Ashley P.G. Dowling

Research Associate
Department of Entomology
University of Kentucky
S-225 Agricultural Science Center North
Lexington, KY 40546-0091

Lab phone: (859)257-3169
Cell: (859)619-4393
Fax: (859)323-1120
Email: ashley.dowling@uky.edu

Professional Preparation:

University of Michigan , PhD, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Ann Arbor , Michigan , 1998-2005.
Ohio State University , Summer Acarology Program, Columbus , Ohio , 2000
University of Arizona , BS, magna cum , Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tucson, Arizona, 1993-97

Appointments:

Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, 2005-present

Teaching Experience:

Instructor, Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
ENT 684: Phylogenetic Systematics, Spring term, 2006

Graduate Student Instructor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI
EEB 341: Parasitology, Winter term, 2002
BIO 288: Animal Diversity, Fall term, 2000
EEB 301: Writing for Biologists, Winter term 2000
EEB 451: Mammalogy, Fall term, 1999
BIO 162: Introductory Biology, Fall term 1998, Winter term 1999, and Spring term 1999

Research Interests:

My research is primarily concerned with the use of molecular systematics to study biogeography, coevolution, and the evolution of parasitism between arthropods and associated organisms. I am currently focusing on an ecologically and evolutionarily diverse group of mites in the superfamily Dermanyssoidea. Primitive members of this group are found as free-living predators in numerous habitats and the remaining members are found as nest nidicoles, facultative and obligate ectoparasites, and auditory and respiratory endoparasites. The group presents a unique opportunity to study the transition from predator to parasite because so many intermediate forms are still extant. My postdoctoral research is focused on parasitic Hymenoptera, specifically elucidating the phylogeny of all Hyemenoptera and the Ichneumonoidea using molecular data. I am also interested in theoretical aspects of systematics, specifically the effect that poor gene choice, nucleotide site saturation, and missing data have on phylogenetic analysis. These questions are addressed through computer simulations and randomized datasets. My research direction is also starting to turn towards genome evolution and organization. It is becoming clear that mites have had a lot going on in their genomes over time, from massive gene rearrangements to duplications and losses of large chunks of DNA. Currently both the largest and smallest known arthropod genomes are found within Acari (Boophilus microplus and Tetranychus urticae, respectively). Of the mitochondrial genomes looked at thus far, major rearrangements have occurred at all levels across mites, whereas this gene order has been relatively conserved among other arthropods. This extreme activity at the genome level may account for the adaptability and amazing diversity of this mega-diverse group of arachnids and I feel it is important to start exploring genomes of other mites to really start learning about the plasticity of their genome.

Awards and Fellowships:

Peter Olaus Okkelberg Award – Apr 2001, 2004
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Block Grant – Apr 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003
Chase S. and Stella Osborn Research Fellowship – Apr 2001
Museum of Zoology Hinsdale Walker Scholarships – May 2001
Johnston Fund at Ohio State University – May 2000
ASA travel grants for outstanding abstract – Dec 1999

International Field Research experience:

May 27-July 7, 2004; June 1-July 3, 2005 – Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica .

Collection of internal and external parasites from vertebrate hosts in conjunction with the “Inventory of Eukaryotic Parasites of Vertebrates of the Area de Conservación Guanacaste” led by Daniel Brooks from the University of Toronto
Mist netting for bats, live trapping for rodents and other small mammals

Feb 10-Mar 11, 2003 – Northern Luzon, Philippines .

Collection of external parasites from small mammals as part of a plant and animal survey of Mt. Bali-it led by Larry Heaney from the FMNH
Mist netting for bats, live trapping for rodents and other small mammals

Feb 10-Mar 11, 2003 – Northern Luzon, Philippines .

Collection of ectoparasites and other invertebrates
Part of an international team documenting the plant and animal fauna of the higher elevations in Parc National de Marojejy led by Steve Goodman from the FMNH

Presentations at professional meetings:

“Systematics, genomics, and the evolution of parasitism within Dermanyssoidea (Mesostigmata)”
          Feature Invited Symposium Speaker, International Congress of Acarology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2006
"Phylogeny of Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) and difficulties associsated with analyzing large and diverse datasets",
          Invited Seminar, Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 2006
"Molecular systematics of Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea)", International Conference of Hymenopterists
          Sun City, South Africa, 2006.
"Molecular systematics and the evolution of parasitism in dermanyssoid mites", Acarological Society of America, Annual Meeting,
          Fort Lauderdale, FL, 2005.
"Phylogenetics and historical ecology of dermanyssoid mites", Acarological Society of America, Annual Meeting,
          Salt Lake City, Utah, 2004.
Entomological Society of America, Acarological Society of America, Annual Meeting,
          Invited symposium speaker, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 2002.
XI International Congress of Acarology, Merida, Mexico, 2002.
Entomological Society of America, Acarological Society of America, Annual Meeting,
          Atlanta, Georgia, 1999.

