HR job title
- Associate Professor
- Contact Info
- 1 979 458 4357
- Websites
- ORCiD
- 0000-0001-6462-3045
Light, Jessica Associate Professor
Positions
- Associate Professor, Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Research Areas
- Overview
- Publications
- Research
- Teaching
- Works By Students
- Background
- Contact
- Other
- View All
Overview
Publications
selected publications
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academic article
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Light, J. E., Keane, A. S., & Evans, J. W.
(2021).
Updating the distribution of American black bears (Ursus americanus) in Texas using community science, state agencies, and natural history collections. WESTERN NORTH AMERICAN NATURALIST.
81(3), 396-406.
-
Pistone, J. P., Light, J. E., Campbell, T. A., Catanach, T. A., & Voelker, G.
(2021).
Restricted Geographic Sampling Yields Low Parasitism Rates but Surprisingly Diverse Host Associations in Avian Lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) from South Texas. Diversity.
13(9), 430-430.
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Zecca, I. B., Hodo, C. L., Swarts, H. M., DeMaar, T. W., Snowden, K. F., Prestridge, H. L., Light, J. E., & Hamer, S. A.
(2021).
Trypanosoma cruzi and Incidental Sarcocystis spp. in Endangered Ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) of South Texas, USA. J Wildl Dis.
57(3), 667-671.
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Hollingsworth, K. A., Shively, R. D., Glasscock, S. N., Light, J. E., Tolleson, D. R., & Barboza, P. S.
(2021).
Trace mineral supplies for populations of little and large herbivores. PLoS One.
16(3), e0248204-e0248204.
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Hinde, K., Amorim, C., Brokaw, A. F., Burt, N., Casillas, M. C., Chen, A., ... Anderson, C. N.
(2021).
March Mammal Madness and the power of narrative in science outreach. Elife.
10, e65066.
-
Siciliano-Martina, L., Light, J. E., & Lawing, A. M.
(2021).
Cranial morphology of captive mammals: a meta-analysis. Front Zool.
18(1), 4.
-
Miller, S. E., Barrow, L. N., Ehlman, S. M., Goodheart, J. A., Greiman, S. E., Lutz, H. L., ... Light, J. E.
(2020).
Building Natural History Collections for the Twenty-First Century and Beyond. BIOSCIENCE.
70(8), 674-687.
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Kjeldgaard, M. K., Takano, O. M., Bockoven, A. A., Teel, P. D., Light, J. E., Hamer, S. A., Hamer, G. L., & Eubanks, M. D.
(2020).
Red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) aggression influences the behavior of three hard tick species. EXPERIMENTAL AND APPLIED ACAROLOGY.
79(1), 87-97.
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Cook, J. A., & Light, J. E.
(2019).
The emerging role of mammal collections in 21st century mammalogy. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY.
100(3), 733-750.
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Light, J. E., Eckerlin, R. P., & Durden, L. A.
(2019).
Checklist of ectoparasites of Canidae and Felidae in Mxico. Therya.
10(2), 109-119.
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Takano, O. M., Voelker, G., Gustafsson, D. R., & Light, J. E.
(2019).
Molecular phylogeny and novel host associations of avian chewing lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) from South Africa. Systematic Entomology.
44(2), 289-304.
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Benedict, B. D., Castellanos, A. A., & Light, J. E.
(2019).
Phylogeographic assessment of the Heermanns kangaroo rat (Dipodomys heermanni). JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY.
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Neiswenter, S. A., Hafner, D. J., Light, J. E., Cepeda, G. D., Kinzer, K. C., Alexander, L. F., & Riddle, B. R.
(2019).
Phylogeography and taxonomic revision of Nelsons pocket mouse (Chaetodipus nelsoni). JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY.
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Hancock, Z. B., Hardin, F. O., & Light, J. E.
(2019).
Phylogeography of sandburrowing amphipods (Haustoriidae) supports an ancient suture zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Journal of Biogeography.
2532-2547.
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Hodo, C. L., Mauldin, M. R., Light, J. E., Wilkins, K., Tang, S., Nakazawa, Y., ... Hamer, S. A.
