Education:
Ph.D. (Ecology, Evolution & Behavior) Binghamton University (SUNY), 1995
M.A. (Ecology, Evolution & Behavior) Boston University, 1991
Naturalist Ecologist Training Program, University of Michigan, 1990
B.Sc. (Biology) Grand Valley State University, 1987
Research interests:
Ecological mechanisms of evolutionary differentiation, Ecomorphology, Phenotypic plasticity,
Biometry and shape analysis, Quantitative and molecular genetics, Ecological and evolutionary theory
Teaching:
Excel Biometry – WFSC 670
Population Genetics – GENE 612
Behavioral Ecology – WFSC 622
Introduction to Bioenvironmental Science – BESC 201
Water and Bioenvironmental Science – BESC 320
Fish Ecophysiology – WFSC 448
Some research highlights:
(1) Evolutionary diversification of fish body shape (see example poster)
(2) Inducible defenses in snails with functionally diverse predators (detail)
(3) Performance (functional ecology) studies with aquatic animals (example poster), amphibians (example poster), snails
(4) Theoretical models of evolution in stochastic environments (detail)
(5) Mating behavior of simultaneous hermaphrodites (cartoon)
(6) Theoretical and geometric morphometrics
DeWitt TJ (2022)
A simplified perspective on the index of spatial autocorrelation.
Landscape Ecology 37:657–661. doi 10.1007/s10980-021-01393-6. Author PDF
DeWitt TJ, Prestridge HL (2022)
On the need for antibiotics to reduce subject losses and biases in experiments with aquatic molluscs.
Malacologia 64: 303–307. doi https://doi.org/10.4002/040.064.0211. Author PDF
DeWitt TJ, Troendle NJ, Mateos M, Mauricio R (2022)
Population genetics and independently replicated evolution of predator-associated burst speed ecophenotypy in mosquitofish
Heredity. doi 10.1038/s41437-021-00487-w. Author PDF
Data @ Dryad Data
Harrison K, Tarone A, DeWitt TJ, Medina R (2022)
Predicting the occurrence of host-associated differentiation in parasitic arthropods: A quantitative literature review
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 170:5–22. doi 10.1111/eea.13123. PDF
DeWitt TJ, Fuentes JI, Ioerger TR, Bishop MP (2021)
Rectifying I: three point and continuous fit of the spatial autocorrelation metric, Moran’s I, to ideal form
Landscape Ecology 36: 2897–2918. doi 10.1007/s10980-021-01256-0. Author PDF
Mays JR, DeWitt TJ, Dharampal P, Andrus CFT, Findlay RH (2019)
Frequent habitat migration, phenotypic plasticity, and residual ecophenotypy revealed by isotope-based natal habitat inference in bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus
Evolutionary Ecology Research 20(6):xx-xx. Online early version at http://www.evolutionary-ecology.com/issues/forthcoming/ar3235.pdf
DeWitt TJ, McCarthy TM, Washick DL, Clark AB, Langerhans RB (2018)
Predator avoidance behaviour in response to turtles and its adaptive value in the freshwater snail Planorbella campanulata
Journal of Molluscan Studies 84: 266-274. doi 10.1093/mollus/eyy025. PDF
Chinchilla-Ramírez M, Borrego EJ, DeWitt TJ, Kolomiets MV, Bernal JS (2017)
Maize seedling morphology and defence hormone profiles, but not herbivory tolerance, were mediated by domestication and modern breeding
Annals of Applied Biology 170:315-332. doi 10.1111/aab.12331
Bucksch A, Atta-Boateng A, ... DeWitt TJ, ... Chitwood DH (2017)
Morphological plant modeling: unleashing geometric and topological potential within the plant sciences
Frontiers in Plant Science 8:900. doi 10.3389/fpls.2017.00900PDF
Smith HL, DeWitt TJ (2017)
The northern fluted point complex: technological and morphological evidence of adaptation and risk in the late Pleistocene-Early Holocene Arctic
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. doi 10.1007/s12520-016-0335-y
PDF
DWitt TJ (2016)
Expanding the phenotypic plasticity paradigm to broader views of trait space and ecological function
Current Zoology 62:463–473. doi 10.1093/cz/zow085 (open access)
Carlson KB, de Ruiter DJ, DeWitt TJ, McNulty K, Carlson K, Tafforeau P, Berger LR (2016)
Developmental simulation of the adult cranial morphology of Australopithecus sediba.
