Rene Martin

Rene Martin

  • Contact Information
  • My Story
  • Publications
  • Background
  • Interests
  • Advising

Contact Information

TitleFish Biologist
Faculty RankAssistant Professor
Address416 South Hardin Hall
3310 Holdrege Street
Lincoln NE
68583–0984

East Campus
Phone
  • office: 402-413-9595
E-mailrmartin52@unl.edu
VitaeDownload file

 

My Story

I am an Assistant Professor in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. I earned my B.S. and M.S. in Ecology and Field Biology from St. Cloud State University (MN) and my Ph.D. from the University of Kansas (KS). Although my B.S. and freshwater fieldwork experience lies in the realm of natural resources and fisheries, my graduate work focused on studying the evolution and diversification of deep-sea fishes.

My past and current research focuses on answering questions pertaining to the evolution of lanternfishes (Myctophidae) and other deep-sea fish lineages. Lanternfishes are an extremely abundant and bioluminescent pelagic fish group. They eat large amounts of zooplankton and are prey for a variety of organisms, playing a major role in oceanic ecosystems. Lanternfishes, along with being abundant, are highly diverse for a pelagic fish lineage. My work includes creating phylogenetic hypotheses of genus-level relationships within Myctophidae using various types of data (e.g. ultraconserved elements, gene sequences, morphological characters), and using them as frameworks to investigate evolutionary questions related to lanternfish evolution and diversification. I am also interested in habitat transitions within closely related (order and family level) fishes and exploring the resulting morphological changes within a phylogenetic context.

Some of my current research is focused on describing the anatomy and morphology of photophores and light organs in multiple groups of bioluminescent fishes, including the lanternfishes, ponyfishes, and tubeshoulders. Incoming lab research will also focus on invasive Silver Carp reproductive ecology.

Feature Stories

Selected Publications

Carr, E. M., Martin, R. P., and Sparks, J. S. (2024) A New Extinct Species of Malagodon (Cyprinodontiformes: Pantanodontidae) from Southeastern Coastal Madagascar, with a Discussion of its Phylogenetic Relationships and a Redescription of the Genus. American Museum Novitates. 2024, 1–16.Online
DeRaad, D. A., Files, A. N., DeCicco, L. H., Martin, R. P., Holland, P., Pikacha, D. Jr., Tigulu, I. G., Boseto, D., Lavery, T. H., Andersen, M. J., and Moyle, R. G. (2024). Genomic patterns in the dwarf kingfishers (genus Ceyx) of northern Melanesia reveal a clear mechanistic framework explaining the paradox of the great speciators. Evolution Letters, qrae035Online
Martin, R. P. and Smith, W. L. (2024). First evidence of sexual dimorphism in olfactory organs of deep-sea lanternfishes (Myctophidae). PeerJ, 12:e17075 Online
Martin, R. P., Lopez Carranza, N., LaVine, R. J., and Lieberman, B. S. (2023). Morphological evolution during the last hurrah of the trilobites: Morphometric analysis of the Devonian asteropyginid trilobites. Paleobiology, 49, 296–312. Online
Girard, M. G., Davis, M. P., Baldwin, C. C., Martin, R. P., and Smith, W. L. (2022). Molecular phylogeny of the threadfin fishes (Polynemidae) using ultraconserved elements. Journal of Fish Biology, 100, 793–810. Online
Martin, R. P., Davis, M. P., and Smith, W. L. (2022). The impact of evolutionary trade-offs among bioluminescent organs and body shape in the deep sea: A case study on lanternfishes. Deep-sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research, 184, 103769. Online
Martin, R. P., Dias, A., Summers, A. P., and Gerringer, M. E. (2022). Bone density variation in rattails (Macrouridae, Gadiformes): Buoyancy, Depth, Body Size, and Feeding. Integrative and Organismal Biology, 4, obac044. Online
Smith, W. L., Ghedotti, M. J., Domínguez-Domínguez, O., McMahan, C. D., Espinoza, E., Martin, R. P., Girard, M. G., and Davis, M. P. (2022). Investigations into the ancestry of the Grape-eye Seabass (Hemilutjanus macrophthalmos) reveal novel limits and relationships for the Acropomatiformes (Teleostei: Percomorpha). Neotropical Ichthyology, 20, 03. Online
Maile, A. J., May, Z. A., DeArmon, E. S., Martin, R. P., and Davis, M. P. (2020). Marine habitat transitions and body-shape evolution in lizardfishes and their allies (Aulopiformes). Copeia, 108, 820–832. 2020 Best Student Paper in Ichthyology, American Society of Ichthyology and Herpetology. Online
Martin, R. P.,and Davis, M. P. (2020). The evolution of specialized dentition in the deep-sea lanternfishes (Myctophiformes). Journal of Morphology. 281, 536–555. Online
Martin, R. P., Olson, E. E., Girard, M. G., Smith, W. L., and Davis, M. P. (2018) Light in the darkness: New perspective on lanternfish relationships and classification using genomic and morphological data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 121, 71–85.Online
Smith, W. L., Buck, C. A., Ornay, G. S., Davis, M. P., Martin, R. P., Gibson, S. Z., & Girard, M. G. (2018) Improving vertebrate skeleton images: Fluorescence and the non-permanent mounting of cleared-and-stained specimens. Copeia. 106, 427–435. Online
Martin, R. P. and Davis, M. P. (2016) Patterns of phenotypic variation in the mouth size of 
lanternfishes (Teleostei: Myctophiformes). Copeia. 104, 795–807. Online

Background

Education

DegreeMajorInstitutionYear Awarded
Doctorate of PhilosophyEvoluntionary BiologyUniversity of Kansas2022
Master of ScienceBiological SciencesSt. Cloud State University2017
Bachelor of ScienceEcology and Field BiologySt. Cloud State University2014

 

Websites

 

SNR Program Areas

  • Applied Ecology

Areas of Interest/Expertise

  • Systematics and Phylogenetics
  • Deep Sea Fish
  • Macroevolution
  • Invasive Species Ecology

Advising

Graduate Programs

Master of Applied Science

Master of Science in Natural Resource Sciences
including specializations in

  • Applied Ecology

Doctorate of Philosophy in Natural Resource Sciences
including specializations in

  • Applied Ecology