(2018).
Novel Poxvirus in Proliferative Lesions of Wild Rodents in East Central Texas, USA. Emerging Infectious Diseases.
24(6), 1069-1072.
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Light, J. E., Harper, S. E., Johnson, K. P., Demastes, J. W., & Spradling, T. A.
(2018).
Development and Characterization of 12 Novel Polymorphic Microsatellite Loci for the Mammal Chewing Louse Geomydoecus aurei (Insecta: Phthiraptera) and a Comparison of Next-Generation Sequencing Approaches for Use in Parasitology. Journal of Parasitology.
104(1), 89-95.
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Arcangeli, J., Light, J. E., & Cervantes, F. A.
(2018).
Molecular and morphological evidence of the diversification in the gray mouse opossum, Tlacuatzin canescens (Didelphimorphia), with description of a new species. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY.
99(1), 138-158.
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Anderson, A. P., Light, J. E., Takano, O. M., & Morrison, M. L.
(2018).
Population structure of the Townsends big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii townsendii) in California. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY.
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Takano, O. M., Mitchell, P. S., Gustafsson, D. R., Adite, A., Voelker, G., & Light, J. E.
(2017).
An Assessment of Host Associations, Geographic Distributions, and Genetic Diversity of Avian Chewing Lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) from Benin. Journal of Parasitology.
103(2), 152-160.
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Cook, J. A., Greiman, S. E., Agosta, S. J., Anderson, R. P., Arbogast, B. S., Baker, R. J., ... Hoberg, E. P.
(2016).
Transformational Principles for NEON Sampling of Mammalian Parasites and Pathogens: A Response to Springer and Colleagues. BIOSCIENCE.
66(11), 917-919.
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Castellanos, A. A., Medeiros, M., Hamer, G. L., Morrow, M. E., Eubanks, M. D., Teel, P. D., Hamer, S. A., & Light, J. E.
(2016).
Decreased small mammal and on-host tick abundance in association with invasive red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta). Biology Letters.
12(9), 20160463-20160463.
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Light, J. E., Nessner, C. E., Gustafsson, D. R., Wise, S. R., & Voelker, G.
(2016).
Remarkable levels of avian louse (Insecta: Phthiraptera) diversity in the Congo Basin. Zoologica Scripta.
45(5), 538-551.
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Allen, J. M., Burleigh, J. G., Light, J. E., & Reed, D. L.
(2016).
Effects of 16S rDNA sampling on estimates of the number of endosymbiont lineages in sucking lice. PeerJ.
4(7), e2187-e2187.
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Rodriguez, J. E., Hamer, S. A., Castellanos, A. A., & Light, J. E.
(2015).
Survey of a Rodent and Tick Community in East-Central Texas. Southeastern Naturalist.
14(3), 415-424.
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Nessner, C. E., Andersen, J. J., Renshaw, M. A., Giresi, M. M., & Light, J. E.
(2014).
Characterization of 17 novel polymorphic microsatellite loci in the mammal chewing louse Geomydoecus ewingi (Insecta: Phthiraptera) for population genetic analyses. Journal of Parasitology.
100(6), 873-877.
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Welborn, S. R., & Light, J. E.
(2014).
Population Genetic Structure of the Baird'S Pocket Gopher,Geomys breviceps, in Eastern Texas. WESTERN NORTH AMERICAN NATURALIST.
74(3), 325-334.
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Andersen, J. J., Portnoy, D. S., Hafner, J. C., & Light, J. E.
(2013).
Populations at risk: conservation genetics of kangaroo mice (Microdipodops) of the Great Basin Desert. Ecology and Evolution.
3(8), 2497-2513.
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Light, J. E., Hafner, J. C., Upham, N. S., & Reddington, E.
(2013).
Conservation Genetics of Kangaroo Mice, Genus Microdipodops. Journal of Mammalian Evolution.
20(2), 129-146.
