Dr.
Patrick A. Carter
Professor
School of Biological Sciences
Washington State University
Pullman WA 99164-4236
509/335-1447
pacarter@wsu.edu
Research Interests | Lab Group | Funding | Publications | Teaching | Pre-Vet Advising | Evolution and Ecology at
WSU
Prospective Students
I may be able to
take one new Ph.D. student for the fall of 2016. Please contact me via email if you are
interested in doing graduate work in my lab.
Research Interests
My research focuses on the evolution of the integrated phenotype. Using
ideas and methods from evolutionary and quantitative genetics, physiological
ecology, and comparative physiology, my lab group addresses questions on the evolution of function-valued
traits, the correlated
responses of multiple traits to selection, and the relative effects of selection and
drift on trait evolution. Our goal is to provide a fundamentally deeper
understanding of the evolution of the entire phenotype and of evolutionary
processes.
Currently four major projects are being conducted:
- Development and
application of function-valued trait methods to the evolution of complex
traits.
- Evolution of growth
curves in laboratory populations of flour beetles using a function-valued
approach.
- Evolution of growth,
body shape and swimming performance curves in domesticated populations of rainbow
trout.
- Functional effects of
variation in the Sod-1 gene in rainbow trout.
I have an active lab group composed of both graduate and undergraduate
students. In addition, I encourage independent research by undergraduates once
they have spent some time learning basic concepts and techniques used in the
lab.
Current Lab Group Members:
- Kristy Bellinger is a Ph.D. student examining swimming
performance ontogenies in rainbow trout.
- Chris Duke is a Ph.D. student examining swimming performance
and fear and startle behavior in rainbow trout.
- Erin Weise is a new Ph.D. student in the lab who will be
working on some aspect of rainbow trout biology.
- Ben Weideback is a Ph.D. student working on the
genetics of flour beetles.
- Ka’imi Kuenzli is an undergraduate student working on
temperature effects on the body shape of rainbow trout.
Past Lab Group Members:
Post-Doctoral Students:
o
Anne
Bronikowski conducted much of her post-doctoral research in the lab on
longevity and traits related to senescence in lines of mice selected for high
voluntary wheel running activity.
Current status: Associate Professor at
Graduate
Students:
o
Kristen Irwin completed her Ph.D. in May 2014.
She examined genetic variation and evolution of growth curves in
populations of flour beetles. Current
status: Staff Scientist at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne,
Switzerland.
o
Anna Heink completed her Masters degree in May 2012. She examined oxidative damage and Sod-1 gene
variation in domesticated lines of rainbow trout. Current status: Research associate at Cincinnati
Children's Hospital.
o
Amber
Walker completed her Masters degree in May 2010. She examined genetic variation in Sod-1
enzyme activity in domesticated lines of rainbow trout. Current status: Research Associate, WSU.
o
Amanda Castro completed her Masters degree in June 2007. She examined effects of herbicides
on salamander growth and swimming performance ontogenies. Current status: Field biologist studying
Pronghorn in
o
Drew Reinbold completed his MS degree in June 2005. He studied genetic variation of growth
trajectories and swimming performance in domesticated and semi-wild populations
of rainbow trout. Current status:
Medical technician for the US Army.
o
Ted Morgan completed his Ph.D. in May
2002. He studied genetic variation in the 4 lines of mice selected for
wheel-running behavior and in their 4 lines of controls, using molecular
markers and phenotypic variance. In addition he analyzed behavioral and
morphological ontogenetic trajectories using function-valued trait analysis.
Current status: Associate Professor at
o
Stephanie Kane completed her MS degree in
May 2001. Her research examined the effect of activity and early-age selection
on metabolic traits in aged mice. Current status: Project Manager, Social
Science Research Unit,
o
Greg Ragland completed his MS degree in
May 2001. His research focused on quantitative genetic analysis of growth
trajectories and metamorphic traits in Ambystoma macrodactylum columbianum.
Current status: Adjunt Faculty at
o Ed
Leber completed his MS degree in December 1999. His research was on stress
responses of active and sedentary mice selected for voluntary wheel-running
behavior. Current status: Technical support staff at Molecular Probes, Inc.
o Sara
Hall completed her MS degree in May 1999. Her work was on reference and
working memory in active and sedentary mice selected for high wheel-running
activity. Sara went on to a DVM program
at
Undergraduate Students:
o Kelsi
Lakey completed her BS degree in
December 2014. She examined the effect
of temperature on body shape in rainbow trout.