South African Journal of Science 112: 20160012. doi 10.17159/sajs.2016/20160012 (open access)
Santamaria C, Mateos M, DeWitt TJ, Hurtado L (2016)
Constrained body shape among highly genetically divergent allopatric lineages of the supralittoral isopod Ligia occidentalis (Oniscidea)
Ecology and Evolution 6:1537–1554. doi 10.1002/ece3.1984 (open access)
Timm-Davis LL, DeWitt TJ, Marshal CD (2015)
Divergent skull morphology supports two trophic specializations in otters (Lutrinae).
PLOS ONE 10(12):e014326. doi 10.1371/journal.pone.0143236 (open access)
Kim D, DeWitt TJ, Costa CSB, Kupfer JA, McEwan RW, Stallins JA (2015)
Beyond bivariate correlations: three-block partial least squares illustrated with vegetation, soil, and topography
Ecosphere 6(8):art135. doi 10.1890/ES15-0074.1 (open access)
Davis KM, ...DeWitt TJ, Riley DG (2015)
Digital quantification of eye pigmentation of cattle with white faces.
Journal of Animal Science 93:3654-3660. doi 10.2527/jas2014-8786PDF
Smith HL, Smallwood AM, DeWitt TJ (2014)
A geometric morphometric exploration of Clovis fluted point shape variability.
In: Smallwood AM, Jennings TA (Eds.), Clovis: On the Edge of a New Understanding, Texas A&M University Press.
Cope JL, Hammett AJM, Kolomiets EA, Forrest AK, Golub KW, Hollister EB, DeWitt TJ, Gentry TJ, Holtzapple MT, Wilkinson HH (2014)
Evaluating the performance of carboxylate platform fermentations across diverse inocula originating as sediments from extreme environments
Bioresource Technology 155:388–394. doi 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.12.105 PDF
Brophy JK, de Ruiter DJ, Athreya S, DeWitt TJ (2014)
Quantitative morphological analysis of bovid teeth and implications for paleoenvironment reconstruction of Plovers Lake, Gauteng Province, South Africa
Journal of Archaeological Science 41:376–388. doi 10.1016/j.jas.2013.08.005PDF
Santamaria CA, Mateos M, Taiti S, DeWitt TJ, Hurtado LA (2013)
A complex evolutionary history in a remote archipelago: phylogeography and morphometrics of the Hawaiian endemic Ligia isopods
PLOS ONE 8: e85199. 10.1371/journal.pone.0085199 (open access)
Data @ Dryad Data
Dávila-Flores AM, DeWitt TJ, Bernal JS (2013)
Facilitated by nature and agriculture: performance of a specialist herbivore improves with host-plant life history evolution, domestication, and breeding
Oecologia 173:1425-1437. PDF
De Ruiter DJ, DeWitt TJ, Carlson KB, Brophy JK, Schroeder L, Ackermann RR, Churchill SE, Berger LR (2013)
Mandibular remains support taxonomic validity of Australopithecus sediba.
Science 340:1232997.
PDFSOM
Chaves-Campos J, Coghill LM, Al-Salamah MA, DeWitt TJ, Johnson SG (2012)
Field heritabilities and lack of correlation of snail shell form and antipredator function estimated using Bayesian and maximum likelihood methods
Evolutionary Ecology Research 14:743–755.
PDF
Langerhans RB, DeWitt TJ, Gifford ME, García-Bedoya D, Domínguez-Domínguez O (2012) Gambusia quadruncus (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae): a new species of mosquitofish from east-central Mexico
Journal of Fish Biology 81:1514-1539.
PDF
Ginter CC, DeWitt TJ, Fish FE, Marshall CD (2012)
Fused traditional and geometric morphometrics demonstrate pinniped whisker diversity.
PloS One 7(4):e34481.
(open access)
Ruehl CB, Shervette V, DeWitt TJ (2011)
Replicated shape variation between simple and complex habitats in two estuarine fishes
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 103:147–158
PDF
Tobler M, DeWitt TJ, Schlupp I, García de León FJ, Herrmann R, Feulner PGD, Tiedemann R, Plath M (2008)
Toxic hydrogen sulfid and dark caves: Phenotypic and genetic divergence across two abiotic environmental gradients in Poecilia mexicana
Evolution 62:2643-2658.
PDF
Johnson JB, Burt DB, DeWitt TJ (2008)
Form, function, fitness—pathways to survival.
Evolution 62:1243-1251.