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Voelker, G., Marks, B. D., Kahindo, C., A'genonga, U., Bapeamoni, F., Duffie, L. E., ... Light, J. E.
(2013).
River barriers and cryptic biodiversity in an evolutionary museum. Ecology and Evolution.
3(3), 536-545.
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Andersen, J. J., Renshaw, M. A., & Light, J. E.
(2012).
Eight novel polymorphic microsatellites in the hispid pocket mouse (Chaetodipus hispidus) and cross-amplification in other Perognathinae species (Rodentia: Heteromyidae). Conservation Genetics Resources.
4(4), 1019-1021.
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Andersen, J. J., & Light, J. E.
(2012).
Phylogeography and subspecies revision of the hispid pocket mouse,Chaetodipus hispidus(Rodentia: Heteromyidae). JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY.
93(4), 1195-1215.
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Welborn, S. R., Renshaw, M. A., & Light, J. E.
(2012).
Characterization of 10 polymorphic loci in the Bairds pocket gopher (Geomys breviceps) and cross-amplification in other gopher species. Conservation Genetics Resources.
4(2), 467-469.
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Demastes, J. W., Spradling, T. A., Hafner, M. S., Spies, G. R., Hafner, D. J., & Light, J. E.
(2012).
Cophylogeny on a fine scale: Geomydoecus chewing lice and their pocket gopher hosts, Pappogeomys bulleri. Journal of Parasitology.
98(2), 262-270.
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Smith, V. S., Ford, T., Johnson, K. P., Johnson, P., Yoshizawa, K., & Light, J. E.
(2011).
Multiple lineages of lice pass through the K-Pg boundary. Biology Letters.
7(5), 782-785.
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Voelker, G., & Light, J. E.
(2011).
Palaeoclimatic events, dispersal and migratory losses along the Afro-European axis as drivers of biogeographic distribution in Sylvia warblers. BMC Evolutionary Biology.
11(1), 163.
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Toups, M. A., Kitchen, A., Light, J. E., & Reed, D. L.
(2011).
Origin of clothing lice indicates early clothing use by anatomically modern humans in Africa. Mol Biol Evol.
28(1), 29-32.
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Lance, S. L., Light, J. E., Jones, K. L., Hagen, C., & Hafner, J. C.
(2010).
Isolation and characterization of 17 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the kangaroo mouse, genus Microdipodops (Rodentia: Heteromyidae). Conservation Genetics Resources.
2(1), 139-141.
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Light, J. E., Smith, V. S., Allen, J. M., Durden, L. A., & Reed, D. L.
(2010).
Evolutionary history of mammalian sucking lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura). BMC Evol Biol.
10(1), 292-292.
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Musser, G. G., Durden, L. A., Holden, M. E., & Light, J. E.
(2010).
Systematic Review of Endemic Sulawesi Squirrels (Rodentia, Sciuridae), with Descriptions of New Species of Associated Sucking Lice (Insecta, Anoplura), and Phylogenetic and Zoogeographic Assessments of Sciurid Lice. American Museum of Natural History Bulletin.
339(339), 1-260.
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Musser, G. G., Durden, L. A., Holden, M. E., & Light, J. E.
(2010).
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF ENDEMIC SULAWESI SQUIRRELS (RODENTIA, SCIURIDAE), WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES OF ASSOCIATED SUCKING LICE (INSECTA, ANOPLURA), AND PHYLOGENETTC AND ZOOGEOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENTS OF SCIURID LICE. American Museum of Natural History Bulletin.
4-260.
-
Allen, J. M., Light, J. E., Perotti, M. A., Braig, H. R., & Reed, D. L.
(2009).
Mutational meltdown in primary endosymbionts: selection limits Muller's ratchet. PLoS One.
4(3), e4969-e4969.
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Hafner, M. S., Hafner, D. J., Demastes, J. W., Hasty, G. L., Light, J. E., & Spradling, T. A.
(2009).
Evolutionary Relationships of Pocket Gophers of the Genus Pappogeomys (Rodentia: Geomyidae). JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY.
90(1), 47-56.
