Dr. Barry Stephenson

Associate Professor of Biology

EducationBarry Stephenson

  • Ph.D., Biology, University of Miami
  • M.S., Zoology, Washington State University
  • B.A., Biology, Clark University

Courses Taught

  • Human Anatomy and Physiology I (BIO 202)
  • Human Anatomy and Physiology II (BIO 203)
  • Special Topics in Biology (BIO 250)
  • Vertebrate Zoology (BIO 301)
  • Coral Reef Ecology (BIO 315)
  • Principles of Ecology (BIO 370)
  • Among Gods and Heroes (GBK 101)
  • Introduction to Academic Research (HON 105)
  • Special Topics in the Honors Program (HON 198)

Specialty

Behavioral ecology; sexual selection; herpetology

Research Interest

Dr. Stephenson’s research focuses on the ecology and evolution of reptiles and amphibians. First, he is interested in the functional significance of body coloration in these groups and how such variation may relate to differences within and between sexes in other aspects of anatomy, physiology, and behavior. Second, he collaborates on studies of life history variation of lizards of Mexico, with an eye to understanding how such variation may contribute to the formation of new species. Third, he is exploring the amphibian and reptile diversity of a tract in nearby Crawford County, work that is both revealing new populations of species of conservation concern, and helping better characterize the regional diversity of herpetofauna overall.

Recent Publications

  • Stephenson, B.P., Christensen, J. 2023. The relationship of body colouration to morphological traits in a population of green frogs from Georgia, USA. Amphibia-Reptilia DOI:10.1163/15685381-bja10157
  • Stephenson, B.P., Velani, Z., Ihász, N. 2022. The effect of albinism on avian predator attack rates in eastern garter snakes. Zoology 150 DOI:10.1016/j.zool.2021.125987
  • García-Rosales, A., Stephenson, B.P., Ramírez-Bautista, A., Manjarrez, J., Pavón, N.P. 2021. Female choice and male aggression in the polymorphic lizard Sceloporus minor. Ethology 127:1053-1063
  • Ramírez-Bautista, A., Cruz-Elizalde, R., Stephenson, B.P., Hernández-Salinas, U. 2021. Geographic variation in female body size and clutch size among populations of the lizard Sceloporus variabilis (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) in Mexico. Acta Zoologica DOI: 10.1111/azo.12372
  • García-Rosales, A., Ramírez-Bautista, A., Stephenson, B.P. 2019. Comparative morphology and trophic ecology in a population of the polymorphic lizard Sceloporus minor (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) from central Mexico. PeerJ 7:e8099
  • Goodlett, C. and Stephenson, B.P. 2019. Body color and morphological correlates of fitness in Eastern Fence Lizards (Sceloporus undulatus): a spectrophotometric approach. Herpetologica 75:69-78.
  • Hernández-Salinas, U., Ramírez-Bautista, A., Stephenson, B.P., Cruz-Elizalde, R., Berriozabal-Islas, C., and Balderas-Valdivia, C.J. 2018. Amphibian life history in a temperate environment of the Mexican Plateau: dimorphism, phenology and trophic ecology of a hylid frog, Hyla eximia (= Dryophytes eximius). PeerJ 6:e5897.
  • Cruz-Elizalde, R., Ramírez-Bautista, A., Stephenson, B.P., Luja-Molina, V., Hernández-Salinas, U. 2017. Variation in female reproduction among populations of the arboreal lizard Urosaurus bicarinatus (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) from two different environments in Mexico. Salamandra 53:359-367.
  • García-Rosales, A., Ramírez-Bautista, A., Stephenson, B.P., Meza-Lázaro, R.N., Nieto-Montes de Oca, A. 2017. Comparative morphology and genetics of two populations of spiny lizards (genus Sceloporus) from Central Mexico. Zoologischer Anzeiger 267:21-30.
  • Stephenson, B.P., Ihász, I., Byrd, D.C., Swierk, J., Swierk, L. 2017. Temperature-dependent color change is a function of sex and directionality of temperature shift in the eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 120:396-409.
  • Stephenson, B.P. and Drace, K.M. 2014. A new report of albinism in the Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis), and a review of existing records: Is there a geographic bias in observations? Herpetological Review 45:569-577. (pdf)

Contact Dr. Barry Stephenson