See the posters we presented at the 2024 meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) in Seattle, Washington
Research
The Gangloff Lab uses integrative techniques to study the ecology of various reptile and amphibian species. Among the techniques used are lizard racetracks, thermal imaging, scanning electron microscopy, and more!
The Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)
The common wall lizard is a widespread lizard endemic to Southern Europe. P. muralis is a successful global invader, colonizing many locations including Germany, England, and Cincinnati, Ohio. The Cincinnati invasion offers a unique opportunity to study invasion ecology and the impacts of urbanization on various aspects of lizard biology.
Functional Morphology
We use a variety of techniques including a lizard racetrack and Scanning Electron Microscopy to study morphology-performance interactions in the urban and invasive P. muralis population in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The claw of a Podarcis muralis under the Scanning Electron Microscope.
Princeton chases a lizard up a climbing track to see how fast it can climb on various substrates.
Thermal Biology
In order to investigate questions about thermal biology, the Gangloff Lab uses thermal arenas, thermal gradients, and thermal cameras to study the thermal behavior of Podarcis muralis.
The thermal arena used by Ciara and Sierra to track the thermoregulatory behaviors of Podarcis muralis.
A thermal image of the thermal arena, taken via a FLIR T540 thermal camera.
Blood Physiology
Blood samples are collected from male, gravid female, and non-gravid female lizards within invasive populations around urban Cincinnati, Ohio. Plasma is separated from red blood cells through the process of centrifuging in order to isolate three specific blood markers: corticosterone, glucose, and triglyceride. These three indicators in the plasma can exhibit qualities like stress levels, total energy, and energy availability of individuals.
Genomics
We are collaborating with the Earth HoloGenome Initiative to generate a data set of invasive Podarcis muralis genomic and microbiome information. These data will be a part of a large data bank in collaboration with scientists across the world.
We are also soon starting a project using whole-genome resequencing to address various questions about the Ohio populations of Podarcis muralis in collaboration with the Gibbs Lab at the Ohio State University.
Red-back salamander (Plethodon cinereus)
The redback salamander is common throughout eastern North America. The salamander is a terrestrial, lungless species that are found under logs and in the leaf litter of low-lying, moist forests. This makes them a prime species to study the type of thermal microhabitat the salamanders select.
We are part of the amazing Salamander Population & Adaptation Research Collaboration Network (SPARC-net)
