Peter A. Meylan

Assistant Professor of Biology

Research Interests: Primary interest lies in the biology of amphibians and reptiles. Specific research interests include the evolutionary relationships among reptiles, especially turtles, and the biology of marine Florida's native herpetofauna.

For more on turtles, see the Turtle Phylogeny Page, which is our contribution to the University of Arizona Tree of Life Project

Email: meylanpa@eckerd.edu

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Education

• Bachelor of Science, Major in Zoology, University of Florida, 1976.
• Master of Science, Department of Zoology, University of Florida, December, 1980.
  • Thesis title: The squamate reptiles of the Inglis IA fauna (Irvingtonian: Citrus Co., Florida).
  • Major Professor: Walter Auffenberg
• Doctor of Philosophy: Department of Zoology, University of Florida, December, 1985.
  • Dissertation Title: The phylogenetic relationships of the living soft-shelled turtles (family Trionychidae)
  • Major Professor: Walter Auffenberg

Academic Positions

• Assistant Professor, Collegium of Natural Sciences, Eckerd College, May, 1993 to present.
• Visiting Assistant Professor, Collegium of Natural Sciences, Eckerd College, September 1989 to April 1993.
• Adjunct and Courtesy Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of South Florida, September 1987 to present. (member of graduate faculty since Dec. 1990)
• Carter and Thorne Fellowships in Vertebrate Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, September 1985 to August 1987.
• Research Associate, Department of Vertebrate Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, September 1987 to present.
• Research Associate, Bermuda Aquarium, November, 1992 to present.

Non-Academic Positions

• Manager of the collection of reptiles and amphibians of the Florida Museum of Natural History from August, 1974 to September, 1985.
• Marine Turtle Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission (International Union for the Conservation of Nature)
• Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission (International Union for the Conservation of Nature)
• Florida Defenders of the Environment, Scientific Advisory Board

Awards and Honors

• 1985 Oliver Austin Award, Florida State Museum, for excellence in research accomplishments while a graduate student.
• Three year NSF grant totalling $200,000, in association with  H. Bradley Shaffer and E.S. Gaffney.
• Since 1990, received approximately $215,000 in research grants in association with A.B. Meylan.

Selected Publications (for a complete listing see here)

SZELISTOWSKI, W.A. and MEYLAN, P.A. 1997. Regina alleni Predation. Herpetological Review 27:203-204.

BARNWELL, M., P.A. MEYLAN and T. WALSH 1997. The spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) in Central Florida. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 2(3):405-408.

SHAFFER, H.B., P.A. MEYLAN AND M. MCKNIGHT. 1997. Test of turtle phylogeny: molecular, morphological and combined approaches. Systematic Biology 46(2):

MEYLAN, P. A. 1996. Morphology and relationships of the early cretaceous side-necked turtle, Araripemys barretoi (Testudines:Pelomedusoides:Araripemydidae) from the Santana Formation of Brazil. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 16(1): 20-33.

MEYLAN, P. A. 1987. Phylogenetic relationships of soft-shelled turtles. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 186:1-101.

GAFFNEY, E. S. AND P. A. MEYLAN 1988. A phylogeny of turtles. pp. 157-219 In: M. J. Benton, ed., The phylogeny and classification of tetrapods. Clarendon Press, Oxford.

MEYLAN, P. A., AND E. S. GAFFNEY. 1989. The skeletal morphology of the Cretaceous turtle, Adocus, and the relation- ships among the Trionychoidea. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. Novitates. no. 2941, 60 pp.