-
Light, J. E., & Reed, D. L.
(2009).
Multigene analysis of phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of primate sucking lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura). Mol Phylogenet Evol.
50(2), 376-390.
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Light, J. E., Allen, J. M., Long, L. M., Carter, T. E., Barrow, L., Suren, G., Raoult, D., & Reed, D. L.
(2008).
Geographic distributions and origins of human head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) based on mitochondrial data. Journal of Parasitology.
94(6), 1275-1281.
-
SMITH, V. S., LIGHT, J. E., & DURDEN, L. A.
(2008).
Rodent louse diversity, phylogeny, and cospeciation in the Manu Biosphere Reserve, Peru. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society.
95(3), 598-610.
-
Light, J. E., & Hafner, M. S.
(2008).
Codivergence in heteromyid rodents (Rodentia: heteromyidae) and their sucking lice of the genus Fahrenholzia (Phthiraptera: anoplura). Systematic Biology.
57(3), 449-465.
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Light, J. E., Toups, M. A., & Reed, D. L.
(2008).
What's in a name: the taxonomic status of human head and body lice. Mol Phylogenet Evol.
47(3), 1203-1216.
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Raoult, D., Reed, D. L., Dittmar, K., Kirchman, J. J., Rolain, J., Guillen, S., & Light, J. E.
(2008).
Molecular identification of lice from pre-Columbian mummies. J Infect Dis.
197(4), 535-543.
-
Light, J. E., & Hafner, M. S.
(2007).
Cophylogeny and disparate rates of evolution in sympatric lineages of chewing lice on pocket gophers. Mol Phylogenet Evol.
45(3), 997-1013.
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Reed, D. L., Light, J. E., Allen, J. M., & Kirchman, J. J.
(2007).
Pair of lice lost or parasites regained: the evolutionary history of anthropoid primate lice. BMC Biol.
5(1), 7.
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Hafner, J. C., Light, J. E., Hafner, D. J., Hafner, M. S., Reddington, E., Rogers, D. S., & Riddle, B. R.
(2007).
Basal Clades and Molecular Systematics of Heteromyid Rodents. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY.
88(5), 1129-1145.
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LIGHT, J. E., & HAFNER, M. S.
(2007).
Phylogenetics and host associations of Fahrenholzia sucking lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura). Systematic Entomology.
32(2), 359-370.
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Hafner, M. S., Light, J. E., Hafner, D. J., Brant, S. V., Spradling, T. A., & Demastes, J. W.
(2005).
CRYPTIC SPECIES IN THE MEXICAN POCKET GOPHER CRATOGEOMYS MERRIAMI. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY.
86(6), 1095-1108.
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Burreson, E. M., Light, J. E., & Williams, J. I.
(2005).
Redescription of Cystobranchus virginicus Hoffman, 1964, and Cystobranchus salmositicus (Meyer, 1946) (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) from Freshwater Fishes in North America. COMPARATIVE PARASITOLOGY.
72(2), 157-165.
-
Light, J. E., Fiumera, A. C., & Porter, B. A.
(2005).
Egg-feeding in the freshwater piscicolid leech Cystobranchus virginicus (Annelida, Hirudinea). Invertebrate Biology.
124(1), 50-56.
-
Hafner, M. S., Spradling, T. A., Light, J. E., Hafner, D. J., & Demboski, J. R.
(2004).
SYSTEMATIC REVISION OF POCKET GOPHERS OF THE CRATOGEOMYS GYMNURUS SPECIES GROUP. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY.
85(6), 1170-1183.
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Demastes, J. W., Butt, A. L., Hafner, M. S., & Light, J. E.
(2003).
SYSTEMATICS OF A RARE SPECIES OF POCKET GOPHER, PAPPOGEOMYS ALCORNI. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY.
84(2), 753-761.
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Light, J. E., & Siddall, M. E.
(1999).
Phylogeny of the leech family Glossiphoniidae based on mitochondrial gene sequences and morphological data. Journal of Parasitology.
85(5), 815-823.
