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Michael Grundler

Michael Grundler, Assistant Professor

I am interested in the ecology, evolution, and biodiversity of squamate reptiles.

Research in the lab focuses on the development of methods in phylogenetic comparative biology and the study of squamate natural history. Lab members are interested in understanding how the many unique and fascinating traits of snakes and lizards evolved and how they contributed to the structure and assembly of squamate communities around the world.

SIU Michael Grundler

355D Life Science II
michael.grundler@siu.edu

Education:

  • B.A., Cornell University
  • Ph.D., University of Michigan

Courses taught:

  • ZOOL 320 (Vertebrate Zoology)

Selected publications

2025

Correlated evolution of categorical characters under a simple model MC Grundler Evolution 79 (2), 309-318

2024

The macroevolutionary singularity of snakes PO Title, S Singhal, MC Grundler, GC Costa, RA Pyron, TJ Colston, ... Science 383 (6685), 918-923

2023

Ecological correlates of cranial evolution in the megaradiation of dipsadine snakes GG Pandelis, MC Grundler, DL Rabosky BMC Ecology and Evolution 23 (1), 48

2022

Fast likelihood calculations for automatic identification of macroevolutionary rate heterogeneity in continuous and discrete traits MC Grundler, DL Rabosky, F Zapata Systematic Biology 71 (6), 1307-1318

2021

Rapid increase in snake dietary diversity and complexity following the end-Cretaceous mass extinction MC Grundler, DL Rabosky PLoS Biology 19 (10), e3001414