Research Interests.My interests are quite broad and is centered around understanding the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that generate biodiversity and create biogeographic patterns. I use reptiles and amphibians as model systems to explore diverse questions in ecology and evolution. Below are some of the specific areas that I’m interested in. You can also find my updated CV here.
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Taxonomy and Systematics
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Species Diversification and
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Evolution of Colour patterns and Prey-predator interactions
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Behavioral adaptations to changing environmentsMore recently I have become interested in how species rapidly adapt to extremely fast changes in the environment. Adaptations in resonance with changes in surrounding environment is central to evolutionary success and most often behavioral adjustment are the first line of defense against rapid environmental change. Presently I’m interested in exploring how species modify their behavioral responses in urban environments and what behavioral traits allow some species to thrive in human modified habitats. On this front, I have been studying geckos of the genus Hemidactylus and Gehyra, many of which are human commensals, to understand the behavioral traits associated with colonizing and establishing urban environments. I have also started exploring behavioral responses of snakes to humans in the agricultural landscapes of India, and how such understanding can help mitigate the snakebite crisis.
E.g. Cyriac & Umesh, 2021; Cyriac et al., 2022. |
" To do science is to search for repeated patterns, not simply to accumulate facts. "
Robert MacArthur
Robert MacArthur