Research in the Light lab is focused broadly in evolutionary biology with a focus on systematics, population genetics, and coevolutionary associations between distantly related organisms, particularly mammals and their parasites. In general, our research relies on field work and Museum specimens, and we use molecular and morphological data from recently collected and ancient specimens to help elucidate broad evolutionary processes operating in distantly related taxa. Please see the Projects and Publications page for more examples of ongoing research in the Light lab.

Link to list of popular press articles documenting the importance of collections (as published in the Journal of Mammalogy). Reference: Cook, J.A. and J.E. Light. 2019. The emerging role of mammal collections in 21st century mammalogy. Journal of Mammalogy. in press.

News!
News Archive

April 2019

• Manuscript submitted! Starting April off right...maybe there will be a few more??
• #2019MMM has come to a close. Congrats to Bengal Tiger, this year's champion! Reviews of the battle at Wakelet and the Rodent Roundtable 

March 2019

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• Congratulations to Grace! We just found she is the recipient of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Outstanding Sophomore Student Award!!
• Congratulations to past Light-lab member Bonner Watson!! Recipient of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Outstanding Senior Student Award!!
• Congratulations to Adrian!!! Recipient of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Outstanding PhD Student Award!!
• Adrian and Leila both scored travel grants to the upcoming mammalogy meeting! Yay!
• And congratulations to Caylie for winning 2nd Place Poster Presentation for the Undergraduate Category at Student Research Week. Caylie's poster was about the BRTC and ocelot specimens.
• Congratulations to Leila! She won 1st Place Oral Presentation in the Graduate Sciences Category for Student Research Week. Yay!
• One more manuscript submitted, this time to Journal of Mammalogy. Here's hoping it gets sent out for review!
• MARCH MAMMAL MADNESS IS HERE #2019MMM
• Manuscript accepted at Ecology and Evolution. So excited to see this one accepted (pocket gopher-chewing louse population dynamics)
• Three manuscripts submitted to Therya! Yippie!
• Whitney's parasite latitudinal gradient paper is out (early view): Link
• If all goes well, several manuscripts will be submitted the week of March 4th (let's see what happens)​
• Three Light lab manuscripts came out in bring within the first 4 days of March. Check out the Publications page to see them.

Contact the Light Lab
Texas A&M University
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Mailing address: 534 John Kimbrough Blvd., TAMU 2258; College Station, TX 77843
JEL Office: 268 Wildlife, Fisheries and Ecological Sciences (Building 1537). 979-458-4357

This website was last updated 12 April 2019