Michael Arnold
Professor
Ph.D. (1986) Australian National University
Phone: 706-542-1407
Email: arnold@plantbio.uga.edu
See my CV and Complete List of Publications

Research Interests
Members of Mike Arnold’s lab have tested evolutionary hypotheses in a wide array of organisms – including fungi, plants and animals.  In spite of the taxonomic diversity reflected in this work, there is a unifying theme.  This theme is well described by the title of a 1954 Evolution paper authored by the plant evolutionary biologists, Edgar Anderson and Ledyard Stebbins – “Hybridization as an Evolutionary Stimulus”.  Thus, our group has examined a range of phenomena associated with the process of gene exchange between organisms in nature.  The data collected have derived from analyses of population genetics, phylogenetics, reproductive biology, pollinator behavior, eco-physiology, molecular evolution and, most recently, linkage/QTL mapping of fitness traits.

Arnold, M.L. (ed). 2010. Reticulate Evolution. Genes.

Arnold, M.L. and N.D. Fogarty. 2009. Reticulate evolution and marine organisms: The last frontier? International Journal of Molecular Sciences 10:3836-3860.

Arnold, M.L. and N.H. Martin. 2009. Adaptation by introgression. Journal of Biology 8:x-xx.

Tang, S., R.A. Okashah, M-M. Cordonnier-Pratt, L.H. Pratt, V.E. Johnson, C.A. Taylor, M.L. Arnold and S.J. Knapp. 2009. EST and EST-SSR marker resources for Iris, a basal monocot genus in the Asparagales. BMC Plant Biology 9:72.

Taylor, S.J., M.L. Arnold and N.H. Martin. 2009. The genetic architecture of reproductive isolation in Louisiana Irises: Hybrid fitness in nature. Evolution, in press.

Zinner, D., M.L. Arnold and C. Roos. 2009. Is the new primate genus Rungwecebus a baboon? PLoS ONE 4: e4859.

  • Martin, N.H., Y. Sapir and M.L. Arnold. 2008. The genetic architecture of reproductive isolation in Louisiana Irises: Pollination syndromes and pollinator preferences. Evolution 62: 740-752.
  • Arnold, M.L. 2008. Reticulate Evolution and Humans – Origins and Ecology. Oxford University Press.
  • Bouck, A.C., S.R. Wessler and M.L. Arnold. 2007. QTL analysis of floral traits in Louisiana Iris hybrids. Evolution 61: 2308-2319.
  • Cornman, R.S. and M.L. Arnold. 2007. Phylogeography of Iris missouriensis (Iridaceae) using transposon display. Molecular Ecology 16: 4585-4598.
  • Martin, N.H., A.C. Bouck and M.L. Arnold. 2007. The genetic architecture of reproductive isolation in Louisiana Irises: Flowering phenology. Genetics 175: 1803–1812.
  • Arnold, M.L. 2006. Evolution Through Genetic Exchange. Oxford University Press.
  • Arnold, M.L. and J.M. Burke. 2006. Natural Hybridization. Pp. 399-413. In Evolutionary Genetics: Concepts and Case Studies, C.W. Fox and J.B. Wolf eds. Oxford University Press.
  • Arnold, M.L. and A. Meyer. 2006. Natural hybridization in primates: One evolutionary mechanism. Zoology 109: 261-276. 
  • Martin, N.H., A.C. Bouck and M.L. Arnold. 2006. Detecting adaptive trait introgression between Iris fulva and I. brevicaulis in highly selective field conditions. Genetics 172: 2481-2489.
  • Bouck, A.C., R. Peeler, M.L. Arnold and S.R. Wessler. 2005. Genetic mapping of species boundaries in Louisiana Irises using IRRE retrotransposon display markers. Genetics 171: 1289-1303.
  • Martin, N.H., A.C. Bouck and M.L. Arnold. 2005. Loci affecting long-term hybrid survivability in Louisiana Irises: Implications for reproductive isolation and introgression. Evolution 59: 2116-2124.
  • Arnold, M.L. 2004. Natural hybridization and the evolution of domesticated, pest, and disease organisms. Molecular Ecology 13: 997-1007.
  • Arnold, M.L. and E.J. Larson. 2004. Evolution's New Look. The Wilson Quarterly (Autumn) pp. 60-72.
  • Cornman, R.S., J.M. Burke, R.A. Wesselingh and M.L. Arnold. 2004. Contrasting genetic structure of adults and progeny in a Louisiana Iris hybrid population. Evolution 58: 2669-2681.
  • Johnston, J.A., L.A. Donovan and M.L. Arnold. 2004. Novel phenotypes among early generation hybrids of two Louisiana Iris species: Flooding experiments. Journal of Ecology 92: 967-976.
  • Kentner, E.K., M.L. Arnold and S.R. Wessler. 2003. Characterization of high copy number retrotransposons from the large genomes of the Louisiana Iris species and their use as molecular markers. Genetics 164: 685-697.
  • Burke, J.M. and M.L. Arnold. 2001. Genetics and the fitness of hybrids. Annual Review of Genetics 35: 31-52.
  • Burke, J.M., M.R. Bulger, R.A. Wesselingh and M.L. Arnold. 2000. Frequency and spatial patterning of clonal reproduction in Louisiana Iris hybrid populations. Evolution 54: 137-144.
  • Arnold, M.L. 1997. Natural Hybridization and Evolution. Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution, Oxford University Press.

“Collaborative proposal: Genetic architecture of reproductive isolation and introgression in experimental and natural hybrid zones in Louisiana Irises” – NSF (DEB-0949479/0949424; 3/2010 - 2/2013; $408,138 awarded to University of Georgia, $129,494 awarded to Texas State University – San Marcos)