Melissa Kemp Combines Art and Science in Study of Lizards

December 12, 2019 • by Cason Hunwick

Melissa Kemp, an assistant professor in the Department of Integrative Biology, studies how extinction, biological diversification and colonization are shaped by environmental upheavals.

Profile pic of Melissa Kemp

Closeup of a small green anole lizard
Photo of Melissa Kemp working in the field

Charles Darwin himself studied species living on islands with his work with finches in the Galapagos. Is your work similar?

There are some similarities in that lizards and finches have radiated into highly diverse, specialized lineages on islands, but there are also some differences. For one, we're incorporating fossil data into the research that we do. The fossil data from these islands allows us to look at species within a community prior to human colonization and prior to climate change so that we can see the before, during and after of these events. Darwin was studying the finches on a shorter timescale but was certainly interested in how evolutionary traits were being shaped by the environment. This shorter timescale is still a very important one, and researchers like Peter and Rosemary Grant who have studied Darwin's finches for over 40 years have shown that rapid evolution can happen at this timescale.

What plans do you have for the fellowship you received?

I'm really excited to have it because so much of the work that our lab is starting in Texas is meant to help conservation efforts in this state. Ultimately, we're trying to show that conservation can be improved by incorporating data from the fossil record. What we're planning on doing with funds from the Billy Carr Fellowship is getting ancient DNA from our fossils to corroborate our morphological identifications and also look at how genetic diversity has changed through time, as the landscape has changed.

In addition, we are hoping to support undergraduate research in the lab. One difficulty, especially for undergraduates interested in research, is that they're also trying to pay tuition or support themselves. It can be really hard trying to balance those two things. With additional funds to support undergraduate research, students working in my lab don't necessarily have to get a part-time job. Their research becomes a part-time job, which will make them more focused on the research they're doing.

You grew up in Granite, Maryland, a rural town outside of Baltimore. That's very different from a big city like in Austin. What was it like growing up there?

I really enjoyed growing up in that area just because it was a very close-knit community and I was surrounded by nature. My house was right next to a state park, which allowed me to explore – pick up all the sticks and bones I wanted. I had this access to nature that a lot of kids don't have access to that I think was very transformative for me growing up.

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