Hsieh Lab | Department of Biology | University of Florida | 421 Carr Hall | Gainesville, FL 32611 | USA
In the natural world where the properties of a surface can vary dramatically between steps, the locomotor system must be able to respond rapidly and effectively to these environmental challenges. Our long-term research objective is to understand how animals respond to and manipulate naturally unstable and unpredictable environments to facilitate their daily locomotion. We approach our research in an interdisciplinary manner, using a combination of techniques and concepts inspired by other disciplines as diverse as ecology, evolution, behavior, engineering, and computer science. We combine fieldwork with laboratory experimentation to achieve a holistic understanding for our questions while placing our theories and results in a context relevant to the ecology and evolution of the organism.
Our research addresses two major themes:
1) how unpredictable or unstable surface properties affect locomotor behavior and control; and
2) how ecology and habitat structure influence morphological evolution.
Current ongoing projects include:
Toe pad evolution, function, and development in anole lizards
The effects of invasive brown anole lizards on morphological evolution in green anole lizards (poster)
The evolution of terrestriality in the Pacific leaping blenny
Differential rates of evolution in vertebrate genomes
How do tree frogs jump off springy surfaces?
The effects of surface diameter and stability on running performance in anole ecomorphs