Simon Scarpetta
Assistant Professor
Biography
Simon Scarpetta is an evolutionary biologist, paleontologist, and herpetologist with a particular appreciation for lizards and salamanders. He received a PhD in Geosciences from The University of Texas at Austin in 2021, and recently finished an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology at UC Berkeley. His research incorporates molecular and paleontological data to determine evolutionary relationships and timescales of the lizards of North America, in the context of climatic changes through geologic time. Current research focuses on phylogenomics and historical biogeography of iguanas, horned lizards, and their relatives.
At USF, Simon teaches Conservation Biology, Ecology, Quantitative Methods, and several lab courses. He is passionate about working with and teaching undergraduate students and researchers.
Expertise
- Phylogenomics
- Morphology
- Computed tomography
Research Areas
- Evolutionary biology
- Vertebrate paleontology
- Herpetology
- Biogeography
- Paleoecology
Education
- The University of Texas at Austin, PhD in Geosciences, 2021
- Stanford University, BS in Biology (Specialization in Ecology and Evolution), 2014
Prior Experience
- NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Biology, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley
- Graduate teaching assistant, The University of Texas at Austin
- Senior conservation technician, Stanford University Conservation Program
Awards & Distinctions
- Jackson School of Geosciences Best Graduate Paper Award Winner, The University of Texas at Austin, 2021
- NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology, Rules of Life Program, National Science Foundation, 2021
- Graduate Student Paper Competition Award, Texas Academy of Science, 2019
Selected Publications
- Scarpetta SG, Fisher RN, Karin BR, Niukula J, Corl A, Jackman TR, McGuire JA. Iguanas rafted more than 8000 km from North America to Fiji. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 122(12).
- Scarpetta SG, Ledesma DT. 2022. A strikingly ornamented fossil alligator lizard (Squamata: Abronia) from the Miocene of California. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, XX, 1–16.
- Scarpetta SG, Ledesma DT, Llauger FO, White BA. 2020. Evolution of North American lizards. eLS 1(4), 705–717. Invited submission. All authors contributed equally to this work.
- Scarpetta SG. 2020. Effects of phylogenetic uncertainty on fossil identification illustrated by a new and enigmatic Eocene iguanian. Scientific Reports 10(1), 1–10.
- Scarpetta SG. 2020. Combined-evidence analyses of ultraconserved elements and morphological data: an empirical example in iguanian lizards. Biology Letters 16(8), 20200356.