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Christopher Sheil, PhD

Professor - Biology

Christopher Sheil, PhD Profile Picture

eMail

csheil@jcu.edu

Phone Number

216-397-3088

Location

Dolan Science Center W246

Employee Type

Faculty

Christopher Sheil, PhD Profile Picture

Professor & Department Chair

Expertise: Systematic Herpetology, Skeletal Morphology, and Evolutionary Development, and Anatomy

Research Interests

My research focuses on aspects of skeletal development in reptiles, amphibians, particularly in the context of element homology and. In my lab we study skeletal development to understand how the skeleton evolved such amazing diversity through changes in timing and development.  Graduate and undergraduate students in my lab have worked on projects that include geometric morphometric analyses of shape change in the skeletons of amphibians, descriptive morphology of embryonic turtles, and heterochrony, in skeletal development across all Amniota.  I am actively recruiting students to work in my laboratory.

Visit Research Website

Recent Courses

BL 155/160 – Principles of Biology II BL 350/350L – Vertebrate Anatomy BL 405 – Scientific Illustration BL 415 – Introduction to Systematic Biology BL 426/426L – Biology of the Reptilia

Selected Publications

2020             Sheil CA, and Welton LJ. A method for removing eggs or embryos from preserved, gravid snakes that minimizes damage to museum specimens. Herpetological Review. 51(2):237–41.

2018             Kilgore C, Johansen JR, Mai T, Hauer T, Casamatta DA, and Sheil CA. Molecular characterization of Geitleria appalachiana sp. nov. 2 (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria) and formation of Geitleriaceae fam. 3 nov. 4. Fottea. 18(2):150–163.

2017             *Shalygin S, Shalygina R, Johansen JR, Pietrasiak N, Berrendero Gómez E, Bohunická M, Mares J, and Sheil CA.  Cyanomargarita gen. nov. (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria): Convergent evolution resulting in a cryptic genus. Journal of Phycology. 53(4):762–777.

2017             Danielson S, and Sheil CA.  Patters of chondrification and ossification in the skull of Graptemys pseudogeographica, the False Map Turtle (Emydidae). Journal of Morphology. 278:1739–51.

2014             Řeháková K, Johansen JR, Bowen MB, Martin MP, and Sheil CA. Variation in secondary structure of the 16S rRNA molecule in Cyanobacteria with implications for phylogenetic analysis. Fottea 14:161–178.

2014             Sheil CA, **Jorgensen M, **Tulenko F, and **Harrington S. Intraspecific variation in timing of ossification affects inferred heterochrony of cranial bones in Amphibia. Evolution & Development 16(5):292–305.

2014             Sheil CA, and *Zaharewicz K.  Anatomy of the fully formed chondrocranium of Podocnemis unifilis (Pleurodira: Podocnemididae). Acta Zoologica 95:358–366.

 

Degrees

B.Sc. in Systematics and Ecology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS Intensive Spanish Curriculum, La Universidad del Pacifico, Asunción, Paraguay Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS