Rhampholeon (Rhampholeon) spinosus
© 2007 Christopher V. Anderson
Lab Members
People in the Anderson Lab
Principal Investigator
Christopher V. Anderson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Biology
Chair, IUCN/SSC Chameleon Specialist Group
Ph.D., University of South Florida, 2013
B.S., Cornell University, 2006
Email: Christopher.V.Anders@usd.edu
Office: Churchill-Haines Labs 171E
Phone: +1-605-658-6705
Graduate Students
Etti O. Cooper
Ph.D. Student
B.S., Bates College, 2022
Etti is a Ph.D. student who started in the Fall 2022 semester after completing her undergraduate work at Bates
College working on thermal and metabolic biology of ants. She is currently examining intraspecific and
interspecific scaling patterns in chameleon metabolic rates, along with working on the lab's NSF CAREER
award looking at thermal adaptation in chameleon feeding among chameleons living in different thermal
environments.
Email: Etti.Cooper@coyotes.usd.edu
Office: Churchill-Haines Labs 187
Michael J. Curran
Ph.D. Student
M.S., Adelphi University, 2021
B.S., Union College, 2019
Mike is a Ph.D. student who started in the Fall 2021 semester after completing his master's work at Adelphi
University working in Andrea Ward's lab there. His dissertation research focuses on comparative chameleon
locomotor performance and kinematics.
Email: Michael.Curran01@coyotes.usd.edu
Office: Churchill-Haines Labs 181
Gene N. Glover
Ph.D. Student
B.S., Macalester College, 2023
Gene is a Ph.D. student who started in the Fall 2023 semester after completing his undergraduate work at
Macalester College where he did research in chemistry and through the School for International Training (SIT)
worked on elevational distribution and ecology variation in Brookesia tuberculata on Montagne d'Ambre in
Madagascar. His dissertation research will focus on extreme miniaturization in chameleons by examining feeding
performance in these small chameleons and niche partitioning among chameleons of different species
Email: Gene.Glover@coyotes.usd.edu
Office: Churchill-Haines Labs 186
Madison G. McIntyre
Ph.D. Student
B.S., Dickinson College, 2022
Madi is a Ph.D. student who started in the Fall 2022 semester after completing her undergraduate work at
Dickinson College working on rain harvesting behavior in prairie rattlesnakes. She is currently examining
aporative water loss among chameleons living in different environments, along with working on the lab's NSF
CAREER award looking at thermal adaptation in chameleon feeding among chameleons living in different
thermal environments.
Email: Madison.McIntyre@coyotes.usd.edu
Office: Churchill-Haines Labs 187
Nikole G. Schneider
Ph.D. Student
B.S., Clemson University, 2020
Rachel is a Ph.D. student who started in the Fall 2020 semester after completing her undergraduate work at
Clemson University working in Richard Blob's lab there. Her dissertation research focuses on comparing the
kinematics and motor control of chameleons feeding on typical and less mobile prey items. She has also worked
in the lab on muscle physiology in chameleon tongues.
Email: Nikole.Schneider@coyotes.usd.edu
Office: Churchill-Haines Labs 181
Future Positions
While I am always interested in recruiting talented graduate students (M.S. & Ph.D.) to work in my lab, I am currently a low priority
within our department to receive another graduate student position in the near future. I encourage interested individuals to get in touch,
however, if you might be interested in joining the lab in the future or should another funded position become available.
Undergraduate Students
Anna Anderson
Anna is in the accelerated MS student in Biology simultaneously completing her undergraduate degree majoring
in Conservation Biology major with a minor in Chemistry. After graduating, she plans to work in wetland
restoration and conservation. She is currently working in the Anderson lab on the ab's NSF CAREER award
looking at thermal adaptation in chameleon feeding among chameleons living in different thermal environments.
Email: Anna.C.Anderson@coyotes.usd.edu
Megan Brady
Megan is a Biology major with a minor in Interdisciplinary Sciences. She is currently working in the Anderson
Lab on the lab's NSF CAREER award looking at thermal adaptation in chameleon feeding among chameleons
living in different thermal environments.