Current status: Graduate student at USC.
o Kyle
Johnson completed his BS degree in
December 2012. He worked on quantitative
genetics of male mating traits in populations of flour beetles. Current status:
DVM student at WSU.
o Lindsay
Pruett completed her BS with Honors
in May 2013. She worked on quantitative
genetics of male mating traits in populations of flour beetles. Current status:
Doctor of Audiology student at UW.
o Vanessa
Serratore completed her BS with
Honors in May 2008. She examined
thermoregulation in feeding and molting Monarch butterfly caterpillars and went
on to earn her DVM at WSU. Current
status: Surgical residency at Ohio State Unversity.
o Abdiaziz Barre
completed his BS degree in May 2008. He
examined growth trajectories of amphibian populaitons on the Palouse. Current status: Medical student at Poznan
University of Medical Sciences.
o Chris
Miller completed his BS with
Honors in June 2007. He examined muscle
physiology in domesticated and semi-wild lines of rainbow trout. Current status: Medical doctor.
o
Jamie
Harpole completed her BS degree in May 2004. She studied swimming performance in
laboratory strains of rainbow trout.
Jamie went on to the DVM program at WSU. Current status: Veterinarian.
o
Brandi Irwin completed her BS degree in
May 2001. Her project was on allozyme diversity in lines of mice selected for
high activity. Brandi went on to medical
school at
o
Sharon Thomson completed her BS degree in
August 1999. Her research examined activity of the superoxide dismutase enzyme
in active and sedentary mice from the selected and control lines.
o
Monica Baze completed her BS with Honors
in May 2002. Her research examined nesting behavior in one year old active and
sedentary mice from selected and control lines. Current status: graduate
student with Dr. Jack Hayes at the
o Lionel
Jenkins completed his BS degree in December 2003. He studied spontaneous tumor occurrence in
active and sedentary mice from lines of mice selected for high voluntary
activity. Current status: Laboratory technician
at
o Matt
Schmit completed his BS degree in May 1999. His research was on nesting
behavior in one year old active and sedentary mice from selected and control
lines. Current status: zookeeper, Houston Zoo.
Current:
Collaborative Research: UBM -
Institutional: UI-WSU Program in Undergraduate Mathematics and Biology.
$700,000. National Science Foundation Division of Mathematical Sciences. PI’s: B. Robison, R.H Dillon; co-PI’s: R.S.
Gomulkiewicz, P. Joyce and 6 others; Senior Investigators: P.A. Carter and 7
others (10/1/2010-9/30/2015).
Previous:
National Genomics Research Initiative.
$unspecified. Science Education Alliance, Howard
Hughes Medical Institute. PI: William Davis; co-PI: P.A. Carter. (6/1/2011-5/31/2014).
Darwinian Morphometrics: Cross-Topology
Registration of Shape. $88,000. National
Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis. PI: P.A. Carter.
co-PI’s: D.Houle, R.S. Gomulkiewicz, J.S. Marron. (9/1/09-8/30/13).
Physiological Genetics of Oxidative Stress
in Rainbow Trout. $29,800. PI: P.A. Carter. USDA Washington-Idaho Aquaculture Initiative. (10/1/2010-9/30/2012).
UBM: Foundation in mathematical biology
through interdisciplinary research, training, and curriculum development. $905,000.
National Science Foundation
Emerging Frontiers. PI: R.S.
Gomulkiewicz; co-PIs: Omoto, Dillon, McDonald; Senior Investigators: P.A.
Carter and 13 others. (9/15/05-9/14/10).
Function-valued traits in natural
populations: variation, selection, and evolution. $2,129,468. National Science Foundation Emerging
Frontiers. PI: R.S. Gomulkiewicz; co-PI:
P.A. Carter. (10/1/03-9/30/09).
Exercise induced protection from cancer,
III. $3000, Fraternal Order of Eagles.
(1 time award).
Integrated approaches to studies of
infinite dimensional trait evolution in natural populations. $3,194, National Science Foundation
Biocomplexity-Incubation (Supplemental Award). PI: R.S. Gomulkiewicz; co-PI:
P.A. Carter.
Exercise induced protection from cancer,
II. $2500, Fraternal Order of Eagles.
Dissertation Research: The effect of
artificial selection on the evolution of ontogenetic trajectories. $5640, National Science Foundation Population
Biology. PI: P.A. Carter; co-PI T.J. Morgan. (7/1/01-6/30/03).
Integrated approaches to studies of
infinite dimensional trait evolution in natural populations. $99,999, National Science Foundation Biocomplexity-Incubation.
