Terry Chesser, Ph.D. (Former Employee)
Science and Products
Assisting Ecosystem Management on the Channel Islands
The Challenge: The Channel Islands, sometimes called “The Galapagos of North America,” consist of 8 islands off the coast of southern California. The islands are managed by a variety of agencies, including the National Park Service, the Nature Conservancy, and the US Navy, as well as private owners, and they have had a wide variety of uses through time, from occupancy by Native American hunter...
Standardizing the Classification of North American Birds for Research and Conservation
The Challenge: Federal and state government agencies, NGOs, scientists, and authors of field guides and other literature need a standardized classification of birds to provide the taxonomic and nomenclatural foundation for bird research, conservation, and education in North America. These public agencies, private individuals, and organizations rely on the latest developments in systematics...
Filter Total Items: 58
An evaluation of the reliability of plumage characters for sexing adult Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres morinella during northward passage in eastern North America An evaluation of the reliability of plumage characters for sexing adult Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres morinella during northward passage in eastern North America
We used two datasets to investigate the reliability of plumage for sexing adult Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres of the morinella subspecies during May and early June in Delaware Bay, on the Mid-Atlantic Coast of the United States (39.1202°N, 75.2479°W). We first examined 23 years of data on the capture and recapture of 1,818 individual Ruddy Turnstones to assess the consistency of...
Authors
Peter J. Fullagar, R. Terry Chesser, Humphrey P. Sitters, Christopher C. Davey, Lawrence J. Niles, Sergei V. Drovetski, M. Nandadevi Cortes-Rodriguez
Museum genomics provide evidence for persistent genetic differentiation in a threatened seabird species in the Western Atlantic Museum genomics provide evidence for persistent genetic differentiation in a threatened seabird species in the Western Atlantic
Connectivity among wildlife populations facilitates exchange of genetic material between groups. Changes to historical connectivity patterns resulting from anthropogenic activities can therefore have negative consequences for genetic diversity, particularly for small or isolated populations. DNA obtained from museum specimens can enable direct comparison of temporal changes in...
Authors
Paige A. Byerly, R. Terry Chesser, Robert C. Fleischer, Nancy McInerney, Natalia Przelomska, Paul S Leberg
Palaeoceanographic changes in the late Pliocene promoted rapid diversification in pelagic seabirds Palaeoceanographic changes in the late Pliocene promoted rapid diversification in pelagic seabirds
Aim Palaeoceanographic changes can act as drivers of diversification and speciation, even in highly mobile marine organisms. Shearwaters are a group of globally distributed and highly mobile pelagic seabirds. Despite a recent well-resolved phylogeny, shearwaters have controversial species limits, and show periods of both slow and rapid diversification. Here, we explore the role of
Authors
Joan Ferrer-Obiol, Helen F. James, R. Terry Chesser, Vincent Bretagnolle, Jacob Gonzalez-Solis, Julio Rozas, Andreanna J. Welch, Marta Riutort
Genetic structure and population history in two critically endangered Kaua‘i honeycreepers Genetic structure and population history in two critically endangered Kaua‘i honeycreepers
Population sizes of endemic songbirds on Kaua‘i have decreased by an order of magnitude over the past 10–15 years to dangerously low numbers. The primary cause appears to be the ascent of invasive mosquitoes and Plasmodium relictum, the agent of avian malaria, into elevations formerly free of introduced malarial parasites and their vectors. Given that these declines in native bird...
Authors
Loren Cassin-Sackett, Michael G. Campana, Nancy McInerney, Haw Chuan Lim, Natalia Przelomska, Bryce Masuda, R. Terry Chesser, Eben H. Paxton, Jeffery T Foster, Lisa H. Crampton, Robert C. Fleischer
Integrating sequence capture and restriction-site associated DNA sequencing to resolve recent radiations of pelagic seabirds Integrating sequence capture and restriction-site associated DNA sequencing to resolve recent radiations of pelagic seabirds
The diversification of modern birds has been shaped by a number of radiations. Rapid diversification events make reconstructing the evolutionary relationships among taxa challenging due to the convoluted effects of incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and introgression. Phylogenomic data sets have the potential to detect patterns of phylogenetic incongruence, and to address their causes...
Authors
Joan Ferrer Obiol, Helen F. James, R. Terry Chesser, Vincent Bretagnolle, Jacob Gonzalez-Solis, Julio Rozas, Marta Riutort, Andreanna J. Welch
The evolution of a tropical biodiversity hotspot The evolution of a tropical biodiversity hotspot
The role of the environment in the origin of new species has long been debated. Harvey et al.examined the evolutionary history and species diversity of suboscine birds in the tropics (see the Perspective by Morlon). Contrary to expectations that the tropics have higher rates of speciation, the authors observed that higher and more constant speciation rates occur in harsh environments...
Authors
Michael G Harvey, Gustavo A Bravo, Santiago Claramunt, Andres M Cuervo, Graham E Derryberry, Jaqueline Battilana, Glenn F Seeholzer, Jessica Shearer McKay, Brian C. O’Meara, Brant C Faircloth, Scott V Edwards, Jorge Perez-Eman, Robert G Moyle, Frederick H. Sheldon, Alexandre Aleixo, Brian T Smith, Terry Chesser, Luis F Silveira, Joel Cracraft, Robb T Brumfield, Elizabeth P Derryberry
Science and Products
Assisting Ecosystem Management on the Channel Islands
The Challenge: The Channel Islands, sometimes called “The Galapagos of North America,” consist of 8 islands off the coast of southern California. The islands are managed by a variety of agencies, including the National Park Service, the Nature Conservancy, and the US Navy, as well as private owners, and they have had a wide variety of uses through time, from occupancy by Native American hunter...
