750.
Light, J.E, L. Siciliano-Martina*, E.G. Dohlanik**, G. Vielleux**, D.J. Hafner, A.M. Lawing, and I.F. Greenbaum. Morphological differentiation of Peromyscus leucopus and P. maniculatus in East Texas. Accepted at Therya.
Hinde, K., C.E.G. Amorim, A.F. Brokaw, N. Burt, M. Casillas, A. Chen, T. Chestnut, P.K. Connors, M. Dasari, C.F. Ditelberg, J. Dietrick, J. Drew, L. Durgavich, B. Easterling, C. Henning, A. Hilborn, E.K. Karlsson, M. Kissel, J. Kobylecky, J. Krell, D.N. Lee, K.M. Lesciotto, K.L. Lewton, J.E. Light, J. Martin, A. Murphy, W. Nickley, A. Núñez-de la Mora, O. Pellicer, V. Pellicer, A.M. Perry, S.G. Schuttler, A.C. Stone, B. Tanis, J. Weber, M. Wilson, E. Willcocks, and C.N. Anderson. 2021. March Mammal Madness and the power of narrative in science outreach. eLife 10:e65066 doi: 10.7554/eLife.65066.
Demastes, J.W., D.J. Hafner, M.S. Hafner, J.E. Light, and T.A. Spradling. 2019. Loss of genetic diversity, recovery, and allele surfing in a colonizing parasite, Geomydoecus aurei. Molecular Ecology 28:703-720.
**undergraduate student author; *graduate student author