PI: R.S. Gomulkiewicz; co-PI: P.A. Carter. (9/1/00-8/31/03).
Selected Publications
Campbell, J.M., P.A. Carter, P.A. Wheeler, and
G.H. Thorgaard. 2015. Aggressive behavior, brain size and domestication in clonal rainbow
trout lines. Behavior Genetics 45:245-254.
Kingsolver, J.G, N. Heckman, J. Zhang, P.A. Carter,
J.L. Knies, and J. Stinchcombe. 2015. Genetic variation, simplicity and
evolutionary constraints for function-valued traits. The American Naturalist
166: E166-E181.
Bellinger, K, G.H. Thorgaard, and P.A. Carter.
2014. Effects of domestication on growth and swim performance in rainbow trout.
Aquaculture 420-421:154-159.
Gervini, D. and P.A. Carter. 2014. Warped
functional analysis of variance. Biometrics 70:526-353.
Irwin, K.K., and P.A. Carter. 2014. Artificial selection on larval growth curves
in Tribolium castaneum: Correlated
responses and constraints. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 27:2069-2079.
Attanayake, R.N., P.A. Carter, D. Jiang, L. Del
Río-Mendoza, and W. Chen. 2013. Sclerotinia
sclerotiorum populations infecting canola from
Bellinger, K, G.H. Thorgaard, and P.A. Carter.
2013. Effects of domestication on growth and swim performance in rainbow trout.
Aquaculture (in press).
Careau, V.,
M.E. Wolak, P.A. Carter, and T. Garland, Jr. 2013. Limits to behavioral
evolution: the quantitative genetics of a complex trait under directional
selection. Evolution 67:3102-3119.
Heink, A.E., A. Parrish, G.H. Thorgaard and P.A.
Carter. 2013. Oxidative stress among SOD-1 genotypes in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Aquatic Toxicology
144-145: 75-82.
Irwin, K.K., and P.A. Carter. 2013. Constraints on the evolution of
function-valued traits: A study of growth in Tribolium casteneum. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 26:2633-2643.
Serratore, V., M.P. Zalcuki and P.A. Carter.
2013. Thermoregulation in molting and feeding Danaus plexippus caterpillars. Australian Journal of Entomology
52:8-13.
Stinchcombe, J.R., J. Beder, P.A. Carter,
Gilchrist, G., Gervini, D., Gomulkiewicz, R., Hallgrimsson, B., Heckman, N.,
Houle, D., Kingsolver, J.G., Marquez, E., Marron, J.S., Meyer, K., Mio, W.,
Schmitt, J., Yao, F., and Kirkpatrick, M. 2012. Genetics and evolution of
function-valued traits: understanding environmentally responsive phenotypes.
Trends in Ecology and Evolution 27: 637-647.
Reinbold, D., G. H. Thorgaard, and P.A. Carter.
2009. Reduced swimming performance and increased growth are associated with
domestication of rainbow trout. Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic
Sciences 66:1025-1032.
Kane, S.L., T. Garland, Jr., and P.A.
Carter. 2008. Basal metabolic rate of aged mice is affected by random genetic
drift but not by selective breeding for high early-age locomotor activity or
chronic wheel access.
Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 81:288-300.
Middleton, K.M., C.E. Shubin. D.C. Moore, P.A
Carter, T. Garland, Jr., S.M. Swartz. 2008. The relative importance of genetics and phenotypic plasticity in
dictating bone morphology and mechanics in aged mice: evidence from an
artificial selection experiment. Zoology 111:135-147.
Bronikowski, A.M., T.J. Morgan, T. Garland Jr.
and P.A. Carter. 2006. The evolution of aging and age-related physical decline
in mice selectively bred for high voluntary exercise. Evolution 60: 1494-1508.
Morgan, T.J., M.A. Evans, T. Garland, Jr., J.G.
Swallow, and P.A. Carter. 2005.
Molecular and quantitative genetic divergence among populations of house
mice with known evolutionary histories. Heredity 94:518-525.
Hochstetler,
K.J., T. Garland, Jr., J.G. Swallow, P.A. Carter, and A. Bult-Ito. 2004. Number
of arginine-vasopressin neurons in the suprachiasmatic nuclei is not related to
level or circadian characteristics of wheel-running activity in house
mice. Behavior Genetics 34:131-136.
Ragland, G.J.
and P.A. Carter. 2004.Genetic constraints on the evolution of
growth and life history traits in the salamander Ambystoma macrodactylum. Heredity 92:569-578.
Bronikowski, A.M., P.A. Carter, T.J. Morgan, T.
