PLSB 218

Education

B.A., University of Minnesota Morris, 2012
Ph.D., University of Texas at Arlington, 2018
Postdoctoral, University of Texas at Arlington, 2018-2019
NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Colorado Boulder, 2020-2023

Research Interests

I am broadly interested in evolutionary processes that drive the origins and maintenance of biological diversity, and how these processes shape patterns of genetic variation across the genome. I am also particularly interested in how and why specific genomic regions play important roles in speciation (e.g., sex chromosomes). Related to this, my work often considers the origins, evolution, and regulation of sex chromosomes. I also use population and functional genomics to study the genetic basis of adaptive traits and to understand how selection and gene flow shape adaptation in nature. Together, my research combines empirical genomic data with computational, theoretical, and field-based components to understand adaptation and speciation in non-traditional model taxa, especially snakes and birds.

Representative Publications

Schield, D.R., B.W. Perry, R.H. Adams, M.L. Holding, Z.L. Nikolakis, S.S. Gopalan, C.F. Smith, J.M. Parker, J.M. Meik, M. DeGiorgio, S.P. Mackessy, and T.A. Castoe. The roles of balancing selection and recombination in the evolution of rattlesnake venom. Nature Ecology and Evolution 6: 1367-1380.

Schield, D.R., B.W. Perry, D.C. Card, G.I.M. Pasquesi, A.K. Westfall, S.P. Mackessy, and T.A. Castoe. 2022. The rattlesnake W chromosome: A GC-rich retroelement refugium with retained gene function across ancient evolutionary strata. Genome Biology and Evolution 14: evac116.

Schield, D.R., E.S.C. Scordato, C.C.R. Smith, J.K. Carter, S.I. Cherkaoui, S. Gombobaatar, S. Hajib, S. Hanane, A.K. Hund, K. Koyama, W. Liang, Y. Liu, N. Magri, A. Rubtsov, B. Sheta, S.P. Turbek, M.R. Wilkins, L. Yu, and R.J. Safran. 2021. Sex-linked genetic diversity and differentiation in a globally distributed avian species complex. Molecular Ecology 30: 2313-2332.

Schield, D.R., B.W. Perry, Z.L. Nikolakis, S.P. Mackessy, and T.A. Castoe. 2021. Population genomic analyses confirm male-biased mutation rates in snakes. Journal of Heredity 122: 221-227.

Schield, D.R., G.I.M. Pasquesi, B.W. Perry, R.H. Adams, Z.L. Nikolakis, A.K. Westfall, R.W. Orton, J.M. Meik, S.P. Mackessy, and T.A. Castoe. 2020. Snake recombination landscapes are concentrated in functional regions despite PRDM9. Molecular Biology and Evolution 37: 1272-1294.

Schield, D.R., B. W. Perry, R. H. Adams, D. C. Card, T. Jezkova, G. I.M. Pasquesi, Z. L. Nikolakis, K. Row, J. M. Meik, C. F. Smith, S. P. Mackessy, and T. A. Castoe. Allopatric divergence and secondary contact with gene flow – a recurring theme in rattlesnake speciation. 2019. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 128: 149-169.

Schield, D.R., D.C. Card, N.M. Hales, B.W. Perry, G.I.M. Pasquesi, H. Blackmon, R.H. Adams, A.B. Corbin, C.F. Smith, B. Ramesh, J.P. Demuth, E. Betran, M. Tollis, J.M. Meik, S.P. Mackessy and T.A. Castoe. 2019. The origins and evolution of chromosomes, dosage compensation, and mechanisms underlying venom regulation in snakes. Genome Research 29: 590-601.