David S. McLeod
Current Research
I am interested in many things from insects to amphibians, ecology to systematics, and exploration to conservation. Geographically, I have active projects in SE Asia and Appalachia. I am currently working on topics related to biofluorescence in amphibians, mosquito-frog interactions, salamander ecology, and herpetofaunal biodiversity. Some of these projects happen at Mary Baldwin University, others at Mountain Lake Biological Station through the Summer REU program, and (when I'm lucky enough) some are conducted in the field in SE Asia.
Biodiversity Conservation
We face a great deal of uncertainty with respect to the effects of climate change and how organisms will respond and adapt. My research themes are united under the umbrella of Biodiversity, and conservation becomes a major theme and is the focus of my research in the US and in Southeast Asia. I am particularly interested in emerging diseases such as Chytridiomycosis and how this affects populations and species.
Amphibian Morphology
As a morphologist, I am interested in how organisms are put together and how they function. To understand the morphology of amphibians (in particular), I am using both traditional and modern approaches. I am currently focused on the use of microCT data and using it to develop 3D reconstructions of anatomical features.
Systematics and Biodiversity
Ultimately, I am interested in the stewardship of the planet. For me this means that we start by recognizing biodiversity and we work towards conserving it. Much of this work falls into the field of systematics that (a) provides scientific names for organisms, (b) describes them, (c) preserves collections of them, (d) provides classifications for the organisms, keys for their identification, and data on their distributions, (e) investigates their evolutionary histories, and (f) considers their environmental adaptations. (Mitchner et al. 1970)
Molecular Phylogenetics
I use molecular data to develop and test phylogenetic hypotheses. These hypotheses (trees) provide a framework for understanding relationships, morphology, biogeographic patterns, and more.