Alycia Stigall
Alycia, a 2001-2005 Self Fellow, is an assistant professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at Ohio University. Alycia completed her Ph.D. in geology with honors at KU in 2004. She received a B.S. (1999) summa cum laude in geological sciences and biology, with honors in the liberal arts, and with distinction in geology from the Ohio State University and a M.S. (2001) in geology with honors from KU. Alycia's research focuses on analyzing biogeographic and evolutionary patterns of Paleozoic marine invertebrates to determine some of the processes that drive mass extinction. This work represents the first use of GIS to analyze biogeographic ranges of Paleozoic fossils. In particular, she is examining the role of invasive species and geographic range expansion on speciation and extinction rates during the Late Devonian and Late Ordovician biodiversity crises to help predict the long term effects of invasive species in the modern ecosystem. Although her primary research involves fossil brachiopods and bivalves, she also studies the evolutionary patterns of arthropod groups such as crayfish, phyllocarids, and bradoriids. While a Self Fellow, Alycia also traveled to Antarctica to collect fossil specimens of Jurassic freshwater crustaceans to examine the processes of fossilization in high latitude lake systems. Publications resulting from research completed as a Self Fellow: Stigall Rode, A. L. 2005. The application of Geographic Information Systems to paleobiogeography: Implications for the study of invasions and mass extinctions. In B.S. Lieberman and A.L. Stigall Rode (eds.) Paleobiogeography: Generating New Insights into the Coevolution of the Earth and Its Biota. Paleontological Society Paper, volume 10. Stigall Rode, A. L., and B. S. Lieberman. 2005. Using
environmental niche modelling to study the Late Devonian
biodiversity crisis. In D. J. Over, J. R. Morrow, and
P .B. Wignall (eds.), Understanding Late Devonian and
Permian-Triassic Biotic and Climatic Events: Towards an
Integrated Approach. Developments in Palaeontology and
Stratigraphy, Elsevier, Amsterdam. Stigall Rode, A. L., and B. S. Lieberman. 2005. Paleobiogeographic patterns in the Middle and Late Devonian emphasizing Laurentia. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 222 (3-4): 272-284. Stigall Rode, A. L. 2005. Systematic revision of the Devonian brachiopods Schizophoria (Schizophoria) and “Schuchertella” from North America. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 3(2): 133-167. Rode, A. L., and B. S. Lieberman. 2005. Integrating biogeography and evolution using phylogenetics and PaleoGIS: A case study involving Devonian crustaceans. Journal of Paleontology, 79(2): 267-276. Rode, A. L., and B. S. Lieberman. 2004. Using GIS to unlock the interactions between biogeography, environment, and evolution in middle and Late Devonian brachiopods and bivalves. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeogeography, 211(3-4): 345-359. Rode, A. L. 2004. Phylogenetic revision of the Devonian
bivalve, Leptodesma (Leiopteria). Yale University Postilla,
229: 1-26. Mentor: Bruce Lieberman, associate professor, geology |
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