Publications and submissions :

In Print:

Cusson, M., Beliveau, C., Sen, S. E., Vandermoten, S., Rutledge, R. G., Stewart, D., Francis, F., Haubruge, E., Rehse, P., Huggins, D. J., Dowling, A. P. G., and Grant, G. H. In press. Characterization and tissue-specific expression of two lepidopteran farnesyl diphosphate synthase homologs: implications for the biosynthesis of ethyl-substituted juvenile hormones. Proteins

Dowling, A. P. G. 2006. Mesostigmatid mites as parasites of small mammals. In: Morand, S., Krasnov, B.R. & Poulin, R. (eds). Micromammals and macroparasites: From evolutionary ecology to management. SpringerVerlag, Tokyo.

Reeves, W. K., Dowling, A. P. G., and Dasch G. A. 2006. Rickettsial agents from parasitic Dermanyssoidea (Acari: Mesotigmata). Exp. App. Acarology 38, 181-188

Brooks, D. R., Dowling, A. P. G., van Veller, M. G. P., and Hoberg, E. P. 2004. Ending a decade of deception: a valiant failure, a not-so-valiant failure, and a success story. Cladistics 20 , 32-46.

Klimov, P. B., Lekveishvili, M., Dowling, A. P. G., and OConnor, B. M. 2004. Multivariate analysis of morphological variation in two cryptic species of Sancassania (Acari: Acaridae) from Costa Rica . Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 97 , 322-345.

Dowling, A. P. G. 2003. Testing the accuracy of treemap and brooks parsimony analyses of coevolutionary patterns using artificial associations (vol 18, pg. 416, 2002). Cladistics 19 , 180.

Dowling, A. P. G., van Veller, M. G. P., Hoberg, E. P., and Brooks, D. R. 2003. A priori and A posteriori methods in comparative evolutionary studies of host- parasite associations. Cladistics 19 , 240-253.

Dowling, A. P. G. 2002. Testing the accuracy of treemap and brooks parsimony analyses of coevolutionary patterns using artificial associations. Cladistics 18, 416-435.

Submitted:

Pitz, K. M., Dowling, A. P. G., Sharanowski, B. J., Boring, C. A., Seltmann, K., and Sharkey, M. J. In review. Reanalysis of Min et al. (2005) using alignments based on secondary structure. Mol. Phylo. Evol.

Dowling, A. P. G., Bochkov, A., and OConnor, B.M. In review . Revsion of the genus Andreacarus Radford, 1953 (Acari: Mesostigmata) and descriptions of eight new species associated with Malagasy small mammals. J. Med. Entomol.

In Preparation:

Dowling, A. P. G. and Pitz, K. M. In prep The effects of missing data on bootstrap and jackknife support values in phylogney reconstruction.

Dowling, A. P. G. In prep. Delusional Patternosis: the effects of hypervariable genes on phylogeny.

Bochkov, A. V., Dowling, A. P. G., Dusbabek, F., and Wauthy, G. In prep. Phylogeny and host- parasite relationships of mites of the family Myobiidae (Acari: Prostigmata) parasitizing bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera)

Dowling, A. P. G. In prep. Evolution of Avain respiratory endoparasitism from chiropteran ectoparasitic mites.

Dowling, A. P. G. In prep. Phylogenetic relationships of the mite Cohort Dermanyssina (Acari: Dermanyssina) based upon multiple molecular markers and implications for widespread parasitism.

Klimov, P. B., Dowling, A. P. G., and OConnor, B. M. In prep. Molecular systematics of acarid mites (Acari: Acaridae)

Graduate advisor and Collaborators:

Dr. Barry OConnor (Advisor), University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI
Dr. Daniel Brooks FRSC, University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
Dr. Eric Hoberg , US National Parasite Collection and the Parasite Biology, Epidemiology and Systematics Laboratory, Beltsville , MD
Dr. Marco van Veller , Leiden University , Leiden , The Netherlands
Dr. Andre Bochkov, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI
Dr. Ronald Ochoa, USDA-ARS Systematic Entomology Laboratory, Beltsville , MD
Dr. Hans Klompen, Ohio State University , Colubus , OH
Dr. Will Reeves, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Dr. John Whitaker, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN

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