Where do you work and what do you do? 

I live in Los Angeles, CA where I am an Assistant Professor of evolutionary biology at UCLA. I spend most of my time studying how species around the globe evolve and adapt in response to climate change and human disturbance. I use a wide variety of tools in this work, including genetics, physiology and climate modeling. When I’m not researching, I spend time creating and hosting  The Biology of Superheroes Podcast, where my co-host and I nerd out about the science of comic books, movies, TV shows and other science fiction.

What aspects of anole biology do you study, and what have you learned? 

 I study how anoles adapt and acclimate to changes in temperature. Temperature is a universal stress for all life on the planet and can have dramatic impacts on how species live, from how fast they can run to how well the proteins in their cells perform. Reptiles and other cold blooded animals are great to explore thermal biology because they can’t make their own body heat. This means that their behavior and performance are really tightly linked to environmental temperatures. The most surprising thing I’ve learned in my work is just how fast anoles can respond to shifting temperatures. We can see the signatures of this response over very short timeframes in response to extreme weather events and the high temperatures in cities, even within a single year.

How and why did you start studying anoles? 

I grew up in South Carolina, so anoles were some of the first animals I ever interacted with as a child. As a matter of fact, the anole that I studied in graduate school, the green anole, was the very first animal I ever caught as a kid. Most anoles are pretty small, but I think they have a ton of personality. 

What do you love most about studying anoles? 

Anoles seem to find remarkable ways of dealing with environmental change, which makes them very fun to study. They’ve found pretty interesting ways to deal with hurricanes, winter storms, city life and other extreme environments. What most interesting is that we can see how they respond in real-time. This gives us really interesting insights into how life finds its way on our planet despite the many challenges it can be faced with, including us. 

What is your favorite anole species? 

I’m probably the outlier among most anole biologists, because I love the green anole. It’s not a fancy as many other species, but it just has a special place in my heart at a southern boy. Plus, it’s given me great opportunities to learn about evolution and the biological impacts of humans on the planet. 

Where can people learn more about you and follow you online?

You can find information about my work at  https://socgen.ucla.edu/people/shane-campbell-staton/ and on Twitter @Scampbellstaton.

You can also find my podcast - The Biology of Superheroes Podcast - on iTunes, Stitcher or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. 

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