Pierotti, Michele
Smithsonian Research fellow
Pierotti, Michele
Smithsonian Research fellow
My research integrates behavioral ecology, sensory physiology, evolutionary ecology and genomics to examine the role of environmental change in shaping communication systems and ultimately the evolutionary trajectory of populations. I am fascinated by rapid ecological adaptation and its genetic and epigenetic underpinnings, particularly in aquatic environments.
My work at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute focuses on divergence in ecological traits between sister species of coral reef fishes separated by the rise of the Isthmus of Panama. In particular, I am examining how the visual system of sister fish species adapted to the drastically different underwater light conditions between the two coasts (Pacific and Caribbean) of Panama.
Publications
Selected Publications
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Article
- Pierotti, Michele E. R., Wandycz, Anna, Wandycz, Pawel, Rebelein, Anja, Corredor, Vitor H., Tashiro, Juliana H., Castillo, Armando, Wcislo, William T., McMillan, W. O., and Loew, Ellis R. 2020. "The visual ecology of a color polymorphic reef fish: the role of aggressive mimicry." bioRxiv, 1–48. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.03.970988. 2024
- Pierotti, Michele E. R., Wandycz, Anna, Wandycz, Pawel, Rebelein, Anja, Corredor, Vitor H., Tashiro, Juliana H., Castillo, Armando, Wcislo, William T., McMillan, W. Owen, and Loew, Ellis R. 2020. "Aggressive mimicry in a coral reef fish: The prey's view." Ecology and Evolution, 10, (23) 12990–13010. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6883. 2020
- A dune with a view: the eyes of a neotropical fossorial lizard. Frontiers in Zoology. 16:1-10. 2019
- Lin, Chien-Hsiang, De Gracia, Brigida, Pierotti, Michele E. R., Andrews, Allen H., Griswold, Katie, and O'Dea, Aaron. 2019. "Reconstructing reef fish communities using fish otoliths in coral reef sediments." PloS One, 14, (6) 1–33. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218413. 2019
- Variable vision in variable environments: the visual system of an invasive cichlid (Cichla monoculus, Agassiz, 1831) in Lake Gatun, Panama. Journal of Experimental Biology. 222. 2019
- Rapid and parallel adaptive evolution of the visual system of Neotropical Midas cichlid fishes. Molecular Biology and Evolution. 34:2469-2485. 2017
- Differences in male coloration are predicted by divergent sexual selection between populations of a cichlid fish. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 283. 2016
- Male red throat coloration, pelvic spine coloration, and courtship behaviours in threespine stickleback. Evolutionary Ecology Research. 17:407-418. 2016
- The peril of proportions: robust niche indices for categorical data. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 8:223-231. 2016
- Intrasexual competition and throat color evolution in female three-spined sticklebacks. Behavioral Ecology. 26:1030-1038. 2015
- Metabolism, oxidative stress and territorial behaviour in a female colour polymorphic cichlid fish. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 70:99-109. 2015
Contact
Location
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Department
