Randy Morrison Ph.D.
- Professor of Biology
Biology
I like lizards and islands. My professional research focuses on how and why lizards change color. I have discovered lizards that change skin color based on their temperature and other lizards that change color in response to bird calls. In addition to why they change color, I am also interested in how they change color at a cellular level. I am fortunate that the lizards that I am most interested in live on islands: Curly-tail lizards in the Bahamas, and Day geckos and chameleons in Madagascar. My work on islands really informs my teaching and has given me a much deeper understanding of the reality of biodiversity hotspots as well as lots of great stories. I also really enjoy working and traveling with students either when doing research or visiting the Bahamas for a diving-focused January term Tropical Marine Biology course. Given my range of interests I enjoy teaching courses ranging from Cell Biology to Vertebrate Diversity to Evolution.
Education
- 1993
- Ph.D., University of Kansas
- 1988
- M.S., University of Nebraska, Lincoln
- 1985
- B.S., University of Dayton
Research Interests
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Herpetology and tropical biology
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The ecological use of color in lizards
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The ultrastructural basis of skin color in lower vertebrates
Recent Courses
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BIO 1111: Principles of Biology
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BIO 1117: Topics in Biology (Coral Reefs)
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BIO 2201: Vertebrate Diversity
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BIO 2207: Evolution
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BIO 2265: Special Topic - Herpetology
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BIO 1172: January term - Tropical Marine Biology
Selected Publications
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Morrison, Randall L., and Emily Peoples (2012) Sexual dimorphism and population structure in the San Salvador curly-tailed lizard Leiocephalus loxogrammus parnelli. Proceedings of the 14th Natural History Conference at the Gerace Research Centre on San Salvador, The Bahamas June 16-20, 2011.
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Morrison, Randall L., and Nichole Howard (2012) Sexual polymorphism in a population of Anolis sagrei on San Salvador, Bahamas. Proceedings of the 14th Natural History Conference at the Gerace Research Centre on San Salvador, The Bahamas June 16-20, 2011.
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Morrison, Randall L., Sherbrooke, Wade C. and Sally K. Frost-Mason (1996) Temperature sensitive, physiologically active iridophores in the lizard Urosaurus ornatus: An ultrastructural analysis. Copeia 1996: 804-812.
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Morrison, Randall L., Rand, Matthew S., and Sally K. Frost-Mason (1995) The cellular and ultrastructural basis of color differences in three morphs of the lizard Sceloporus undulatus erythrocheilus. Copeia 1995: 397-408.
Clubs and community involvement
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Herpetology field supervisor for Operation Wallacea in Madagascar
"Thank you for making the Bahamas trip a possibility. I'm not sure it's as life-changing for everyone that goes, but it awoke the passion I had for marine biology and the ocean since I was a little kid. Never before did I think I'd be able to make a career out of it, but now I know that I can have the life of my dreams."