Where do you work and what do you do?  

I’m a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Rhode Island. I teach classes in ecology, evolution and global change biology and conduct research on anoles with my students and postdocs. We study the evolutionary ecology of invasive species and urbanization, primarily in Miami, and the eco-evolutionary dynamics of anoles on small islands in the Bahamas. We combine lab and field work to answer questions about how anoles respond to the rapid environmental change caused by humans. 

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

I’m an evolutionary ecologist, which means my research spans a wide range of topics including behavior, ecology, evolution, genetics, morphology, and physiology.  I’m fundamentally interested in how organisms respond to rapid changes in their environments and humans are often the cause of rapid environmental change, such as climate change, species invasions, and urbanization. Over twenty species of anoles have been introduced to places outside of their native ranges and a common theme for these invasions is that they originate from multiple locations in the native ranges of each species. Once introduced to a new area, anoles from different places in their native range interbreed to produce highly variable populations in non-native areas. Anoles readily evolve during these invasions, producing morphologies and physiological tolerances that differ from native-range populations. Another dimension of global change is urbanization and anoles respond in a variety of ways to city life. We have found that anoles living in cities change how they escape from predators, how they forage, where they perch and how they thermoregulate because of the urban heat island effect.  

How and why did you start studying anoles? 

I started working on anoles during my Ph.D. when I joined Jonathan Losos’ lab at Washington University in St. Louis in 2000 and I met an energetic and vibrant group of people passionate about ecology, evolution and anoles! I was dead-set on studying the quantitative genetics of anoles; I wanted to study the genetic basis of morphological traits and how natural selection works to shape the morphological variation we see in anoles. Like most fledgling dissertation plans…my plan changed after a few years. In my case, it was because of an exciting opportunity to visit Cuba and sample brown anole populations throughout the island. I then learned that this same species was introduced to Florida, Hawaii, Grand Cayman and many other places and I was hooked on figuring out the history of the invasion  where did introduced population come from in the native range and how many times have they been introduced? I sequenced lots of DNA to use as markers of the geographic sources in the native range and I applied these same techniques to several other species of anoles introduced to Florida from the islands of the Greater Antilles – Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. The DNA sequences worked like an identification card to reveal the native-range origin of lizards sampled in introduced populations.  

What do you love most about studying anoles? 

I like working with great colleagues and students on challenging research questions, traveling to interesting locations in the Caribbean and south Florida, feeling like I can answer any question in ecology and evolution with anoles, and last but not least, I love catching lizards! 

What is your favorite anole species? 

I’m not sure I could pick just one. I love Anolis allisoni with its beautiful purple, blue and green coloration, but Anolis equestris, a crown giant, is so impressive with its large size and powerful jaws. I will always remember witnessing this species come out of nowhere running down a large trunk to chomp a poor little unsuspecting brown anole for lunch. But I have the most respect for the brown anole, Anolis sagrei, this species can live almost anywhere from tiny little islands in the Bahamas to the urban core of Miami. That’s one tough lizard! 

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

The best place to learn more about my research is at our lab website – Kolbe Lab. We regularly update the lab news, personnel profiles and the scientific publications page.  

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