Watching the White Lizards of White Sands
Does it matter if nature solves the same problem in multiple ways? While studying lizard populations in White Sands, New Mexico, researcher Erica Rosenblum of the University of Idaho has begun to answer that question. In research published Dec. 28, 2009, in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Rosenblum and her colleagues described genetic differences between lizards found in habitats that contain either white or dark soils. The stark differences in color are an ideal environment to study natural selection and gene flow. For more on the research, read the press release. For more on Rosenblum, see her answers to the ScienceLives 10 Questions below.
Name: Erica Bree Rosenblum
Age: 35
Institution: University of Idaho
Field of Study: Evolutionary Biology
What inspired you to choose this field of study?
I have worked in different fields during the course of my career – everything from studying fruit fly genetics, to conducting field research on hippos in Africa, to teaching 5th grade science. Studying evolutionary biology is the best integration of all of my interests. I get to teach, work in the lab, explore natural environments, and study how living things have come to be the way they are today.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
One of my graduate school advisors, David Wake, told me that the most important thing was to study something that I really love. Scientists choose what they study for a lot of different reasons, but if you really care about what you study on a visceral level, then you never get bored.
What was your first scientific experiment as a child?
Around 3rd grade I remember making soap in my basement with a chemistry kit, setting up an ant farm to watch ants burrow, and volunteering to dissect a pig brain!
What is your favorite thing about being a scientist or researcher?
I love spending time in nature. Some of my favorite memories from my research are when I have been alone in really beautiful places; for example I love sitting on the sand dunes in New Mexico as the wind picks up and enjoying the solitude of the desert sunset.
What is the most important characteristic a scientist must demonstrate in order to be an effective scientist?
Being a scientist requires the ability to make a lot of decisions and the gift of perseverance. It's amazing how many little decisions need to be made every day and also amazing how often we experience set-backs. A scientist needs to be willing to get right back on the horse after falling off.
What are the societal benefits of your research?
Some of my research has direct benefits for conservation of endangered species. But one of my goals is also to help people understand how evolution works. Studying evolution can help with everything from predicting how diseases might evolve to planning for the effects of climate change.
Who has had the most influence on your thinking as a researcher?
There are many historical and contemporary biologists that have influenced my thinking, but it is my direct collaborators that influence my research the most. Science is like a jigsaw puzzle – we are constantly working to fit pieces together to answer a particular question. My close collaborators are the ones that help me see which piece of the puzzle is missing and which piece I should work the hardest to put in place.
What about your field or being a scientist do you think would surprise people the most?
Most people think that scientists spend most of their time using high tech equipment and wearing white lab coats with pocket protectors. But in fact, we spend most of our time interacting with other scientists. Most of my day is spent meeting with my students, my collaborators, and my colleagues. One of the most important skills a scientist can have is working well with other people.
If you could only rescue one thing from your burning office or lab, what would it be?
I received much of my scientific training from the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ) at the University of California, Berkeley. There is a long tradition at the MVZ of writing "field notes" – all of your observations and notes when you are out in the natural world. I would rescue my field notebook and also my collection of natural history objects that I have as reminders from various field excursions.
What music do you play most often in your lab or car?
Unfortunately, I am most likely to be playing my 2 year old daughter's favorite song called "Bananas in Pajamas!"