Dr. Sara Ruane
My work seeks to simultaneously inform reptile and amphibian systematics while also answering broad, contemporary questions in evolutionary biology. Some of my current research focuses on the phylogenetics of the Malagasy pseudoxyrhophiine snakes, which includes the use of molecular data in the form of next-generation sequencing and traditional Sanger-sequencing approaches, as well as ecological and morphological data to aid in understanding what factors promote speciation in these snakes. I am also working on a project examining the undescribed diversity in the poorly known New Guinea ground snakes, Stegonotus. Upcoming research from the Ruane Lab will include co-historical demography and population genetics of squamates found in New Jersey. While my interests in herpetology are broad, I focus primarily on snakes, especially with respect to systematics, phylogenetics, and phylogeography, as well as ecology. Please see my website for more details on my work and opportunities in the Ruane Lab.