PDF[2008 ASIH Poster]
McEachran JD, DeWitt TJ (2008)
A new livebearing fish, Heterandria tuxtlaensis, from Lake Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae)
Zootaxa 1824:45-54
PDF
Ruehl CB, DeWitt TJ (2007)
Trophic plastcity and foraging performance in red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus (Linnaeus)
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology 349:284-294
PDF
Langerhans RB, Chapman LJ, DeWitt TJ (2007)
Multiple phenotypes, multiple environmental gradients: complex phenotype-environment associations in an East African cyprinid
Journal of Evolutionary Biology 20:1171–1181
PDF[2008 ASIH Poster]
Chapman LJ, DeWitt TJ, Tzaneva V, Paterson J (2007)
Interdemic variation in gill morphology of a eurytopic African cichlid
Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium: Fish Physiology, Toxicology, and Water Quality.
EPA publication 600R07010:209-225
PDF
Dayton GH, Saenz D, Baum KA, Langerhans RB, DeWitt TJ (2005)
Body shape, burst speed and predator susceptibility of larval anurans
Oikos 111:582-591
PDF
Langerhans RB, Layman CA, DeWitt TJ (2005)
Male genital size reflects a tradeoff between attracting mates and avoiding predators in two livebearing fish species
Proceedings of the National Academies of Science USA 102:7618-7623.
PDF
Ruehl CB, DeWitt TJ (2005)
Trophic plasticity and fine-grained resource variation in populations of western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis
Evolutionary Ecology Research 7:801–819
PDF
Langerhans RB, Layman CA, Shokrollahi AM, DeWitt TJ (2004)
Predator-driven phenotypic diversification in Gambusia affinis
Evolution 58:2305–2318.
PDF
Langerhans RB, DeWitt TJ (2004)
Shared and unique features of evolutionary diversification
American Naturalist 164:335-349.
PDF
DeWitt TJ, Scheiner SM, Eds. (2004)
Phenotypic Plasticity. Functional and Conceptual Approaches
New York: Oxford University Press.
Chapter 1: DeWitt TJ, Scheiner SM (2004) Phenotypic Variation From Single Genotypes: A Primer PDF
Chapter 7: DeWitt TJ, Langerhans RB (2004) Integrated solutions to environmental heterogeneity: Theory of multimoment reaction norms
Chapter 13: Scheiner SM, DeWitt TJ (2004) Future research directions
Langerhans RB, Layman CA, Langerhans AK, DeWitt TJ (2003)
Opposite habitat-based divergence in two fishes within a tropical blackwater river
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 80:89-98.
PDF
DeWitt TJ, Langerhans RB (2003)
Multiple prey traits, multiple predators: keys to understanding complex community dynamics
Journal of Sea Research 49:143-155.
PDF
Langerhans RB, DeWitt TJ (2002)
Plasticity constrained: Overgeneralized induction cues cause maladaptive phenotypes
Evolutionary Ecology Research 4:857-870.
PDF
DeWitt TJ, Robinson BW, Wilson DS (2000)
Functional diversity among predators of a freshwater snail imposes an adaptive tradeoff for shell morphology
Evolutionary Ecology Research 2:129-148.
PDF
DeWitt TJ, Sih A, Hucko JA (1999)
Trait compensation and cospecialization in a freshwater snail: Size, shape and antipredator behaviour
Animal Behaviour 58:397-407.
PDF
DeWitt TJ, Sih A, Wilson DS (1998)
Costs and limits of phenotypic plasticity
Trends in Ecology & Evolution 13:77-81.
PDF
DeWitt TJ, Yoshimura J (1998)
The fitness threshhold model: Random environmental change alters adaptive landscapes
Evolutionary Ecology 12:615-626.
PDF
DeWitt TJ (1998)
Costs and limits of phenotypic plasticity: Tests with predator-induced morphology and life history in a freshwater snail
Journal of Evolutionary Biology 11:465-480.;
PDF
DeWitt TJ (1997)
Optimizing clutch size in birds (Correspondence)
Trends in Ecology & Evolution 12:443.
PDF
DeWitt TJ (1996)
Gender contests in a simultaneous hermaphrodite snail: A size-advantage model for behaviour
Animal Behaviour 51:345-351.
PDF
DeWitt TJ (1993)
Nest-site preference in male fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas
Canadian Journal of Zoology 71:1276-1279 PDF
DeWitt TJ (1991) nbsp;
Mating behavior of the freshwater pulmonate snail, Physa gyrina nbsp; nbsp;
American Malacological Bulletin 9:81-85.
PDF
Excel Biometry – WFSC 670 
Some research highlights: 
 Malacologia.jpg)
 Heredity.jpg)