Email: Megan.Brady@coyotes.usd.edu
Keileen Boom
Keileen is a Physiology, Cell and Molecular Biology major with a minor in Interdisciplinary Sciences. After
graduating, she hopes to continue on with biology related research. She is currently working in the Anderson
Lab on the lab's "Scan All TheChameleons" project working with microCT scans of chameleons, specifically
focusing on the sternum.
Email: Keileen.Boom@coyotes.usd.edu
Delaney Dinger
Delaney is a Biology: Human Dynamics major with a minor in Chemistry. She plans on attending PT school to
become a physical therapist and is currently working in the Anderson Lab on the lab's NSF CAREER award
looking at thermal adaptation in chameleon feeding among chameleons living in different thermal environments.
Email: Delaney.Dinger@coyotes.usd.edu
Maria Evans
Maria is a Biology: Human Dynamics major with a minor in Interdisciplinary Sciences. She is currently working
in the Anderson Lab on the lab's NSF CAREER award looking at thermal adaptation in chameleon feeding
among chameleons living in different thermal environments.
Email: Maria.Evans@coyotes.usd.edu
Cydney Even
Cydney is a Biology major with a concentration in Physiology, Cell and Molecular Biology. She plans on
attending dental school and is currently working in the Anderson Lab on the lab's "Scan All The Chameleons"
project working with microCT scans of chameleons, specifically focusing on the pectoral girdle. She previously
worked in the lab on performance in Anolis lizards.
Email: Cydney.Even@coyotes.usd.edu
Jasmin Geike
Jasmin is a Medical Biology major with a minor in Interdisciplinary Sciences. She plans on attending
medical school and is currently working in the Anderson Lab on the lab's "Scan All The Chameleons" project
working with microCT scans of chameleons, specifically focusing on the scleral ossicles.
Email: Jasmin.Geike@coyotes.usd.edu
Lincoln Small
Lincoln is a Medical Biology major at USD. Ge plans on attending medical school and is currently working in
the Anderson Lab on chameleon locomotion.
Email: Lincoln.Small@coyotes.usd.edu
Positions Available!
I am currently seeking a number of undergraduate students to work on various projects in my lab.
Please visit our Join the Lab page and contact me if interested!
Anderson Lab Alumni
Graduate Students
Rachel Drown, M.S. Student; Rachel was a M.S. student who graduated in 2020. She was interested in the behavioral ecology of chameleons (family Chamaeleonidae) and examined the functional basis for variation in antipredatory behavior decisions in Chamaeleo calyptratus through ontogeny and in different environment types. She is currently working at Zoo Knoxville.
Visiting Graduate Students
Martin Etave, M2 Internship (M.S. Student from Sorbonne Université); Martin is a Master's student from Sorbonne Université in France. As part of his program, he is visiting the Anderson Lab for a 6-month internship (02/22-08/22), during which time he will be using our chameleon µCT scan dataset to expand a morphological character matrix and evaluate its capacity to accurately assign taxonomic positions.
Samuel Tegge, Visiting M.S. Student (from Western Kentucky University); Samuel was a Master's student from Western Kentucky University who visited the Anderson Lab twice (05/17-01/18) to collect data on hyoid muscles associated with biotremor production in chameleons as part of a KY NSF EPSCoR grant.
Undergraduate Students
Alex Bergeson, Honor's Thesis; Alex was a Medical Biology major with minors in Chemistry and Psychology who graduated in 2022. He worked in the Anderson Lab on the connection between muscle physiology and sprint performance in Anolis lizards. After graduating, Alex went on to attend medical school at USD.
Lucas Crownover; Lucas was a Medical Biology major who graduated in 2020. He worked in the Anderson Lab on the comparative functional and evolutionary morphology of the chameleon axial skeleton using microCT scans from the lab's "Scan All The Chameleons" project. After graduating he went on to attend nursing school.
