Dr. Laurie Anderson
- Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A., 1991
- M.S., Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, U.S.A., 1987
- B.S., University of Minnesota-Morris, Minnesota, U.S.A., 1985
Department Head and Professor
Geology and Geological Engineering Department (GEOE, GEOL)
Director, Museum of Geology
Museum of Geology
In the geologic column, biotic remains preserve a record of ancient life and provide a wealth of information as sediment grains, and I integrate both types of information into my research. The primary focus of my research is the paleobiology, paleoecology, taphonomy, and phylogeny of mollusks, particularly the Bivalvia. My work combines field research in both modern and ancient settings, museum studies, and laboratory analyses. One long-standing project is an investigation of the evolutionary history of Neogene Corbulidae (Bivalvia: Myoidea) in tropical America, especially as it relates to environmental, oceanographic, and climatic changes over the last 23 million years (Neogene). Recently, this work has led to the exploration of topics that include 1) the role of constraint, innovation and heterochrony in the morphologic evolution of the corbulid shell (Anderson and Roopnarine 2005; Goodwin et al. 2008); 2) phylogenetic reconstruction of Neogene corbulids of tropical America (Anderson and Roopnarine 2003); and 3) phylogenetic reconstruction of freshwater radiation(s) of corbulid bivalves from the Paleocene and Neogene of the Americas (Anderson et al. 2006; in prep). In future work my goal is to produce a systematic revision of the Corbulidae at a global scale, and examine the ecology and life-history characteristics of invasive members of this clade. In addition, I am exploring morphologic integration in heterodont bivalves in collaboration with Peter Roopnarine at the California Academy of Sciences, using an algorithm Peter developed to recognize modularity in landmark data. I also am participating in a multiyear international collaboration to inventory the aquatic animals of Alto Purús National Park and Purús Communal Reserve. Alto Purús, with Manu National Park and adjacent protected areas in Bolivia and Brazil, is the largest conservation corridor in the Amazon Basin. Nonetheless, only minimal baseline biodiversity data is currently available for the aquatic fauna of the region and Projecto Alto Purús will focus on fully characterizing diversity within the crustaceans, fishes, platyhelminths, mollusks, and sponges of this region.
Oil spill-related projects:
- Analysis of Samples Collected to Measure Effects of Stressors on Coastal Wetlands (Year One Block Grant-LSU)
- Long-term Site Selection and Analysis of Biota to Determine the Effect of Oil, Dispersant, and Remediation-related Human Activities on Marsh Plants and Associated Insects and Mollusks (Year One Block Grant-LSU)
- Effects of Oil, Dispersant, and Remediation-related Human Activities on Marsh Plants and Associated Insects and Mollusks (Year One Block Grant-NGI)