I've had a lifelong interest in natural history, especially zoology. Why are there so many types of some animals and so few of others? How did animals acquire characteristics that so suit them to one environment but not others? Why are some groups of animals found in one place but not another? Why do animals display an array of often bizarre behaviors? Why are some animals extinct? I came to learn that all of these questions are answered within a single scientific framework, biological evolution. I've since been lucky enough to play a small role in the scientific community studying animal behavior and evolutionary biology.

After considering studying primates, fishes and whales I settled on birds and never looked back. Birds for many people are the first, and maybe only, wild animal they see when they walk outside. Birds display a dazzling diversity and for many avian species their accessibility makes them more amenable to study than many other animals; such as monkeys, tuna or dolphins for example. Whether it's their melodic song, brilliant colors, spectacular variety or connections to dinosaurs birds have proven to be powerful exemplars of the power of evolution to shape biological diversity.

My research interests start with the organisms themselves but I'm also fascinated by the tools biologists employ to trace evolutionary histories and measure evolution in action. Virtually all of my research has made use of molecular genetic tools to study avian behavior and evolution. Whether as a means to assign paternity to uncover hidden mating patterns or as a marker of evolutionary relatedness among species, molecular genetics has proven invaluable in the study of evolution.

I have a PhD in evolutionary ecology and studied the mating system of the Yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens) for my thesis research. I've been a postdoctoral fellow, assistant professor and currently a museum curator in zoology at Cincinnati Museum Center with adjunct appointments at several local colleges and universities, including Thomas More College, Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati. With the help of many colleagues I've managed to build an international research collaboration studying population genetics, behavior and evolutionary history of the endemic birds of the island of Taiwan. This research has broadened significantly to a study of the evolution of the avian species of the East Asian region including Mainland China, Taiwan and Japan. Hopes are this long-term research program will lead to a better understanding of the breadth and origins of biodiversity in East Asia.

The eastern United States is the center of diversity for salamanders. After nearly 20 years of studying birds I'm beginning to look to studies of amphibians to add to my research program. My colleagues and I are beginning to investigate the population genetics and evolutionary history of North American salamanders.

The molecular tools we bring to bear on these problems are wielded largely in house in my current lab at Cincinnati Museum Center. With funding from the National Science Foundation I've established a molecular genetics laboratory at Cincinnati Museum Center, dubbed the Molecular Ecology and Systematics Laboratory (MolES Lab), where research and training in DNA technology is done in a museum setting and molecular tools are brought to bear on basic questions in evolutionary biology. Community users of the lab include the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Xavier University, Thomas More College, Marshall University and the Ohio River Sanitation Commission. In it's first three years of operation the MolES Lab has hosted numerous visiting researchers and trained 7 undergraduates, 1 graduate student and 4 high school students as well as staff from the Cincinnati Zoo, faculty from Xavier University and area high school educators.

I also like trying my hand at some science writing and, to the best of my abilities, conveying the complexities of evolutionary biology to the public, hence the blog, so check back here often and please send your feedback. I also share my interests in science through social media including twitter and Quora.

Thanks for reading,

Herman Mays

2/July/2011

Citations of the scientific publications from my collaborators and I are available at Google Scholar Citations and here:

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on monofilia.org are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer, Cincinnati Museum Center.