Levi Foss; Levi worked in the Anderson Lab until 2017 on the connection between muscle physiology and whole organism performance in Anolis lizards. He went on to pursue his BS at SDSU.
Gunnar Gunderson; Gunner worked in the Anderson Lab until 2023 on the environmental effects of temperature on feeding performance in chameleons. He went on to pursue his BS at SDSU.
Mackenzie Gustafson; Mackenzie was a Medical Biology and Chemistry major who graduated in 2019. She worked in the Anderson Lab on the connection jump performance in Anolis lizards. She is currently applying to medical school.
Marisa Helm; Marisa was a Medical Biology major with minors in Chemistry and Public Health who graduated in 2018. She worked in the Anderson Lab on the connection between muscle physiology and whole organism performance in Anolis lizards. After graduating she went on to persue a MS student in Basic Biomedical Sciences at USD.
Nicholas Henchal; Nick was a Biology major with a concentration in Physiology, Cell and Molecular Biology who graduated in 2022. He worked in the Anderson Lab on muscle contractile physiology in Anolis lizards and chameleon tongues, focusing mostly on supercontracting muscle in chameleons.
Dakota John, Honor's Thesis; Ellie was a Medical Biology major at USD who graduated in 2023. She worked in the Anderson Lab on the lab's "Scan All The Chameleons" project working with microCT scans of chameleons, specifically focusing on the pelvic girdle.
Nicholas Kramer; Nick was a Medical Biology Major who graduated in 2020. He worked in the Anderson Lab on the connection between muscle physiology and whole organism performance in Anolis lizards. After graduating he went on to attend medical school at USD.
Alexa Kruse, Honor's Thesis; Alexa was a Biology and Sustainability major who graduated in 2018. She worked in the Anderson Lab on her honor's thesis, studying retinal topography through the lifestages of the Plains Spadefoot Toad, Spea bombifrons. After graduating she went on to work in New Zealand.
Mary Lane; Mary was a dual Mathematics and Biology major with a concentration in Conservation and Biodiversity. She worked in the Anderson Lab on the lab's "Scan All The Chameleons" project working with microCT scans of chameleons.
Parker Piorkowski; Parker was a Medical Biology Major with a minor in Psychology who graduated in 2021. He worked in the Anderson Lab on the connection between muscle physiology and whole organism performance in Anolis lizards. After graduating he went on to attend medical school at USD.
Patrick Reiter, Honor's Thesis; Patrick was a Medical Biology major with minors in Chemistry and Psychology who graduated in 2019. He worked in the Anderson Lab on his honor's thesis, studying differences in the morphology, muscle contractile physiology, and whole organism performance in Anolis roquet from Martinique. He is currently applying for medical shool.
Ellie Schley, Honor's Thesis; Ellie was a Medical Biology major at USD who graduated in 2023. She worked in the Anderson Lab on the lab's "Scan All The Chameleons" project working with microCT scans of chameleons, specifically focusing on the forelimb and wrist variation. After graduating she went on to attend medical school at the University of Iowa.
Alexis Slack, Honor's Thesis; Alexis was a dual Medical Biology and Neuroscience major at USD who graduated in 2023. She worked in the Anderson Lab with micro-CT scans, specifically focusing on making 3D skull puzzles from them for education purposes. After graduating she went on to graduate school for a Ph.D. at the University of Florida.
Hannah Tysdal; Hannah was a Medical Biology major at USD who graduated in 2022. She worked in the Anderson Lab on the lab's "Scan All The Chameleons" project working with microCT scans of chameleons, specifically focusing on the scleral ossicles.
Anna Van Holland; Anna was a Medical Biology Major who worked in the lab in 2021. She worked in the Anderson Lab on the connection between muscle physiology and whole organism performance in Anolis lizards. She went on to persue a degree in English.
Brady Woldt; Brady was a Medical Biology Major with minors in Psychology and Chemistry who graduated in 2021. He worked in the Anderson Lab on the connection between muscle physiology and whole organism performance in Anolis lizards. He is currently applying for dental school.
