Michael T. Kinnison

Professor of Evolutionary Applications

Research Topic:
Contemporary evolution, Eco-evolutionary dynamics, population and conservation genetics; fish biology

Research Program:
Research in my lab generally involves evolution of populations in the wild, often with an emphasis on evolution over contemporary time scales and its implications for population colonization, adaptation and broader scales of diversity. This work has incorporated aspects of population ecology and genetics, morphometrics, physiology and behavior. I believe that evolutionary biology has the potential to become increasingly applied, a goal that does not mean it must sacrifice theoretical development. Indeed, applied evolutionary biology stands not only to provide practical conservation tools, but also to focus evolutionary work on more realistic conceptualizations of natural patterns and processes. Because of this view, my research has ranged from theoretical and experimental studies of rapid evolution to conservation genetics of fish populations. While I have traditionally dealt with populations of salmonid fishes, species of considerable economic and social concern, I am also interested in similar lines of investigation involving other taxa.

Publications:
Palkovacs, E.P., M.C. Marshall, B.A. Lamphere, B.R. Lynch, D.J. Weese, D.F. Fraser, D.N. Reznick, C.M. Pringle and M.T. Kinnison. 2009. An experimental evaluation of evolution and coevolution as agents of ecosystem change in tropical streams. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, B 364:1617-1628.

Gordon, S.P., D.N. Reznick, M.T. Kinnison, M.J. Bryant, D.J. Weese, K. Rasanen, N.P. Millar and A.P. Hendry. 2009. Adaptive changes in life history and survival following a new guppy introduction. American Naturalist 174:34-45.

Horton, G.E., B.H. Letcher, M.M. Bailey and M.T. Kinnison. 2009. Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolt production: the relative importance of survival and body growth. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 66:471-483.

Holbrook, C. M., J. Zydlewski, D. Gorsky, S. L. Shepard and M.T. Kinnison. 2009. Movements of pre-spawn adult Atlantic salmon near hydroelectric dams in the lower Penobscot River, Maine, USA. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 29:495-505.

Darimont, C.T., S.M. Carlson, M.T. Kinnison, P.C. Paquet, T.E. Reimchen and C.C. Wilmers. 2009. Human predators outpace other agents of trait change in the wild. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106:952-954.

Hendry, A.P., T.J. Farrugia and M.T. Kinnison. 2008. Human influences on rates of phenotypic change in wild animal populations. Molecular Ecology 17:20-29 (doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03428.x).

Kinnison, M.T., M.J. Unwin and T.P. Quinn. 2008. Eco-evolutionary vs. habitat contributions to invasion in salmon: experimental evaluation in the wild. Molecular Ecology 17:405-414 (doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03495.x).

Michaud, W.K., M. Power and M.T. Kinnison. 2008. Trophically mediated divergence of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.) populations in contemporary time. Evolutionary Ecology Research 10:1051-1066.

Ozgo, M. and M.T. Kinnison. 2008. Contingency and determinism during rapid convergent evolution in the land snail, Cepaea nemoralis. Evolutionary Ecology Research. 10:721-733.