Please check back soon for updates! You can also visit the OSU Museum of Biological Diversity's crustacean collection website for more information.
Systematic revision of the Devil Crayfish (Cambarus diogenes) speciesThe goal of my Ph.D. dissertation is to investigate the Devil Crayfish (Cambarus diogenes) species complex using molecular systematics methods and morphometrics. The most iconic member of this complex is the Devil Crayfish, Cambarus diogenes (Girard 1852). Historically, all burrowing crayfishes that resembled the Devil Crayfish have been labeled as such. This lack of taxonomic resolution has led to the Devil Crayfish sensu lato being the most widespread crayfish in North America. However, it has long been suspected that the Devil Crayfish represents a species complex and in recent years, a handful of species have been described from within this complex. Further teasing apart the Devil Crayfish complex is important because some of the species within it may have actually have small ranges and require differential conservation attention.
April 2018 update: My collaborators and I have made great progress this year and recently submitted our findings on the Devil Crayfish Group to Journal of Crustacean Biology. Please check back soon for updates on this manuscript. Additionally, I will present this work in June at the Society of Systematic Biologists conference in Columbus, Ohio and in July at the International Association of Astacology conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. |
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