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Research interests:
My research explores the role of animal behavior as an evolutionary
mechanism, particularly in fishes. I focus on how sexual selection,
especially female
mating preferences, interacts with other mechanisms to shape population divergence
and speciation. By comparing natural and sexual selection, we can better understand
the interaction of these forces in shaping the diversity of organisms we see
around us. In addition, I am interested in variation in parental behavior and
how that variation influences the behavior of offspring. This question has
important implications as we strive to understand the interplay between nature
and nurture.
I approach these questions through both experimentation and behavior
observation using multiple species of fishes, primarily sailfin mollies
and threespined stickleback. By designing behavioral experiments in
the laboratory, I am able to focus on specific behaviors of interest
and understand the role of that behavior in an animal’s larger
repertoire. I have found, for example, that male courtship mating behaviors
and male morphology interact to influence female preference in sailfin
mollies and that both behavior and morphology varies across populations
indicating that the natural and selection environment differs across
populations. Currently I am investigating the variation in paternal
behavior in threespined stickleback exposed to different predation
regimes and trying to understand whether this variation leads to behavior
differences in the offspring.
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Courses taught:
Click on an underlined course title to view a brief description
of that course.
Dr. Hankison currently teaches
Organisms
and Their Environment (Zoology
100.5),
Animals and their
Environment (Zoology
115), Evolution (Zoology
261) and Animal
Behavior (Zoology
343).
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Curriculum Vitae:
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Shala J. Hankison
Assistant Professor
Department of Zoology
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH 43015
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EDUCATION
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Clemson University, Clemson, SC,
Ph.D., Biological Sciences, 2006.
Ohio University, Athens, OH, M.S., Biological Sciences, 1999
Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, B.A., Zoology,
1995
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GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
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2008. Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship. American Association
of University Women
2005. P.E.O. Scholar Award. Awarded to women pursuing graduate degrees.
2005. Wade Stackhouse Graduate Fellowship. College of Agriculture, Forestry,
and Life Sciences, Clemson University.
2004-2005. Clemson University Graduate Student Association Travel Awards (multiple).
Supported travel to present contributed talks at the Animal Behavior Society
Annual Meeting in Oaxaca, Mexico and the Society for the Study of Evolution Annual
Meeting in Fairbanks, Alaska.
2003. Sigma Xi Grants In Aid of Research. Competitive grant supported equipment
purchase for study into of genetic variation and gene flow in Mexican sailfin
mollies.
2003-2006. Biological Sciences Graduate Student Association Travel Awards
(multiple). Supporting travel to University of Florida Molecular Markers Workshop,
Southeastern
Ecology and Population Genetics (SEEPAGE) Conferences, and 2003 and 2005 Annual
Society for the Study of Evolution Meetings, and 2004 Animal Behavior Society
Meeting.
2003-2004. Alumni Graduate Fellowship. Graduate School, Clemson University.
1999 Animal Behavior Society Student Research Grant. One of 18 recipients
(of 101 proposals). Supported laboratory and fieldwork related to sexual selection
and multiple cue use in Xiphophorus pygmaeus (for M.S.).
1999. John Houk Memorial Research Grant. Competitive grant for Ohio University
graduate students. Supported travel to Mexico to study Xiphophorus pygmaeus (for
M.S.).
1998. Ohio University Travel Grant. Supported presentation at the 1999 Animal
Behavior Meeting in Bucknell, PA.
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PUBLICATIONS
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In press A.M. Bell, S.J. Hankison, & K.L. Laskowski. The repeatability
of behaviour: a meta-analysis. Animal Behaviour. Publication expected April
2009.
2009. M.B. Ptacek & S.J. Hankison. The pattern and process of speciation.
In: Evolution: the first four billion years (M. Ruse & J. Travis, eds). Harvard
University Press.
2008. S.J. Hankison & M.B. Ptacek. Geographic variation of genetic and
phenotypic traits in the Mexican sailfin mollies, Poecilia velifera and P.
petenensis. Molecular
Ecology 17:2219-2233.
2007. S.J. Hankison & M.P. Ptacek. Comparing mating behaviors in the Mexican
sailfin mollies Poecilia velifera and Poecilia petenensis. Ethology 113:802-812.
2006. S.J. Hankison, M.J. Childress, J.J. Schmitter-Soto, & M.B. Ptacek.
Morphological divergence within and between the Mexican sailfin mollies, Poecilia
velifera
and P. petenensis. Journal of Fish Biology 68:1610-1630.
2003. S.J. Hankison & M.R. Morris. Avoiding a compromise between sexual
selection
and species recognition: female swordtail fish assess multiple species-specific
cues. Behavioral Ecology 14(2): 282-287.
2003. R.E. Lee, Jr. & S.J. Hankison. Acquisition of freezing tolerance in
early autumn and seasonal changes in gall water content influence inoculative
freezing of gall fly larvae, Eurosta solidaginis (Diptera, Tephritidae). Journal
of Insect Physiology 49: 385-393.
2002. S.J. Hankison & M.R. Morris. Sexual selection and species identification
in the pygmy swordtail, Xiphophorus pygmaeus: conflicting preferences. Behavioral
Ecology and Sociobiology 51: 140-145.
MANUSCRIPTS IN REVIEW
In review M.B. Ptacek & S.J. Hankison. Evolutionary diversification of mating
signals in the Mexican sailfin mollies (Poeciliidae: Poecilia: Mollienesia).
In: Viviparous Fishes, 2nd edition (H. J. Grier and M. Uribe, eds). Homestead,
Florida: New Life Publications, Inc.
