Danielle J. Whittaker: Phone: Fax: Email: Djwhitta@msu - Edu
Danielle J. Whittaker: Phone: Fax: Email: Djwhitta@msu - Edu
Danielle J. Whittaker: Phone: Fax: Email: Djwhitta@msu - Edu
Whittaker
Managing Director
BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action
1441 Biomedical and Physical Sciences Building
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
phone: (517) 884-2561
fax: (517) 353-7248
email: djwhitta@msu.edu
web: http://www.burroughs-whittaker.com/danielle
Education
2006-2010: Postdoctoral training in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Indiana
University, Bloomington, IN. Advisor: Ellen Ketterson.
1998-2005: Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology, City University of New
York Graduate Center, New York, NY. Advisor: John F. Oates; Co-
advisor: Juan Carlos Morales, Columbia University.
1992-1996: B.A. in Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA.
Professional Appointments
2010-present: Managing Director, BEACON Center for the Study of
Evolution in Action, Michigan State University.
2010-present: Adjunct Faculty, Department of Biology, Indiana University.
2010: Citizen Science Faculty, Bard College.
2010: Assistant Research Scientist, Department of Biology, Indiana
University.
2006-2010: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Biology, Indiana
University.
2006: Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences,
Barnard College.
2005-2006: Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology,
Lehman College, City University of New York.
2005-2006: Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology,
Queens College, City University of New York.
Grants
Indiana Academy of Science, November 2009
$3,000
Hormonal regulation of chemical signals in songbirds.
Indiana University Faculty Research Support Program, June 2008
$74,975
MHC-based mate choice in songbirds: mechanisms, hormonal correlates, and
population patterns. Official PIs: Ellen Ketterson, Milos Novotny, and Helena
Soini; project developed and written by Danielle Whittaker. June 2008.
American Philosophical Society Franklin Research Grant, March 2008
$4,000
MHC, odor, and mate choice in a passerine bird.
Indiana Academy of Science, April 2007
$3,000
MHC and mate choice in an isolated songbird population.
Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation, May 2004
$10,580
Using patterns of genetic diversity in Kloss's gibbons to conserve nature and
culture in the Mentawai Islands, Indonesia.
NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant, January 2004
$12,000
Evolutionary genetics of Kloss’s gibbons: Grant BCS-0335949. PI: J. C.
Morales.
Primate Conservation, Inc., December 2002
$3,000
Publications
Forthcoming Articles
Whittaker, D. J., K. M. Richmond, A. K. Miller, R. Kiley, C. Bergeon Burns, J.
W. Atwell, and E. D. Ketterson. In review. Intraspecific preen oil odor
preferences in dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis). Behavioral Ecology.
Atwell, J. W., G. C. Cardoso, D. J. Whittaker, T. D. Price, and E. D. Ketterson.
Submitted. Testosterone mediates rapid adaptation to a novel climatic
regime in a passerine bird. Science.
Whittaker, D. J., A. L. Dapper, M. P. Peterson, J. W. Atwell, and E. D.
Ketterson. In revision. MHC diversity in a recently diverged songbird
population: evidence for selection mediated by a novel environment, with
notes on the structure of passerine MHC. Genetica.
Atwell, J. W., K. W. Robertson, S. J. Campbell-Nelson, D. J. Whittaker, G. C.
Cardoso, E. D. Ketterson. In revision. Evidence for rapid evolution of
exploratory boldness behaviour following colonisation of a novel urban
environment. Animal Behaviour.
Peer-reviewed Articles
Whittaker, D. J., H. A. Soini, J. W. Atwell, C. Hollars, M. V. Novotny, and E. D.
Ketterson. 2010. Songbird chemosignals: Preen oil volatile compounds
vary among individuals, sexes, and populations. Behavioral Ecology 21:
608-614.
McGlothlin, J. W., D. J. Whittaker, S. E. Schrock, N. M. Gerlach, J. M. Jawor,
E. A. Snajdr, E. D. Ketterson. 2010. Natural selection on testosterone
production in a wild songbird population. The American Naturalist 175:
687-701.
Whittaker, D. J., D. G. Reichard, A. L. Dapper, E. D. Ketterson. 2009.
Behavioral responses of nesting female dark-eyed juncos Junco hyemalis
to hetero- and conspecific passerine preen oils. Journal of Avian Biology
40: 579-583.
