Ryan S. Rothman 

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  Who Am I?

I am a PhD Candidate in the Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences (IDPAS) at Stony Brook University since 2018. I completed my Master of Research degree in Tropical Forest Ecology at Imperial College London in October of 2017, and my Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology at the University of St Andrews in June of 2016. I am originally from the North Fork of Long Island, New York. My research interests are broad and include evolutionary biology, behavioural ecology, biological anthropology, and statistical computing with R.


Peer-Reviewed Publications

Thompson KE, Borgerson C, Wright PC, Randriamanetsy JM, Andrianantenaina YM, Andriamavosoloarisoa MNN, Razafindrahasy TA, Rothman RS, Surkis C, Bankoff RJ, and Twiss K (in review). A coupled humanitarian and biodiversity crisis in Western Madagascar. Under review at International Journal of Primatology.

Bornbusch SL, Greene LK, Rahobilalaina S, Calkins S, Rothman RS, Clarke T, LaFleur M, and Drea CM (in review). Gut microbiota of ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) vary across natural and captive populations and correlate with environmental microbiota. Under review at Animal Microbiome. Preprint available in bioRxiv: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.27.450077

Guevara EE, Greene LK, Blanco MB, Farmer C, Ranaivonasy J, Ratsirarson J, Mahefarisoa KL, Rajaonarivelo T, Rakotondrainibe HH, Junge RE, Williams CV, Rambeloson E, Rasoanaivo HA, Rahalinarivo V, Andrianandrianina LH, Clayton JB, Rothman RS, Lawler RR, Bradley BJ, and Yoder AD (2021). Molecular adaptation to folivory and the conservation implications for Madagascar's lemurs. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2021.736741

Smaers JB, Rothman RS, Hudson DR, Balanoff AM, Beatty B, Dechmann DKN, de Vries D, Dunn JC, Fleagle JG, Gilbert CC, Goswami A, Iwaniuk AN, Jungers W, Kerney M, Ksepka DT, Manger PR, Mongle CS, Rohlf FJ, Smith NA, Soligo C, Weisbecker V, and Safi K (2021). The evolution of mammalian brain size. Science Advances, 7(18). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abe2101

Ksepka DT, Balanoff AM, Smith NA, Bever GS, Bhullar BAS, Bourdon E, Braun EL, Burleigh JG, Clarke JA, Colbert MW, Corfield JR, Degrange FJ, De Pietri VL, Early CM, Field DJ, Gignac PM, Gold MEL, Kimball RT, Kawabe S, Lefebvre L, Marugán-Lobón J, Mongle CS, Morhardt A, Norell MA, Ridgely RC, Rothman RS, Scofield RP, Tambussi CP, Torres CR, van Tuinen M, Walsh SA, Watanabe A, Witmer LM, Wright AK, Zanno LE, Jarvis ED, and Smaers JB (2020). Tempo and pattern of avian brain size evolution. Current Biology, 30(11). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.03.060

Greene LK, Clayton JB, Rothman RS, Semel BP, Semel MA, Gillespie TR, Wright PC, and Drea CM (2019). Local habitat, not phylogenetic relatedness, predicts gut microbiota better within folivorous than frugivorous lemur lineages. Biology Letters, 15(6). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0028
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Recent Research Experience

Presently 'In the Lab'
I am working on my dissertation research which aims to better understand how the size and organization of the brain have coevolved with ecology and behavior (i.e., habitat/ environment, diet, life history, sociality) in primates and other mammals.
This research is in conjunction with the Smaers Lab. (https://smaerslab.com)

Madagascar - 2017 to 2019
My masters thesis entitled "Does anthropogenic disturbance affect the diversity and size of seeds dispersed by lemurs?" was completed in August of 2017. For this research project I collected faecal samples from four diurnal lemur species in Ranomafana National Park across a gradient of anthropogenic disturbance.

I also led a short expedition to the recently-discovered Ivohiboro Forest to collect ring-tailed lemur faecal samples. I extracted the seeds from the faeces in order to better understand Lemur catta seed dispersal. 

I have presented some of my research at the inaugural meeting of the Malagasy Primatological Society in Tamatave, Madagascar in December of 2017, at the International Primatological Society’s 27th Congress in Nairobi, Kenya in August of 2018, and most recently at the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation's 56th Annual Congress in Antananarivo, Madagascar in July of 2019.

​I have also recently returned from a second expedition to the Ivohiboro rainforest in July of 2019 collecting faecal samples from the ring-tailed lemurs for a collaborative microbial project. 

Malaysian Borneo - 2017
The Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) project is one of the world's largest ongoing ecological experiments. I took part on a 3-week field course which involved the taxonomic ID of plants, vertebrates, and invertebrates, and involved hands-on experience designing, collecting, and handling ecological, biogeochemical, and biodiversity data. I received valuable experience conducting research in both the secondary and primary rainforest environments.   

South Africa - 2015
For my undergraduate dissertation research at the University of St Andrews, I collected data in the Greater Kruger National Park on African elephant (Loxodonta africana) damage to woody plants. Trees and shrubs were identified to the species, and damage to them was scored through time to investigate their role as ecosystem engineers in the bushveld.

Please Get in Touch! 
N-233, Social and Behavioral Sciences Building, Stony Brook University
ryan.rothman@stonybrook.edu