ADAPTATION FASCINATION
Evidence of evolution in lizards' limbs
Cameron Siler, Denver graduate student, left for the Philippines on Sunday to continue his research on reptiles and amphibians. His work at the University is mostly with limbless lizards, but while in the Philippines, he works on mapping species and doing research with their genes.
- BY KEVIN HARDY khardy@kansan.com
Brachymeles
Photo copyright of Dr. Rafe Brown
Courtesy of HerpWatch Philippines
Scavenging for tadpoles in a Denver pond as a child, Cameron Siler always knew he was different. Siler's childhood fascination with reptiles and amphibians paved the way for his innovative evolutionary research on lizards in Southeast Asia.
- Genus of skinks
- Though they are all lizards, some species are limbless and look like worms or small snakes while others have four limbs and look like a typical lizard
- Cocoa brown
- Long body
Source: rockpaperlizard.blogspot.com
Caleb Sommerville/KANSAN
Siler, Denver graduate student, departed Sunday for a 10-month research trip to the Philippine Islands. Siler's field research, funded by a $23,000 Fulbright-Hayes scholarship, focuses on the evolution of limbless lizards in the Philippines. Fulbright-Hayes scholarships are funded by respective host countries; only 25 to 35 scholarships were available in Southeast Asia, Siler said.
Siler said there were 15 to 20 species of lizards that had evolved to become limbless. Siler's dissertation concentrates on lizards within the genus Brachymeles, which has three known limbless species. These lizards had evolved from above-ground reptiles to reptiles that burrow beneath the soil, Siler said.
"In a burrowing lifestyle," Siler said, "you can move using much less energy without limbs."
Siler's adviser, Rafe Brown, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, said Siler's research would provide living evidence of the existence of transitional forms of evolution. Some of the lizard species have large legs, some have only stumps for limbs and others have no limbs at all. Brown said the research demonstrated "missing links" to the existence of a common ancestor.
"Because of its clear and easily understandable results." Brown said, "I think Cameron's work will
be of intense interest to evolutionary biologists, and the public in general."
Jen Humphrey, communications director for the Natural History Museum and the Biodiversity Institute, said most of the 60 graduate students in the institute conducted field work, but a single trip as long as Siler's was unusual.
Brown described Siler as a fun person to work with, which made him well liked by overseas collaborators.
ers.
"Cameron is an extremely effective graduate student with a takeo-prisoners attitude and a very healthy work ethic," Brown said. "These traits combine to make him one of the most productive students I have ever known."
Siler said he would look for an apartment in the capital city of Manila upon arrival. He said he would conduct much of his research while camping in the Philippine forests, where he would collaborate with local research-
Much of the research will aim at educating the local population about the diverse natural life within in the forests of the Philippines, Siler said.
While in the field, Siler will produce photographic field guides to identify the lizards, frogs and snakes in the Philippines. The
guides will be translated into English and several languages native to the Philippines then distributed to Philippine government agencies and universities.
"It's much easier to try to get people to conserve their forest when they know how special the life within it is," Siler said.
Siler said he hoped to become a tenure-track professor, to continue studying Southeast Asian wildlife and to promote international collaboration through scientific research.
Upon receiving his doctorate,
Edited by Sonya English
To follow the progress of Cameron Siler's field research in the Philippines, check out his blog at tinyurl.com/chzce.
ECONOMY
Career Fair comes to campus Annual event brings 82 employers from across the nation
BY RACHEL BURCHFIELD
rburchfield@kansan.com
Eighty-two employers are currently registered to take part in the 2009 University Career Fair. It will be from 2 to 6 p.m. on Feb. 11 at the Kansas Union on the fifth floor.
The Buckle, 805 Massachusetts St., is one of the employers sending representatives to the career fair. Leah Grady, a team leader at the store, said she had seen firsthand that The Buckle had been able to recruit great students from its presence at the event.
"We participate in the career fair because we're always looking for new people to bring new ideas, new fashions and new styles, especially since the majority of students who work here are college students," Grady said.
who will be there
The career fair is co-sponsored by the University Career Center and the Office of Multicultural Affairs.
Alegent Health AT&T Bank of Kansas City BNSF Railway Company Dallas Police Department Greater Des Moines Partnership Hills Pet Nutrition Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Kansas State University Liberty Mutual Metlife
Megan Hill, UCC associate director, said the UCC had coordinated the career fair for more than
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
Peace Corps
Social Security Administration
State of Kansas
United States Marine Corps
US Border Patrol
Wells Fargo Financial
10 years. It decided to partner with the OMA in 2006 to bring the event to campus. Annually, between 700 and 1,500 students participate, Hill said.
For a complete listing, visit the UCC's Web site, KUCareerhawk.com.
"It's important because students need to know how to conduct an effective job search and also need to be informed about existing career opportunities," Hill said. "The purpose of the career fair is to educate students about their options, to help them practice job search and
Tali Friedman, Cleveland, Ohio, senior, is considering attending the career fair. Before graduating in December, the theatre and film major said she wanted to find a job where she could work in some aspect of theatre, whether as an actress or backstage. She said she would attend the career fair look-
networking, skills, and ultimately, to find employment."
BUDGET
SEE CAREER ON PAGE 5A
Learning communities to be cut
Ryan McGeeney/KANSAN
BY BRIANNE PFANNENSTIEL
Jake Busted, a third-year graduate student and graduate teaching assistant in the American Studies Department, discusses themes of his American Identities class with students Friday morning in Bailey Hall. The class is one of several at the University that is part of the Learning Communities program. Learning communities will be discontinued in July because of budget cuts. The University will save $302.741 by cutting the program.
bpfannenstiel@kansan.com
Effective July 1, the Department of Student Success will discontinue thematic learning communities because of budget cuts.
Learning communities are designed primarily for freshmen and are composed of groups of about 20 students who enroll in two core courses and a seminar course that focus on a particular theme. Students enroll in learning communities in addition to their regular course schedule.
Learning communities this semester have themes such as "Business and Society in East Asia" and "Gender Matters: Women Creating a Life of Meaning." Students are connected with a peer adviser, participate in study groups and attend seminars with their professors that often focus on career and professional development. Some communities are even assigned to live on the same floor at residence halls.
Christa Curette, Port Arthur, Texas, junior and peer educator for the LC program, said the program was a great tool for
academic success and it was also effective in helping freshmen transition into college life.
"I think it's just a positive influence overall," Curette said. "We can show them that we're upperclassmen and we've been through the freshman year and we're here if they need to talk or need any kind of guidance."
Administrators cut the program in order to help meet the state-mandated budget cuts.
Each academic department at the University has been asked to reduce its budget by about 7 percent for the 2009 fiscal year. By cutting the LC program, the University will save $302,741.
"One of the challenges with any decision like this is that we feel like we have a lot of programs that are doing a good job
SEE LEARNING ON PAGE 5A
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