-
Light, J. E., Keane, A. S., & Evans, J. W.
(2021).
Updating the distribution of American black bears (Ursus americanus) in Texas using community science, state agencies, and natural history collections. WESTERN NORTH AMERICAN NATURALIST.
81(3), 396-406.
-
chapter
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Allen, J. M., Worman, C. O., Light, J. E., & Reed, D. L.
(2013).
Parasitic Lice Help to Fill in the Gaps of Early Hominid History. Primates, Pathogens, and Evolution.
(pp. 161-186).
Springer New York.
-
Allen, J. M., Worman, C. O., Light, J. E., & Reed, D. L.
(2013).
Parasitic Lice Help to Fill in the Gaps of Early Hominid History. Primates, Pathogens, and Evolution.
(pp. 161-186).
Springer New York.
-
conference paper
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Connors, P. K., Light, J. E., Tanis, B. P., Drew, J. A., Anderson, C. N., & Hinde, K.
(2019).
March Mammal Madness: a Story about Science and Social Media. American zoologist.
E42-E42.
-
Kitchen, A., Toups, M. A., Light, J. E., & Reed, D. L.
(2010).
Genetic analysis of human head and clothing lice indicates an early origin of clothing use in archaic hominins. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY.
143-144.
-
Connors, P. K., Light, J. E., Tanis, B. P., Drew, J. A., Anderson, C. N., & Hinde, K.
(2019).
March Mammal Madness: a Story about Science and Social Media. American zoologist.
E42-E42.
Research
principal investigator on
- OPUS: MCS: Using modern methods with historical museum specimens to elucidate the evolution of a widespread, ecologically important rodent species awarded by Directorate for Biological Sciences - (Arlington, Virginia, United States) 2020 - 2022
- Collaborative Research: Digitization TCN: Digitizing collections to trace parasite-host associations and predict the spread of vector-borne disease awarded by National Science Foundation - (Arlington, Virginia, United States) 2019 - 2022
- Evolutionary Insights from Host-Parasite Interactions: Systematics, Population Genetics, and Coevolution awarded by United States Department of Agriculture - (Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States) 2014 - 2019
Teaching
teaching activities
- BICH491 Hnr-research Instructor
- ESSM484 Internship Instructor
- ESSM491 Hnr-research Instructor
- ESSM681 Seminar Instructor
- WFSC401 General Mammalogy Instructor
- WFSC484 Internship Instructor
- WFSC485 Directed Studies Instructor
- WFSC491 Research Instructor
- WFSC681 Seminar Instructor
- WFSC685 Directed Studies Instructor
- WFSC691 Research Instructor
Works By Students
chaired theses and dissertations
-
Andersen, John (2012-05). Population Genetics of Kangaroo Mice, Microdipodops (Rodentia: Heteromyidae).
-
Downs, Bridgett Benedict (2018-08). Phylogeographic Assessment of the Heermann's Kangaroo Rat.
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Downs, Bridgett Benedict (2018-08). Phylogeographic Assessment of the Heermann's Kangaroo Rat.
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Galan, Aleyda Patricia (2016-12). Baseline Biodiversity Assessment of Small Mammals, Ticks, and Tick-borne Pathogens in South Texas.
-
Nessner, Caitlin Elizabeth (2014-05). Population Genetic Study of the Chewing Louse Geomydoecus ewingi.
-
Rodriguez Jr., Jaime Eleazar (2014-08). Ecology of a Rodent-Tick-Pathogen Community in East-Central Texas.
-
Takano, Oona Mariko (2016-12). Host Associations, Phylogenetics, and Biogeography of Parasitic Avian Chewing Lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) from Sub-Saharan Africa.
-
Welborn, Sarah (2012-08). Population Genetic Analyses of the Baird's Pocket Gopher, Geomys breviceps.
Background
education and training
- Ph.D. in Zoology, Louisiana State University - (Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States) 2005
awards and honors
Contact
first name
- Jessica
has last name
- Light
mailing address
-
Texas A&M University
Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences
2258 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-2258
USA
Other
- jlight2@tamu.edu