Garland Jr., N. Ung, T.D. Pugh, R.Weindruch, and T.A. Prolla. 2003. Lifelong
voluntary exercise in the mouse prevents age-related alterations in gene
expression in the heart. Physiological
Genomics 12:129-138.
Hochstetler,
K.J., T. Garland, Jr., J.G. Swallow, P.A. Carter, and A. Bult-Ito. 2003. Number
of arginine-vasopressin neurons in the suprachiasmatic nuclei is not related to
level or circadian characteristics of wheel-running activity in house
mice. Behavior Genetics (in press).
Koteja, P., P.A. Carter, J.G. Swallow and T.
Garland, Jr. 2003. Food wasting in house mice: variation among individuals,
families and genetic lines. Physiology
and Behavior 80:375-383.
Koteja, P., J.G. Swallow, P.A. Carter and T
Morgan, T.J., T. Garland, Jr., and P.A. Carter.
2003. Ontogenetic trajectories in mice selected for high wheel- running
activity. I. Mean ontogenetic trajectories.
Evolution 57:646-657.
Morgan, T.J., T. Garland, Jr., B.L. Irwin†, J.G. Swallow, and P.A. Carter. 2003.
The mode of evolution of molecular markers in
populations of house mice under artificial selection for locomotor
behavior. J Heredity 94:236-242.
Bronikowski, A.M., T.J. Morgan, T. Garland, Jr.,
and P.A. Carter. 2002. Anti-oxidant gene expression in active and sedentary
house mice selected for high voluntary wheel-running behavior. Genetics
161:1763-1769.
Garland, T. Jr., M.T Morgan,
J.G. Swallow, J.S. Rhodes,
Girad, I.A., J.G. Swallow, P.A. Carter, P. Koteja,
J.S. Rhodes, and T. Garland, Jr. 2002. Maternal-care behavior and life-history
traits in house mice (Mus domesticus)
artificially selected for high voluntary wheel-running activity. Behavioral Processes 57:37-50.
Klomberg, K.F., T. Garland,
Jr., J.G. Swallow, and P.A. Carter. 2002. Aggression, plasma testosterone
levels, and testis size in house mice artificially selected for high activity
levels. Physiology and Behavior 77:27-38.
Nunez, N.P., P.A. Carter, and G.G. Meadows. 2002.
Alcohol consumption promotes body weight loss in melanoma-bearing mice.
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 26:617-626.
Thomson, S.L., T.
Garland, Jr., J.G. Swallow, and P.A. Carter. 2002. Response of Sod-2 enzyme
activity to selection for high voluntary wheel running. Heredity 88:52-61.
Bronikowski, A. M., P. A. Carter, J. G. Swallow,
I. A. Girard, J. S. Rhodes, and T. Garland, Jr. 2001. Open-field behavior of
house mice artificially selected for high voluntary wheel running. Behavior
Genetics 31:309-316.
Kingsolver, J.G., R.S.
Gomulkiewicz, and P.A. Carter. 2001. Variation, selection, and evolution of
function-valued traits. Genetica
112-113:87-104.
Koteja, P., J.G.
Swallow, P.A. Carter, and T. Garland, Jr. 2001.
Maximum cold-induced food consumption in mice selected for high
locomotor activity: implications for evolution of energy budgets of endotherms.
The Journal of Experimental Biology 204(6) 1177-1190.
Swallow, J.G., P.
Koteja, P.A. Carter, and T. Garland, Jr. 2001. Food consumption and body
composition in mice selected for high wheel running activity. Journal of
Comparative Physiology B 171: 651-659.
Carter, P.A., J.B.
Mitton, T.D. Kocher, and J.R. Coehlo. 2000. Maintenance of the Adh polymorphism
in tiger salamanders II. Differences in biochemical function among
allozymes. Functional Ecology 14:70-76.
Carter, P.A., J.G. Swallow,
Koteja, P., J.G. Swallow, P.A. Carter, and T.
Garland, Jr. 2000. Individual variation and repeatability of maximum
cold-induced energy assimilation in house mice. Acta theriologica
45(4):455-470.
Carter, P.A., T. Garland, Jr., M.R. Dohm, and J.P
Hayes. 1999. Genetic variation and correlations between genotype and locomotor
physiology in outbred laboratory house mice (Mus domesticus). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology
123:157-164.
Koteja, P., T. Garland, Jr., J. K. Sax, J. G.
Swallow, and P. A. Carter. 1999. Behaviour of house mice artificially selected
for voluntary wheel running. Animal Behaviour 58:1307-1318.
