Greg Thom
Assistant Professor
SEE Division
2014-2018 - Ph.D., Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, University of S茫o Paulo, S茫o
Paulo-SP, Brazil
2010-2013 - M.S., Zoology, Federal University of Para, Belem-PA, Brazil
2006-2010 - B.S. Biology, Regional University of Blumenau, Blumenau-SC, Brazil
Office: 204 Foster Hall
Phone: 681-285-7137
Email: gthom@lsu.edu
Area of Interest
Tropical regions are hotspots to study speciation due to their diverse biological communities with complex patterns of geographic distribution, and unique ecological attributes. Despite the amazing potential of these regions to explore fundamental questions in evolutionary biology, we are still far from having a comprehensive understanding of the phenotypic traits and genomic underpinnings that allow populations to adapt to heterogeneous environments, and integrate dense species assemblages. My lab has an integrative research program centered on the use of scientific collections that bridge evolution, ecology, and organismal biology to explore the processes driving bird diversification in the Tropics. We develop population genomic studies that link theory with empirical models to produce general insights on the neutral and adaptive mechanisms underlying avian speciation across multiple evolutionary scales, from genomics of species interactions to community-wide patterns of diversification. Our research makes ample use of computational tools, such as supervised machine learning approaches, designed to track genomic signatures of selection, test alternative modes of speciation, and estimate demographic parameters.
Selected Publications
Smith, B. T.; J. Merwin; K. L. Provost; G. Thom; R. T. Brumfield; M. Ferreira; W. M. Mauck iii; R. G. Moyle; T. Wright; L. Joseph. Phylogenomic analysis of the parrots of the world distinguishes artifactual from biological sources of gene tree discordance. Systematic Biology syac055. 2022.
Thom, G.; Moreira, L.R.; Batista, R.; Gehara, M.; Aleixo, A.; Smith, B. Genomic architecture controls spatial structuring in Amazonian birds. BioRxiv 2021.12.01.470789 Submission to Molecular Ecology, 2022.
Musher, L.J.; Giakoumis, M.; Albert, J.; Del Rio, G.; Rego, M.; Thom, G.; Aleixo, A.; Ribas, C.C.; Brumfield, R.T.; Smith, B.T.; Cracraft, J. River network rearrangements promote speciation in lowland Amazonian birds. Science Advances, 2022.
Thom,鈥屸 G.鈥; 鈥屸孯ibas, 鈥屸孋.; 鈥屸孲hultz, 鈥屸孍.; 鈥屸孉leixo, 鈥屸孉.; 鈥屸孧iyaki, 鈥屸孋. 鈥屸孻. 鈥屸孭opulation 鈥屸宒ynamics 鈥屸宱f 鈥屸孉mazonian 鈥屸宖loodplain鈥屸 forest鈥屸 specialists 鈥屸宻upport 鈥屸宻patial 鈥屸寁ariation 鈥屸宱n 鈥屸実enetic 鈥屸宒iversity 鈥屸宐ut 鈥屸宯ot 鈥屸宺ange鈥 鈥宔xpansions 鈥屸宼hrough 鈥屸宼ime. 鈥屸孞ournal鈥屸 of鈥屸 Biogeography, 2022
Raposo-do-Amaral,鈥屸 F.;鈥屸 Thom, 鈥屸孏.鈥; 鈥屸孡ima鈥怰ibeiro, 鈥屸孧. 鈥屸孲.; 鈥屸孉lvarado鈥怱errano, 鈥屸孌. 鈥屸孎.; 鈥屸孧ontesanti, 鈥屸孞. 鈥屸孉. 鈥屸孋.;鈥屸 Pellegrino,鈥 鈥孠.;鈥屸 Miyaki鈥 鈥孋.鈥屸孧.;鈥屸 Hickerson,鈥 M.鈥屸孞.;鈥屸孧aldonado鈥怌oelho,鈥屸孧.鈥屸 Rugged鈥屸 relief,鈥 and鈥屸 climate鈥屸 promote鈥屸 isolation鈥屸 and鈥屸 divergence鈥屸 between鈥屸 two鈥屸 neotropical鈥屸 cold鈥恆ssociated鈥屸 birds.鈥 Evolution,鈥屸 2021
Thom, G.; M. Gehara; Smith, B. T.; Miyaki, C. Y.; Amaral, F. R. Microevolutionary dynamics show tropical valleys are deeper for montane birds of the Atlantic Forest. Nature Communications 12: 6269, 2021
Thom, G.; Smith, B. T.; M. Gehara; J. Montesanti; Lima-Ribeiro, M. S. ; Piacentini, V. Q. ; Miyaki, C. Y; Amaral, F. R . Climatic Dynamics And Topography Control Genetic Variation In Atlantic Forest Montane Birds. Molecular Phylogenetics And Evolution, 148 鈥 106812, 2020.
Musher, L.; P. Galante; Thom, G.; J. Huntley; M. Blair. Shifting Ecosystem Connectivity During The Pleistocene Drove Diversification And Gene-flow In A Species-complex Of Neotropical Birds (Tityridae: Pachyramphus). Journal Of Biogeography, 106812, 2020.
Thom, G.; Xue, A. T.; Sawakuchi, A. O.; Ribas, C. C.; Hickerson, M. J.; Aleixo, A.; Miyaki, C. Quaternary Climate Changes As Speciation Drivers In The Amazon Floodplains. Science Advances, V. 6, P. Eaax4718, 2020.
Silva, S. M. ; Peterson, A. T. ; Carneiro, L. ; Burlamaqui, T. C. T. ; Ribas, C.a C. ; Sousa-neves, T. ; Miranda, L. S. ; Fernandes, A. M. ; D'horta, F. M. ; Ara煤jo-silva, L. E. ; Batista, R. ; Bandeira, C. H. M. M. ; Dantas, S. M. ; Ferreira, M. ; Martins, D. M. ; Oliveira, J. ; Rocha, T. C. ; Sardelli, C. H. ; Thom, G. ; R锚go, P. S. ; Santos, M. P. ; Sequeira, F. ; Vallinoto, M. ; Aleixo, A. A Dynamic Continental Moisture Gradient Drove Amazonian Bird Diversification. Science Advances, V. 5, P. Eaat5752, 2019.
Thom, G; Amaral, F R; Hickerson, M J; Aleixo, A; Araujo-Silva, L E; Ribas, C C; Choueri, E; Miyaki, C Y Phenotypic and genetic structure support gene flow generating gene tree discordances in an Amazonian floodplain endemic species. Systematic Biology, 67: 700-718, 2018.
Amaral, F R; Maldonado-Coelho, M; Aleixo, A; Luna, L W; Rego, P; Araripe, J; Souza, T O; Silva, W A G; Thom, G. Recent chapters of neotropical history overlooked in phylogeography: shallow divergence explains phenotype and genotype uncoupling in Antilophia manakins. Molecular Ecology, 27: 4108-4120, 2018. *Journal Cover
Choueri, 脡 L; Gubili, C; Borges, S H; Thom, G; Sawakuchi, AO; Soares, E A A; Ribas, C C. Phylogeography and population dynamics of antbirds (Thamnophilidae) from amazonian fluvial islands. Journal of Biogeography, 47:2284-2294, 2017.
Thom, G; Aleixo, A. Cryptic speciation in the white-shouldered antshrike (Thamnophilus aethiops, Aves - Thamnophilidae): the tale of a transcontinental radiation across rivers in lowland Amazonia and the northeastern Atlantic forest. Molecular Phylogenetics And Evolution, 82: 95-110, 2015.