Edited Volume
Lappan, S. and D. J. Whittaker, eds. 2009. The Gibbons: New Perspectives
on Small Ape Socioecology and Population Biology. New York: Springer.
Book Chapters
Whittaker, D. J. 2009. Phylogeography of Kloss’s gibbon (Hylobates klossii)
populations and implications for conservation planning in the Mentawai
Islands. In The Gibbons: New Perspectives on Small Ape Socioecology and
Population Biology, ed. S. Lappan and D. J. Whittaker. New York: Springer,
pp. 73-89.
Whittaker, D. J. and S. Lappan. 2009. The diversity of small apes and the
importance of population-level studies. In The Gibbons: New Perspectives
on Small Ape Socioecology and Population Biology, ed. S. Lappan and D. J.
Whittaker. New York: Springer, pp. 3-10.
Whittaker, D. J. 2009. Saving the small apes: Conservation assessment of
gibbon species at the 2006 Asian Primate Red List Workshop. In The
Gibbons: New Perspectives on Small Ape Socioecology and Population
Biology, ed. S. Lappan and D. J. Whittaker. New York: Springer, pp. 497-
499.
Whittaker, D. J. 2011. Kloss’s gibbon, Hylobates klossii. In All the World’s
Primates, ed. Noel Rowe. Charlestown: Pogonias Press.
Invited Talks
“Chemical communication and evolution in songbirds.” York College, City
University of New York, New York, NY. 26 April 2010.
“Chemical communication and evolution in songbirds.” University of
Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO. 22 March 2010.
“The junco transcriptome: a genomic approach to songbird evolution,
ecology, and behavior.” Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics
Roundtable, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN. 11 March 2010.
“Chemical communication and evolution in songbirds.” New College of
Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University, Glendale, AZ.
1 March 2010.
“Sex, Smells, and Speciation in Songbirds.” Indiana University Kokomo, IN.
24 February 2010.
“Chemical communication in dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis): Do birds use
pheromones?” Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior,
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN. 30 November 2009.
“Chemical communication and reproduction in dark-eyed juncos: do birds
use pheromones?” Mountain Lake Biological Station, Pembroke, VA. 2 July
2009.
“Past, present, and future: Using genetics to understand evolution, behavior,
and conservation of species.” Suffolk University, Boston, MA. 29 January
2009.
“Sex in the city: Inbreeding avoidance, MHC and pheromones in a songbird.”
Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN. 11 November 2008.
“Creating a conservation action plan from primate data: the Mentawai
Islands of Indonesia.” Queens College Anthropology Society, Flushing, NY.
28 November 2005.
Press Coverage
Indiana University press release, March 23, 2010: “Could smell play a role in
the origin of new bird species?” Reprinted elsewhere.
http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/13820.html
Science Daily, March 24, 2010: “Could smell play a role in the origin of new
bird species?”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100323111555.htm
LiveScience, April 21, 2010: “Songbirds hold secrets of attracting mates.”
http://www.livescience.com/culture/pheromone-songbird-mating-sl-
whittaker-100421.html
Indiana University press release, May 4, 2010. “Natural selection for
moderation in testosterone surprises scientists.” Reprinted elsewhere.
http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/14348.html
Science Daily, May 4, 2010. “Natural selection for moderation in testosterone
surprises scientists.”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100504102126.htm
Science Journalism
Whittaker, D. J. October 29, 2010: “Digital organisms shed light on mystery
of altruism.” http://www.livescience.com/technology/altruism-evolution-
computer-science-bts-101029.html
Teaching Experience
Undergraduate courses taught:
Citizen Science
Introduction to Human Evolution
Introduction to Human Variation
Reviewing
Ad hoc reviewer for journals:
American Journal of Primatology
American Naturalist
Animal Cognition
Auk
Biology Letters
Biotropica
BMC Evolutionary Biology
Canadian Journal of Zoology
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology
Ethology
Evolutionary Bioinformatics
Ibis
Journal of Avian Biology
Journal of the Royal Society Interface
Molecular Biology and Evolution
Molecular Ecology Resources
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
Naturwissenschaften
Proceedings of the Royal Society B
Reviewer for grants:
Sigma Delta Epsilon/Graduate Women in Science
Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation
National Science Foundation
Languages
English (Native speaker)
Indonesian (Proficient)