Koteja, P.,
J.G. Swallow, P.A. Carter, and T. Garland, Jr. 1999. Energy cost of
wheel running in house mice: implications for coadaptation of locomotion and
energy budgets. Physiological and
Biochemical Zoology 72:238-249.
Swallow,
J.G., T. Garland, Jr., P. Koteja, and P.A. Carter. 1999. Artificial selection
for increased wheel-running activity in house mice results in decreased body
mass. The Journal of Experimental Biology 202:2513-2520.
Zhan, W-Z, J.G. Swallow, T. Garland, Jr., D.N.
Proctor, P.A. Carter and G.C. Sieck. 1999. Effects of genetic selection and
voluntary activity on the medialgastrocnemius muscle in house mice. Journal of Applied Physiology 87:
2326-2333.
Coleman, M.A., T. Garland, Jr.,
Krugner-Higby,
Swallow, J.G., P.A. Carter, and T. Garland, Jr.
1998. Artificial selection for increased wheel-running behavior in house mice.
Behavior Genetics 28:227-237.
Swallow, J.G., T
Carter, P.A. 1997. Maintenance of the Adh
polymorphism in tiger salamanders I. Genotypic differences in time to
metamorphosis in extreme oxygen environments. Heredity 78:101-109.
Mitton, J.B., P.A. Carter and A. DiGiacomo. 1997.
Resting oxygen consumption varies among lactate dehydrogenase genotypes in the
sow bug, Porcellio scaber. Proc. R.
Soc. Lond. B 264:1543-1546.
Watt, W.B., K. Donohue, and P.A. Carter. 1996.
Adaptation at specific loci. VI. Divergence vs. parallelism of polymorphic
allozymes in molecular function and fitness-component effects among Colias species. Molecular Biology and
Evolution 13(5):699-709.
Mitton, J.B., D.J. Zelenka, and P.A. Carter.
1994. Selection of breeding stock in pigs favours 6PGD heterozygotes. Heredity
73:177-184.
Zalucki, M.P., J.M. Hughes, J.M. Arthur, and P.A.
Carter. 1993. Seasonal variation at four loci in a continuously breeding
population of Danaus plexippus L.
Heredity 70:205-213.
Hughes, J.M., M.P. Zalucki, and P.A. Carter.
1992. Consistent differences among individual Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus L.) in flight
activities at low temperatures. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
47:217-231.
Carter, P.A., M.P. Zalucki, and J.M. Hughes.
1989. Genetic variation in a continuously breeding population of Danaus plexippus L.: An examination of
heterozygosity at four loci in relation to activity times. Heredity 63:191-194.
Watt, W.B., C. Kremen, and P.A. Carter. 1989.
Testing the "mimicry"
explanation for the Colias
"alba" polymorphism: Patterns of co-occurrence of Colias and Pierine butterflies.
Functional Ecology 3:193-199.
Carter, P.A., and W.B. Watt. 1988. Adaptation at specific loci. V. Metabolically
adjacent enzyme loci may have very distinct experiences of selective
pressures. Genetics 119:913-924.
Zalucki, M.P., J.M. Hughes, and P.A. Carter.
1987. Genetic variation in Danaus
plexippus L.: habitat selection or differences in activity times? Heredity 59: 213-221.
Watt, W.B., P.A. Carter, and K. Donohue. 1986.
Females' choice of "good genotypes" as mates is promoted by an insect
mating system. Science 233:1187-1190.
Watt, W.B., P.A. Carter, and S.M. Blower. 1985.
Adaptation at specific loci. IV. Differential mating success among glycolytic
allozyme genotypes of Colias
butterflies. Genetics 109:157-175.
In Fall semesters I teach Human Physiology:
o
Human
Physiology (Biology 251) (every year)
In
Spring semesters I teach either Quantitative Genetics (Biol 521) or
Environmental Physiology (Biol 561):
o
Environmental Physiology (offered in 2011)
o
Quantitative Genetics (offered in 2012)
I am a pre-Vet advisor for the
Evolution and Ecology at WSU
WSU has a very active group in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in the School of Biological Sciences. We gather weekly
for a presentation of recent work by one of our members (EcoEvo Lunch, Tuesdays
at noon); once a week EEGR (Evolution, Ecology and Genetic Reading group)
meets, and monthly we meet, along with colleagues from the Biological Sciences Department at the
University of Idaho, for the PEES (Palouse Ecology, Evolution and
Systematics) seminar.
Links for lawyers: copyright disclaimer appropriate use
page last updated August 2015.