Chris Simon

Office: BioPharm 305D
Voice: 860-486-4640
Email: chris.simon@uconn.edu
Click here for a CV

Academic Biography

Current Areas of Research: Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity: Reconstruction of evolutionary histories, especially species radiations on islands. Rates and mechanisms of mitochondrial DNA evolution. Evolution of rRNA sedondary structure. Insect systematics: phylogeny, biogeography, and character evolution including life history, ecology, morphology, and behavior.

Funding for this website and research described herein was provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) grants: NSF DEB 98-07113, 98-12779, 99-82039, 00-89946, 02-17570, 02-17643, 03-22835, 03-22845, 04-22386, 05-29679 (PEET), 06-19012, and 07-20664. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Additional funding for our research has been supplied by The New Zealand Marsden Foundation, The National Geographic Society, The U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, The University of Connecticut Research Foundation, and The University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

Links:

  1. Simon Lab website with information about ongoing research, current and past lab members, senior undergraduate theses in the Simon lab, NSF Biodiversity/Bioinformatics Research Experiences for Undergraduates, and other REU research.
  2. Undergraduate research in the Simon Lab.
  3. Chris Simon's full C.V.
  4. Selected Publications
  5. Cicada Central, with information, photos, and sounds of Australian, New Zealand, and North American Cicadas
  6. Searchable Databases (World cicadas, New Zealand cicadas, periodical cicadas)

Selected Publications: (Note that some reprints are available from the Simon lab reprint downloader)

Fontaine K.M., J.R. Cooley, C. Simon. 2007. Evidence for Paternal Leakage in Hybrid Periodical Cicadas (Hemiptera: Magicicada spp.). PLoS ONE 2(9): e892, 1-8. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000892

Simon, C., T.R. Buckley, F. Frati, J. Stewart, and A. Beckenbach. 2006. Incorporating molecular evolution into phylogenetic analysis, and a new compilation of conserved polymerase chain reaction primers for animal mitochondrial DNA. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics. 37:545-579 + 45 pages of on-line supplement.

Buckley, T.R., M. Cordeiro, D.C. Marshall, and C. Simon. 2006. Differentiating between hypotheses of lineage sorting and introgression in New Zealand alpine cicadas (Maoricicada Dugdale). Systematic Biology 55:411-425.

Cooley, J.R., D. Marshall, K.B.R. Hill and C. Simon. 2006. Reconstructing asymmetrical reproductive character displacement in a periodical cicada contact zone. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 19: 855-868.

Arensburger, P., T.R. Buckley, C. Simon, M. Moulds and K. E. Holsinger. 2004. Biogeography and phylogeny of the New Zealand Cicada Genera (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA data. Journal of Biogeography 31: 557–569.

Jordan, S., C. Simon, and D. Polhemus. 2003. Molecular Systematics and Adaptive Radiation of Hawaii’s Endemic Damselfly Genus Megalagrion. Systematic Biology 52(1): 89-109.

Buckley, T.R., C. Simon, and G.K. Chambers. 2001. Phylogeography of the New Zealand cicada Maoricicada campbelli based on mitochondrial DNA sequences: Ancient clades associated with Cenozoic environmental change. Evolution 55:1395-1407.

Cooley, J.R., C. Simon, D. C. Marshall, K, Slon and C. Ehrhardt. 2001. Allochronic speciation, secondary contact, and reproductive character displacement in periodical cicadas (Hemiptera: Magicicada spp.): Genetic, morphological, and behavioral evidence. Molecular Ecology 10: 661-671.

Buckley, T.R., C. Simon, and G.K. Chambers. 2001. Exploring among-site rate variation models in a maximum likelihood framework using empirical data: the effects of model assumptions on estimates of topology, branch lengths, and bootstrap support. Systematic Biology 50:67-86.

Simon, C.M., J. Tang, S. Dalwadi, G. Staley, J. Deniega, and T.R. Unnasch. 2000. Genetic evidence for assortative mating between 13-year cicadas and sympatric “17-year cicadas with 13-year life cycles” provides support for allochronic speciation. Evolution 54:1326-1336

Simon, C., L. Nigro, J. Sullivan, K. Holsinger, A. Martin, A. Grapputo, A. Franke, and C. McIntosh. 1996. Large differences in substitutional pattern and evolutionary rate of 12S ribosomal RNA genes. Mol. Biol. Evol. 13: 923-932.

Williams, K. S. and C. Simon. 1995. The Ecology, behavior, and evolution of periodical cicadas. Annual Review of Entomology 40: 269-295.

Simon, C., F. Frati, A. Beckenbach, B. Crespi, H. Liu, and P. Flook. 1994. Evolution, weighting, and phylogenetic utility of mitochondrial gene sequences and a compilation of conserved PCR primers. Annals Entomol. Soc. Am. 87: 651-701.

Courses Taught:

Molecular Systematics (Graduate Level; EEB 350)

Evolution (EEB 245)

Current Issues in Environmental Science (Honors; EEB 205)

Introductory Biology for Non-Majors (Bio 102)

Undergraduate Research (EEB 299, EEB 292W)


Page last revised 11 November 2007