In review S.J. Hankison & M.B. Ptacek. Geographic variation in genetic and
morphological structure in the Mexican sailfin mollies, Poecilia velifera and
P. petenensis. In: Viviparous Fishes, 2nd edition (H. J. Grier and M. Uribe,
eds). Homestead, Florida: New Life Publications, Inc.
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PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS
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2007. S.J. Hankison. Understanding population divergence in the
Mexican sailfin mollies, Animal Behavior Society, Burlington, VT (contributed
talk)
2006. M.B. Ptacek & S.J. Hankison. Geographical variation in
morphological and population and population genetic structure in the Mexican
sailfin mollies, Morelia, Michoacan (Mexico) (invited talk)
2006. S.J. Hankison. Variation in alternative male mating behaviors
in Mexican sailfin mollies. Animal Behavior Society, Snowbird, UT (contributed
talk)
2005. S.J. Hankison. Population divergence in the Mexican sailfin mollies.
The Society for the Study of Evolution, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks,
AK (contributed talk)
2005. S.J. Hankison. Fish, genetics, and what males like: studying
sexual selection, population genetics, and conservation at Clemson University.
Teacher’s
workshop on genetics and biotechnology at Clemson University (invited talk).
2004. S.J. Hankison. Population divergence in behavior in Mexican sailfin
mollies. Southeastern Ecology, Population Genetics, and Evolution, Swannanoa,
NC (contributed
talk)
2004. S.J. Hankison & M.B. Ptacek. Comparative study of
three species of Mexican sailfin mollies. Animal Behavior Society,
Oaxaca, Mexico (contributed talk)
2004. S.J. Hankison. Population divergence in morphology in
the Mexican sailfin mollies Poecilia velifera and P. petenensis.
Southeastern Ecology and Evolution, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA (contributed
talk)
2002. S.J. Hankison. Intraspecific population variation and
population divergence in Mexican Sailfin Mollies, South Eastern Ecology,
Population Genetics, and Evolution, Beaufort, NC (contributed talk)
2000. S.J. Hankison & M.R. Morris. Minimizing mistakes
in species recognition, Animal Behavior Society, Moorehouse College,
Atlanta, GA (contributed talk)
1999. S.J. Hankison & M.R. Morris. Sexual selection and species
identification
in Xiphophorus pygmaeus, Animal Behavior Society, Bucknell University, Lewisburg,
PA (contributed talk)
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POSTER PRESENTATIONS
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2008. A.M. Bell, S.J. Hankison & K. Laskowski. The repeatability
of behavior: a meta analysis. International Society of Behavioral
Ecology, Ithaca, NY.
2006. S.J. Hankison & M.B. Ptacek. Geographical variation
in population genetic structure in the Mexican sailfin mollies, Southeastern
Population
Ecology and Evolutionary
Genetics, Summit, NC.
2005. S.J. Hankison. Population divergence in the Mexican sailfin
mollies, P. velifera and P. petenensis. Southeastern Ecology and
Evolution Conference, Athens,
GA.
2004. H. Rodd, A. Price, S.J. Hankison, W.M. Greggs III,
S.C. Darley, M. Childress & M.B.
Ptacek. Is the guppy’s sensory bias for orange a pre-existing bias? The
Society for the Study of Evolution, Colorado State University, Fort Collins,
CO.
2003. S.J. Hankison. The role of geography and sexual selection
in explaining morphological divergence among populations of Mexican
sailfin mollies, The Society for the Study of Evolution, Chico State
University, Chico, CA.
2001. S.J. Hankison & R.E. Lee. Water content of the
gall regulates susceptibility to inoculative freezing in larvae of
the
goldenrod
gall fly, Eurosta solidaginis, Society for Integrative and Comparative
Biology, Chicago, IL. American Zoologist 40(6): 1045.
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PROFESIONAL SOCIETIES
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Society for the Study of Evolution
Sigma Xi
Animal Behavior Society
National Center for Science Education
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AWARDS |
2005. Best Graduate Student Presentation,
Natural Resources Research Symposium,
Clemson University
2004. R.C. Edwards Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award (for Teaching and Research),
Clemson University
1995. Edwin G. Conklin Award for Outstanding Independent Study in Zoology,
Ohio Wesleyan University
1995. Ralph A. Bowdle Award for Exceptional Contributions to the Zoology Department,
Ohio Wesleyan University
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SERVICE
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2007. Partnership with Ms. Beth Koplinski (3rd grade teacher)
and Booker T. Washington Elementary School (Champaign,
Il) to teach scientific concepts using stickleback
(and an on-site aquarium) as a learning tool.
2006. Graduate Representative to College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Life
Sciences
Dean search committee
2005. South Eastern Ecology, Population Genetics, and Evolution Conference
(SEEPAGE)
Organization Committee - Clemson University host
2002-2005. Biological Sciences Graduate Student Association, Clemson University.
Led meetings, organized departmental travel awards, workshops, and fundraisers;
served as President, Vice President, and Secretary
2005. Graduate Representative for faculty search committees
Organized tours and graduate student lunches for candidates for four faculty
positions, served as graduate representative to faculty committee for cell biology
position
2001-02. Natural Resources Graduate Student Association, secretary/treasurer,
Clemson University
2000-01. Midwest Ecology and Evolution Conference Organization Committee,
Miami
University
1998-00. Science Fair Judge, Miami University, Ohio University
1994-95. Women in Science, Board member, Ohio Wesleyan University
1992-95. Biology Tutor, Ohio Wesleyan University
1992-95. Science Fair Judge, Ohio Wesleyan University
1992-94. Zoology Student Board Member, Ohio Wesleyan University
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