Robert Baker
Horn Professor and Director Emeritus, Natural Science Research Laboratory
Biological Sciences
Web Links
- Natural Science Research Laboratory (NSRL) at the Museum of Texas Tech University
- The Chornobyl Project
- Robert K. Baker
Education
- Ph.D., University of Arizona, 1967
- M.S., Oklahoma State University, 1965
- B.S., Arkansas A&M College, 1963
RESEARCH INTERESTS
The two main foci of the lab are determining the biological effects of living in the
highly polluted environment generated by the meltdown of Reactor 4 at Chornobyl and
Systematics of the American Leaf-Nosed bats, family Phyllostomidae. The lab is diverse
and uses many molecular methods including sequencing, microsatellite analysis and
fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) of chromosomes. FISH activity primarily relates
to selfish or mobile DNA. Research interests also include identifying DNA markers
to establish natal origin of individuals and identification of cultivars and populations.
Biological informatics is becoming a greater area of research activity during the
past years. All of our research efforts are museum-voucher specimen based.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
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Baker, R. J. and R. D. Bradley. 2006. Speciation in mammals and the Genetic Species Concept. Journal of Mammalogy 87(4):643-662.
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Baker, R. J. 2006. Order Chiroptera. Pp. 378-380 in the Atlas of Mammalian Chromosomes (S. J. O'Brien, J. C. Menninger, and W. G. Nash, eds.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. 760p.
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Solari, S., and R. J. Baker. 2006. Mitochondrial DNA sequence, karyotypic, and morphological variation in the Carollia castanea species complex (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) with description of a new species. Occasional Papers, Museum of Texas Tech University 254:i+1-16.
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Hoofer, S. R., and R. J. Baker. 2006. Molecular systematics of Vampyressine bats (Phyllostomidae: Stenodermatinae) with comparison of direct and indirect surveys of mitochondrial DNA variation. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 39:424-438.
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Wickliffe, J. K., Y. V. Dunina-Barkovskaya, S. P. Gaschak, B. E. Rodgers, R. K. Chesser, M. Bondarkov, and R. J. Baker. 2006. Variation in the mitochondrial DNA control region haplotypes in populations of the bank vole, Clethrionomys glareolus, living in the Chernobyl environment, Ukraine. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 25:503-508.
Department of Biological Sciences
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Address
Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Box 43131 Lubbock, TX 79409 -
Phone
806.742.2715 -
Email
biology@ttu.edu