
Research Summary
My research is broadly focused on understanding the processes that structure communities and permit the coexistence of the component species. I am particularly interested in how the nature of interactions between species can shift over time in response to changes in the environment and corresponding selection pressures. The introduction of invasive species is one such perturbation that is becoming increasingly common. My current research examines how invasive fire ants impact the behavior, morphology, and physiology of native lizards across multiple time scales, and the consequences of evolutionary response of native species to these novel selective pressures. This research has both basic and applied relevance, allowing me to address important ecological questions about the evolutionary processes affecting the composition and dynamics of natural communities, while also providing valuable information on the long-term impact of invasive species. My work is mostly field based, and incorporates aspects of population, community, behavioral, and evolutionary ecology. I employ experimental and comparative approaches and molecular techniques to test key hypotheses with two main foci: 1) the evolution of survival strategies and 2) the ecological and evolutionary consequences of stress.
In the News
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Recent Publications
Honest signals and sexual conflict: Female lizards carry undesirable indicators of quality
Assis, B. A., Avery, J. D., Tylan, C., Engler, H. I., Earley, R. L. & Langkilde, T., Jun 2021, In: Ecology and Evolution. 11, 12, p. 7647-7659 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Elevated glucocorticoids during gestation suggest sex-specific effects on offspring telomere lengths in a wild lizard
Ensminger, D. C., Siegel, S. R., Owen, D. A. S., Sheriff, M. J. & Langkilde, T., Jul 2021, In: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology -Part A : Molecular and Integrative Physiology. 257, 110971.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Compensating for a stressful pregnancy? Glucocorticoid treatment during gravidity reduces metabolic rate in female fence lizards post-parturition
MacLeod, K. J., Langkilde, T., Heppner, J. J., Howey, C. A. F., Sprayberry, K., Tylan, C. & Sheriff, M. J., Nov 2021, In: Hormones and Behavior. 136, 105072.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Context-dependent effects of glucocorticoids on the lizard gut microbiome
MacLeod, K. J., Kohl, K. D., Trevelline, B. K. & Langkilde, T., 2021, (Accepted/In press) In: Molecular ecology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Size-assortative mating in explosive breeders: A case study of adaptive Male mate choice in anurans
Swierk, L. & Langkilde, T., 2021, In: Behaviour. 158, 10, p. 849-868 20 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
A chromosome-level genome assembly for the eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus), a reptile model for physiological and evolutionary ecology
Westfall, A. K., Telemeco, R. S., Grizante, M. B., Waits, D. S., Clark, A. D., Simpson, D. Y., Klabacka, R. L., Sullivan, A. P., Perry, G. H., Sears, M. W., Cox, C. L., Cox, R. M., Gifford, M. E., John-Alder, H. B., Langkilde, T., Angilletta, M. J., Leaché, A. D., Tollis, M., Kusumi, K. & Schwartz, T. S., Oct 1 2021, In: GigaScience. 10, 10Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Plastic sexual ornaments: Assessing temperature effects on color metrics in a color-changing reptile
Assis, B. A., Jarrett, B., Koscky, G., Langkilde, T. L. & Avery, J., 2020, In: PLoS One. 15, 5Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
The influence of hunting pressure and ecological factors on fecal glucocorticoid metabolites in wild elk
Ensminger, D. C., Pritchard, C., Langkilde, T., Gingery, T., Banfield, J. E. & Walter, W. D., Dec 1 2020, In: Wildlife Biology. 2020, 2, 00683.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Trade-off between Thermal Quality and Predation Risk at Timber Rattlesnake Gestation Sites
Herr, M. W., Avery, J. D., Langkilde, T. & Howey, C. A. F., Jun 1 2020, In: Journal of Herpetology. 54, 2, p. 196-205 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Trade-off Between Thermal Quality and Predation Risk at Timber Rattlesnake Gestation Sites
Herr, M. W., Avery, J., Langkilde, T. L. & Howey, C., 2020, In: Journal of Herpetology. 54, 2, p. 196 205 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review