Karen Carleton

Portrait of Karen Carleton

Karen Carleton

Biology Professor
kcarleto@umd.edu 2130 Bioscience Research Bldg.
301 405 6929

Teaching

  • BSCI 207: Principles of Biology III - Organismal Biology
  • BSCI 338C: Genomics of Sensory Systems
  • BSCI 338V: Biology of Vision
  • BSCI 338W: Animal Communication
  • PHYS 131: Fundamentals of Physics for Biologists

Graduate Program Affiliations


Research Interests 

Evolution of visual systems and visual communication: genetics of visual system tuning; physical modeling of color signals and visual discrimination. African cichlid fishes serve as a model to explore how natural and sexual selection drive communication. Evolution of rod and cone phototransduction: tuning photoreceptor responsivity through evolution of protein structure and gene expression. A comparative genomic approach utilizing a diversity of vertebrates including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and agnathans.


All Publications

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BISI Concentration Areas

BEES

PSYS


Latest Papers

Parallel phenotypes underpinned by different genes in the visual system of two trans-isthmian coral reef fish species pairs


Author(s): Michele ER Pierotti, Eirlys Elizabeth Tysall, Marc P Hoeppner, et. al
UMD Author(s): Karen Carleton


Rapid Divergence of Visual Systems and Signaling Traits to Contrasting Light Regimes During Early Speciation of African Crater Lake Cichlid Fish

| Molecular Biology and Evolution
Author(s): Madeleine Carruthers, Karen L Carleton, Tyler Linderoth, et. al
UMD Author(s): Karen Carleton


Environmental plasticity in opsin expression due to light and thyroid hormone in adult and developing Astatotilapia burtoni

| Hydrobiologia
Author(s): Melissa M. Schreiner, Miranda R. Yourick, Scott A. Juntti, et. al
UMD Author(s): Karen Carleton, Scott Juntti


Testing Wickler’s hypothesis: cichlids are unable to distinguish eggs from egg spots in the wild

| Hydrobiologia
Author(s): Zeke M. Gonzalez, Scott A. Juntti, Karen L. Carleton
UMD Author(s): Karen Carleton, Scott Juntti


Long‐wavelength‐sensitive (lws) opsin gene expression, foraging and visual communication in coral reef fishes

| Molecular Ecology
Author(s): Sara M. Stieb, Fabio Cortesi, Luiz Jardim de Queiroz, et. al
UMD Author(s): Karen Carleton


A novel exome probe set captures phototransduction genes across birds (Aves) enabling efficient analysis of vision evolution

| Molecular Ecology Resources
Author(s): Noor D. White, Zachary A. Batz, Edward L. Braun, et. al
UMD Author(s): Karen Carleton, Michael Braun


Chromosome‐level assembly of southern catfish (silurus meridionalis) provides insights into visual adaptation to nocturnal and benthic lifestyles

| Molecular Ecology Resources
Author(s): Shuqing Zheng, Feng Shao, Wenjing Tao, et. al
UMD Author(s): Karen Carleton


Turning red to green repeatedly: ancient LWS duplications drive convergent visual tuning in teleost fishes


Author(s): Fabio Cortesi, Daniel Escobar Camacho, Gina Maria Sommer, et. al
UMD Author(s): Karen Carleton


Axes of visual adaptation in the ecologically diverse family Cichlidae

| Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology
Author(s): Karen L. Carleton, Miranda R. Yourick
UMD Author(s): Karen Carleton


Tbx2a Modulates Switching of RH2 and LWS Opsin Gene Expression

| Molecular Biology and Evolution
Author(s): Benjamin A Sandkam, Laura Campello, Conor O’Brien, et. al
UMD Author(s): Karen Carleton