EVAN MILLER
PhD Candidate
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BIO: I am a fourth year Ph.D. candidate in the Pozzi Lab here at UTSA. My dissertation work centers on elucidating the peculiar biogeographic patterns of galagos (Primates: Galagidae), as well as the deep evolutionary, climatic, and geological processes that shape these patterns. Galagos, also commonly known as bushbabies, consist of ~25 known species of nocturnal primates found throughout mainland Sub-Saharan Africa, and much about their taxonomy, distribution patterns, and the mechanisms that have shaped diversity in this group are fairly mysterious and not well studied. One of the major challenges with these primates is that many species are cryptic, meaning that many species – especially species that are within the same genus – tend to look nearly identical and can’t be distinguished visually. My research aims to use ecological modeling and demographic analysis on genome sequences to elucidate suitable habitat and potential ranges for species, as well as to identify potential mechanisms (e.g., adaptational change, prehistoric climate change) that may have mediated both cryptic diversification and extant distribution patterns in this group. In addition to galagos, I have been involved in a number of other research and field projects on a number of other species, including lemurs in Madagascar, macaques in Japan, prairie dogs in South Dakota, and birds of prey and flying squirrels in California. I graduated magna cum laude from Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt) in California with a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology, and I also hold a Master of Arts in anthropology here at UTSA. When I’m not slaving away at research, I love hiking, biking, swimming, running, cooking, trying new kinds of tea, and hanging out with my beloved (and very talkative) cat Xerxes. I’m also a huge Lord of The Rings and Star Trek fan!
INTERESTS: Biogeography, evolution, conservation, mammals, primates PUBLICATIONS:
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