Robert J. Baker

 

	Director and Curator of Mammals and Genetic Resources, Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of TTU
	Horn Professor, Genome Organization, Chromosome Evolution, and Mammalogy, Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University

Ph.D., University of Arizona, 1967 M.S., Oklahoma State University, 1965 B.S., Arkansas A&M College, 1963

My research centers on genome organization and evolutionary biology and how recent advances in providing genetic data can assist in understanding mammalian evolution. Two recent papers (Bradley and Baker, 2001 and Baker et al., 2003) reflect this area of research. The Genetic Species Concept paper (Bradley and Baker, 2001) was in the top 1% of cited scientific papers of all scientific papers in 2004. The paper on Phylogeny of Phyllostomid Bats (Baker et al., 2003) was resolution of the questions I posed in my PhD dissertation of 1967. It was truly a joy to provide this level of resolution to that phylogeny. Another area of interest is chromosomal evolution with a focus on in situ hybridization. An example of this research is Baker and Wichman (1990). The laboratory also places an emphasis on identifying DNA markers to establish natal origin of populations, sex of individuals, and cultivar identifications with an ultimate goal of providing resolution and information critical to managing and understanding populations and cultivars.

Current Research:

	The Chornobyl Project

Selected Publications:

	Baker, R. J. and R. D. Bradley. 2006. Speciation in mammals and the Genetic Species Concept. Journal of Mammalogy 87(4):643-662.
	Genoways, H. H., R. J. Baker, J. W. Bickham, and C. J. Phillips. 2005. Bats of Jamaica. Special Publications of the Museum of Texas Tech University 48.
	Chesser, R.K., M. Bondarkov, R.J. Baker, J.K. Wickliffe, and B.E. Rodgers. 2004. Reconstruction of radioactive plume characteristics along Chernobyl’s Western Trace. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 71:147-157.
	Baker, R.J., S.R. Hoofer, C.A. Porter, and R.A. Van Den Bussche. 2003. Diversification among New World Leaf-Nosed Bats: an evolutionary hypothesis and classification inferred from digenomic congruence of DNA sequence. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Texas Tech University 230:i+1-32.
	Baker, R.J., L.C. Bradley, R.D. Bradley, J.W. Dragoo, M.D. Engstrom, R.S. Hoffmann, C.A. Jones, F. Reid, D.W. Rice, and C. Jones. 2003. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 2003. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Texas Tech University 229:1-22.
	Baker, R.J., M. Hamilton, and D.A. Parish. 2003. Preparations of mammalian karyotypes under field conditions. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Texas Tech University 228:i+1-8.
	Bradley, R. D., and R. J. Baker. 2001. A test of the Genetic Species Concept: cytochrome-b sequences and mammals. Journal of Mammalogy 82(4):960-973.
	Baker, R. J., C. J. Phillips, R. D. Bradley, J. M. Burns, D. Cooke, G. F. Edson, D. R. Haragan, C. Jones, R. R. Monk, J. T. Montford, D. J. Schmidly, and N. C. Parker. 1998. Bioinformatics, museums and society: integrating biological data for knowledge-based decisions. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Texas Tech University 187:i+1-4.
	Baker, R. J., and J. W. Bickham. 1986. Speciation by monobrachial centric fusions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 83:8245-8248.
	Baker, R. J., and J. W. Bickham. 1980. Karyotypic evolution in bats: Evidence of extensive and conservative chromosomal evolution in closely related taxa. Systematic Zoology 29:239-253.
	Bickham, J., and R. J. Baker. 1979. Canalization model of chromosomal evolution. Pp. 70-84 in Models and Methodologies in Evolutionary Theory. (J. H. Schwartz and H. B. Rollins, eds.). Bulletin of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History 13.
A Full List of Dr. Baker's Publications

Laboratory Associates and Students

Other Resources:

Dr. Baker's web page at the Department of Biological Sciences, TTU [offsite]

 

© Museum of Texas Tech University