Nicholas Geist
Professor
Contact
(707) 664-3056
nick.geist@sonoma.edu
Office
Darwin 241Office Hours
And by appointment
Education:
Ph.D. (Zoology) Oregon State University, 1999
Research Interests:
Paleobiology and functional morphology of vertebrates, evolution of reproductive behavior in reptiles, evolutionary biology of archosaurs, western pond turtle (WPT) biology and conservation, and freshwater ecology/restoration.
Research Program:
My current research focus is directed on assessment and restoration of local freshwater ecosystems. Other research focuses are fundamental aspects of western pond turtle biology, especially mechanisms of temperature dependent sex determination, population dynamics, and conservation of the species. Other areas of active research include the evolution of reproductive strategies in crocodiles, dinosaurs, and birds, and lung ventilation mechanisms of archosaurs, with particular attention on pterosaurs.
Course Offerings:
BIOL 130 - Intro to Genetics and Cell Biology
BIOL 131 - Biological Diversity and Ecology
BIOL 224 - Human Physiology
BIOL 326 - Dinosaurs and Mesozoic Vertebrates
BIOL 328 - Vertebrate Evolutionary Morphology
Selected Publications & Presentations
Temperature Effects on Development and Phenotype in a Free-living Population of Western Pond Turtles (Emys marmorata). Christie, N. and N.R. Geist. 2017. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 90(1): 47-53.
The Role of Incubation Temperature and Clutch in Development and Phenotype of Head-started Western Pond Turtles (Emys marmorata). 2015.
Geist, N.R., Z. Dallara, R. Gordon. Herpetological Biology and Conservation. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 10 (Symposium): 489–503
Geist, N.R., W.J. Hillenius, E. Frey, T.D. Jones, and R. Elgin. 2014. Breathing in a Box: Lung Ventilation in Giant Pterosaurs. The Anatomical Record 297:2233-2353
Jones, T. D. and Geist, N. R. In press. Reproductive Biology of Dinosaurs. In The Complete Dinosaur, 2nd ed., edited by. J. Farlow, M. K. Brett-Surman and T. Holtz, Indiana University Press.
Ruben, J. A., Jones, T. D., Geist, N. R. 2003. Respiratory and Reproductive Paleophysiology of Dinosaurs and Early Birds. Physiol. Biochem. Zool. 76:141-161.
Geist, N. R. 2000. Respiratory Turbinate Function in Birds. Physiol. Biochem. Zool. 73:581-589.
Geist, N. R. and Feduccia, A. 2000. Gravity-defying behaviors: Identifying models for protoaves . American Zoologist 40:664-675.
Jones, T. D., Ruben, J. A., Martin, L. D., Kurochkin, E., Feduccia, A., Maderson, P., Hillenius, W. J., Geist, N. R. 2000. Nonavian feathers in a late Triassic archosaur. Science 288:2202-2205.
Ruben, J. A., DalSasso, C., Geist, N. R., Hillenius, W. J., Jones, T. D., Signore, M. 1999. New evidence for pulmonary function and metabolic physiology of theropod dinosaurs. Science 283:514-516.