Meredith Protas

Professor Protas holds the Fletcher Jones Endowed Chair. Professor Protas studies the freshwater crustacean, Asellus aquaticus, that lives in both cave and surface environments. Her current research investigates the genetic basis of eye and pigment loss in multiple cave dwelling populations of the Asellus aquaticus species complex. She investigates whether the same genetic regions are responsible for similar phenotypes in independently evolved cave populations. In addition, her goal is to identify the genetic changes responsible for eye and pigment loss.

• Genetics
• Evolution

• Cave biology
• Evolution and development

• Harvard University, PhD in Genetics, 2005
• Pomona College, BA in Biology, 1999

• Associate Professor in Biology, MS in Biology, Program Director, Dominican University of California

• Fišer Ž, Whitehorn H, Furness, T, and Protas ME (2024) Common genetic basis of pigment loss between the Planina population and Krka populations of Asellus aquaticus and Asellus kosswigi. J Exp Zool B Mol Dev Evol. 342(6):425-436.

• Lomheim HL, Rodas LR, Mulla L, Freeborn L, Sanders S, and Protas ME (2023) Transcriptomic analysis and chromosomal location of candidates using cave, surface, and hybrid samples of the isopod Asellus aquaticus. EvoDevo 14(1):1-15.

• Rodas LR, Sarbu SM, Bancila R, Price D, Fišer Ž, and Protas ME. (2023) Standing genetic variation as a potential mechanism of novel phenotype evolution in the freshwater isopod, Asellus aquaticus. Evolution and Development 25(2):137-152

• Protas M, Trontelj P, Prevorcnik S, Fišer Ž (2023) The Asellus aquaticus species complex: an invertebrate model in subterranean evolution. Book Chapter in Groundwater Ecology and Evolution. Pp.329-350

• Mojaddidi H, Fernandez F, Erickson PA, and Protas ME (2018) Embryonic origin and genetic basis of cave associated phenotypes in the isopod crustacean Asellus aquaticus. Scientific Reports. 8(1):16589.