Standardizing the Classification of North American Birds for Research and Conservation
The Challenge: Federal and state government agencies, NGOs, scientists, and authors of field guides and other literature need a standardized classification of birds to provide the taxonomic and nomenclatural foundation for bird research, conservation, and education in North America. These public agencies, private individuals, and organizations rely on the latest developments in systematics...
Filter Total Items: 58
An evaluation of the reliability of plumage characters for sexing adult Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres morinella during northward passage in eastern North America An evaluation of the reliability of plumage characters for sexing adult Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres morinella during northward passage in eastern North America
We used two datasets to investigate the reliability of plumage for sexing adult Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres of the morinella subspecies during May and early June in Delaware Bay, on the Mid-Atlantic Coast of the United States (39.1202°N, 75.2479°W). We first examined 23 years of data on the capture and recapture of 1,818 individual Ruddy Turnstones to assess the consistency of...
Authors
Peter J. Fullagar, R. Terry Chesser, Humphrey P. Sitters, Christopher C. Davey, Lawrence J. Niles, Sergei V. Drovetski, M. Nandadevi Cortes-Rodriguez
Museum genomics provide evidence for persistent genetic differentiation in a threatened seabird species in the Western Atlantic Museum genomics provide evidence for persistent genetic differentiation in a threatened seabird species in the Western Atlantic
Connectivity among wildlife populations facilitates exchange of genetic material between groups. Changes to historical connectivity patterns resulting from anthropogenic activities can therefore have negative consequences for genetic diversity, particularly for small or isolated populations. DNA obtained from museum specimens can enable direct comparison of temporal changes in...
Authors
Paige A. Byerly, R. Terry Chesser, Robert C. Fleischer, Nancy McInerney, Natalia Przelomska, Paul S Leberg
Palaeoceanographic changes in the late Pliocene promoted rapid diversification in pelagic seabirds Palaeoceanographic changes in the late Pliocene promoted rapid diversification in pelagic seabirds
Aim Palaeoceanographic changes can act as drivers of diversification and speciation, even in highly mobile marine organisms. Shearwaters are a group of globally distributed and highly mobile pelagic seabirds. Despite a recent well-resolved phylogeny, shearwaters have controversial species limits, and show periods of both slow and rapid diversification. Here, we explore the role of
Authors
Joan Ferrer-Obiol, Helen F. James, R. Terry Chesser, Vincent Bretagnolle, Jacob Gonzalez-Solis, Julio Rozas, Andreanna J. Welch, Marta Riutort
Genetic structure and population history in two critically endangered Kaua‘i honeycreepers Genetic structure and population history in two critically endangered Kaua‘i honeycreepers
Population sizes of endemic songbirds on Kaua‘i have decreased by an order of magnitude over the past 10–15 years to dangerously low numbers. The primary cause appears to be the ascent of invasive mosquitoes and Plasmodium relictum, the agent of avian malaria, into elevations formerly free of introduced malarial parasites and their vectors. Given that these declines in native bird...
Authors
Loren Cassin-Sackett, Michael G. Campana, Nancy McInerney, Haw Chuan Lim, Natalia Przelomska, Bryce Masuda, R. Terry Chesser, Eben H. Paxton, Jeffery T Foster, Lisa H. Crampton, Robert C. Fleischer
Integrating sequence capture and restriction-site associated DNA sequencing to resolve recent radiations of pelagic seabirds Integrating sequence capture and restriction-site associated DNA sequencing to resolve recent radiations of pelagic seabirds
The diversification of modern birds has been shaped by a number of radiations. Rapid diversification events make reconstructing the evolutionary relationships among taxa challenging due to the convoluted effects of incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and introgression. Phylogenomic data sets have the potential to detect patterns of phylogenetic incongruence, and to address their causes...
Authors
Joan Ferrer Obiol, Helen F. James, R. Terry Chesser, Vincent Bretagnolle, Jacob Gonzalez-Solis, Julio Rozas, Marta Riutort, Andreanna J. Welch
The evolution of a tropical biodiversity hotspot The evolution of a tropical biodiversity hotspot
The role of the environment in the origin of new species has long been debated. Harvey et al.examined the evolutionary history and species diversity of suboscine birds in the tropics (see the Perspective by Morlon). Contrary to expectations that the tropics have higher rates of speciation, the authors observed that higher and more constant speciation rates occur in harsh environments...
Authors
Michael G Harvey, Gustavo A Bravo, Santiago Claramunt, Andres M Cuervo, Graham E Derryberry, Jaqueline Battilana, Glenn F Seeholzer, Jessica Shearer McKay, Brian C. O’Meara, Brant C Faircloth, Scott V Edwards, Jorge Perez-Eman, Robert G Moyle, Frederick H. Sheldon, Alexandre Aleixo, Brian T Smith, Terry Chesser, Luis F Silveira, Joel Cracraft, Robb T Brumfield, Elizabeth P Derryberry
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government