Marcelo Pires
Contact Information
Personal Information
Biography
Dr. Marcelo Pires has a research background in evolutionary biology with an emphasis on the evolution of reproductive modes in animals. He has been teaching at Saddleback College since 2008. He teaches a variety of courses for the Biological Sciences Department, including Principles of Cellular Biology (General Biology I - Bio 4A), Principles of Organismal Biology (General Biology II, Bio 4B), General Biology for non-bio majors (Bio 20), Animal Behavior (Bio 43), Human Evolution (Bio 40), Human Biology (Bio 30), Human Anatomy (Bio 11/110), Human Physiology (Bio 12/120), and Biology of Human Disease (Bio 45). He also teaches a study abroad program in Brazil or Costa Rica (Bio 230, Bio 231, or Bio 234) during summer.
Formal Education
2007 - Ph.D. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of California, Riverside
Advisor: Dr. David N. Reznick
Dissertation Title: The Evolution of Placentas in Poeciliid Fishes
2001 - M.Sc., Biology
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Advisor: Dr. Glenn R. Stewart
Thesis Title: Allocation of Reproductive Output in the Western Pond Turtle (Clemmys marmorata) in Southern California
1998 - B.Sc., Biology. Summa cum laude
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
1994-1995 – Early undergraduate work, Biology
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (UFRJ)
Recent Publications/Presentations
- Nunes, C.E.P., Yasseen, K., Luxon, R., Williams, H., Koehler, S., Pires, M. 2018. Orchids of the State Park of Serra do Mar, São Paulo, Brazil Núcleo Santa Virgínia. The Field Museum of Natural History Field Guides. Field Guide #1000. https://fieldguides.fieldmuseum.org/guides/guide/1000
- Pires, M. N. and D. N. Reznick. 2018. Life-history evolution in the fish genus Poecilia (Poeciliidae: Cyprinodontiformes: subgenus Pamphorichthys): an evolutionary origin of extensive matrotrophy decoupled from superfetation. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 125(3): 547–560.
- Pires, M. N., A. I. Banet, B. J. A. Pollux, D. N. Reznick. 2011. Reproductive strategies in poeciliine fishes. In Evans, J., A. Pilastro and I. Schlupp (eds.). Ecology and Evolution of Poeciliid Fishes. The University of Chicago Press.
- Pires, M. N., K.E. McBride, R. D. Bassar, J. U. Regus, T. Garland, Jr, and D. N. Reznick. 2011. Why do placentas evolve? An evaluation of the life-history facilitation hypothesis in the fish genus Poeciliopsis. Functional Ecology 25(4): 757-768.
- Meredith, R. W., M. N. Pires, D. N. Reznick, M. S. Springer. 2011. Molecular phylogenetic relationships and the coevolution of placentotrophy and superfetation in Poecilia (Poeciliidae: Cyprinodontiformes). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 59(1):148-57
- Meredith, R. W., M. N. Pires, D. N. Reznick, M. S. Springer. 2010. A Molecular Phylogeny for Poecilia (Micropoecilia) (Poeciliidae: Cyprinodontiformes) Based on Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA Sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 55: 631–639.
- Pires, M. N., J. Arendt, D. N. Reznick. 2010. The evolution of placentas and superfetation in the fish genus Poecilia (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae: subgenera Micropoecilia and Acanthophacelus). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 99: 784–796
- Pollux, B. J. A., M.N. Pires, A.I. Banet, D.N. Reznick. 2009. Evolution of Placentas in the Fish Family Poeciliidae: An Empirical Study of Macroevolution. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 40: 271-28
- Turcotte, M. M., M. N. Pires, R. C. Vrijenhoek, and D. N. Reznick. 2008. Pre- and postfertilization maternal provisioning in livebearing fish species and their hybrids (Poeciliidae: Poeciliopsis). Functional Ecology 22:1118-1124.
- Pires, M. N., K. E. McBride, and D. N. Reznick. 2007. Interpopulation variation in life-history traits of Poeciliopsis prolifica: implications for the study of placental evolution. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A 307A:113-125. [Issue Cover Article; erratum published on May 2007]
- Goodman, R. H., Jr., S. K. Watanabe, K. P. Condon, M. N. Pires, and M. S. Benton. 1998. Batrachoseps gabrieli (San Gabriel Mountain slender salamander). Herpetological Review 29:171.
- Pires, M. N., and L. Seldin. 1997. Evaluation of Biolog system for identification of strains of Paenibacillus azotofixans. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology 71:195-200.