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Research Interests Dr. Parkinson's research program focuses on understanding, describing and conserving the World’s biodiversity, both at the organismal and molecular levels. The foundation of his research lies in molecular phylogenetics thereby using genetic material (DNA) to hypothesize the evolutionary history of organisms or gene sequences. He then tries to infer which historical and/or current forces may have led to the organisms present day behavior, distribution, diversity, and ecology. The secondary area of his research program is conservation genetics, which uses genetics to investigate population level processes within threatened and endangered taxa. By utilizing the genetic data, we are able to suggest holistic management strategies to increase a species chance for survival.
Selected Publications 2009 Castoe, T.A., Daza, J.M., Smith, E.N. Sasa, M.M., Kuch, U., Campbell, J.A., Chippindale, P.T. and C.L. Parkinson. Comparative Phylogeography of Pitvipers Suggests a Consensus of Ancient Middle AmericanHighland Biogeography. Journal of Biogeography 36: 88–103. Cover of the Journal article. 2009 Fenwick, A., R.L. Gutberlet, J.A. Evans, and C.L. Parkinson. Morphological and molecular evidence for phylogeny and classification of South American pitvipers, genera Bothrops, Bothriopsis, and Bothrocophias (Serpentes: Viperidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 2009 Castoe,T.A, A. P. Jason de Koning, H-M. Kim, W. Gu, B. Noonan, G. Naylor , Z. Jiang, C.L. Parkinson, and D. Pollock. Evidence for an ancient adaptive episode of convergent molecular evolution. Submitted to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2009 Suazo, A.A., J.E. Fauth, J.D. Roth, C.L, Parkinson, and I.J.Stout. Responses of small rodents to habitat restoration and management for the endangered Florida Scrub-Jay. Biological Conservation. 2009 Daza, J.M., E.N. Smith, V. P. Páez and C.L. Parkinson. Complex evolution in the Neotropics: the origin and diversification of the widespread genus Leptodeira (Serpentes: Colubridae). Submitted to Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 2009 Metzger, G.A., Kraus, F. Allison, A. and C. L. Parkinson. Uncovering cryptic diversity in Aspidomorphus (Serpentes: Elapidae): evidence from mitochondrial and nuclear markers. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 2007 Degner, J.F., I.J. Stout, J.D. Roth, and C. L. Parkinson. Population Genetics and Conservation of the Threatened Southeastern Beach Mouse (Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris): Subspecies and Evolutionary Units. Conservation Genetics 8:1441–1452. 2007 Castoe, T.A., E.N. Smith, R.M. Brown, and C.L. Parkinson. Higher-level phylogeny of Asian and American coralsnakes, their placement within the Elapidae (Squamata), and the systematic affinities of the enigmatic Asian coralsnake Hemibungarus calligaster. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 151:809-831 2006 Castoe, T.A., and C.L. Parkinson. Bayesian Mixed Models and the Phylogeny of Pitvipers (Viperidae: Serpentes). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 39:91–110. 2000 Palmer, J.D., K.L. Adams, Y. Cho, C.L. Parkinson, Y.-L. Qiu and K. Song. Dynamic Evolution of Plant Mitochondrial Genomes: Mobile Genes and Introns, and Highly Variable Mutation Rates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U. S. A. 97:6960-6966. 1999 Parkinson, C.L. The Molecular Systematics and Biogeography of the Subfamily Crotalinae as Determined by mtDNA Sequences. Copeia 1999 pp. 576-586.
Highlights April 2005: Pedro Quintana-Ascencio in collaboration with Chris Parkinson received a research grant in the amount of $127,691
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Education - Ph.D Environmental Biology, 1996 - University of Louisville
- B.S Wildlife Biology and Field Botany, 1990 - Ohio University
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