Ron Bassar

Ron Bassar
At Williams since 2017

Areas of Expertise

Evolutionary Ecology

Scholarship/Creative Work

Representative Publications (for full list click: google scholar):

45. van der Zee, M.J., J.R. Whiting, J.R. Paris, R.D. Bassar, J. Travis, D. Weigel, D.N. Reznick & B.A. Fraser. In press. Rapid genomic convergent evolution in experimental populations of Trinidadian guppies. Evolution Letters.

44. Anaya-Rojas, J. M., R. D. Bassar, *T. Potter, **A. Blanchette, **S. Callahan, **N. Framstead, D. N. Reznick, and J. Travis. 2021. The evolution of size-dependent competitive interactions promote species coexistence. The Journal of Animal Ecology. 90: 2704-2717.

43. Bassar, R. D., T. Coulson, J. Travis, and D. N. Reznick. 2021. Towards a more precise—and accurate—view of eco-evolution. Ecology Letters. 24: 623-625.

42. Leduc, A. O. H. C., S. A. Thomas, R. D. Bassar, A. López-Sepulcre, **K. MacNeil, R. El-Sabaawi, D. N. Reznick, A. S. Flecker, and J. Travis. 2021. The experimental range extension of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) influences the metabolic activity of tropical streams. Oecologia. 195: 1053-1069.

41. Germain, R.M., S.P. Hart, M.M. Turcotte, S.P. Otto, J. Sakarchi, J. Rolland, T. Usui, A.L. Angert, D. Schluter, R.D. Bassar, T. Waters, F. Henao-Diaz, and A.M. Siepielski. in press. On the origin of coexisting species. Trends in Ecology & Evolution.

40. Rogowski, E., A. D. Van Alst, J. Travis, D. N. Reznick, T. Coulson, and R. D. Bassar. 2020. Novel parasite invasion leads to demographic compensation and recovery in an experimental population of guppies (Poecilia reticulata). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 117(36): p. 22580-22589.

39. Potter, T., R. D. Bassar, P. Bentzen, E. W. Ruell, J. Torres-Dowdall, C. A. Handelsman, C. K. Ghalambor, J. Travis, D. N. Reznick, and T. Coulson. In press. Environmental change, if unaccounted, prevents detection of cryptic evolution in a wild population. The American Naturalist.

38. Griffiths, J. I., D. Z. Childs, R. D. Bassar, T. Coulson, D. N. Reznick, and M. Rees. 2020. Individual differences determine the strength of ecological interactions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 117: 17068-17073.

37. Grinder, R. M., R. D. Bassar, and S. K. Auer. 2020. Upper thermal limits are repeatable in Trinidadian guppies. Journal of Thermal Biology. 90: 102597.

36. Auer, S. K., R. D. Bassar, D. Turek, G. J. Anderson, S. McKelvey, J. D. Armstrong, K. H. Nislow, H. K. Downie, T. A. J. Morgan, D. McLennan, N. B. Metcalfe. 2020. Metabolic rate interacts with resource availability to determine individual variation in microhabitat use in the wild. The American Naturalist. 196: 132-144.

35. Reznick, D. N., S. De Bona, A. López-Sepulcre, M. Torres-Mejía, R. D. Bassar, P. Bentzen, and J. Travis. 2020. Experimental study of species invasion in a natural community: early population dynamics and role of disturbance in invasion success. Ecological Monographs. e01413.

34. Reznick, D. N.‡, R.D. Bassar‡, C. Handelsman‡, C. Ghalambor, J. Arendt, T. Coulson, T. Potter, E. Ruell, J.Torres Dowdall, P. Bentzen, J. Travis‡. 2019. Eco-evolutionary feedbacks predict the time course of rapid life history evolution. The American Naturalist. 194: 671-692.

33. McLennan, D., S. K. Auer, G. J. Anderson, T. C. Reid, R. D Bassar, D. C. Stewart, E. Cauwelier, J. Sampayo, S. McKelvey, K. H. Nislow, J. D. Armstrong, N. B. Metcalfe, N. 2019, Simulating nutrient release from parental carcasses increases the growth, biomass and genetic diversity of juvenile Atlantic salmon. Journal of Applied Ecology. 56: 1937-1947.

32. Potter, T., L. King, R.D. Bassar. 2018. Competitive asymmetry and local adaptation in Trinidadian guppies. Journal of Animal Ecology. 88: 340-342.

31. Hamel, S., J.-M. Gaillard, N.G. Yoccoz, R.D. Bassar, S. Bouwhuis, H. Caswell, M. Douhard, E.J. Gangloff, O. Gimenez, P.C. Lee, I. M. Smallegange, U.K. Steiner, O. Vedder, Y. Vindenes. 2018. Moving forward on individual heterogeneity. Oikos. 127:750-756.

†30. Auer, S. K., G. J. Anderson, S. McKelvey, R. D. Bassar, D. McLennan, J. D. Armstrong, K. H. Nislow, H. K. Downie, L. McKelvey, T. A. J. Morgan, K. Salin, D. L. Orell, A. Gauthey, T. C. Reid, and N. B. Metcalfe. 2018. Nutrients from salmon parents alter selection pressures on their offspring. Ecology Letters. 21(2): 287-295.
†Nominated for Faculty of 1000

29. Bassar, R.D., J. Travis, and T. Coulson. 2017. Predicting coexistence in species with continuous niche shifts and competitive asymmetry. Ecology. 98(11): 2823-2836.

28. Simon, T.N., R.D. Bassar, A.J. Binderup, A.S. Flecker, M.C. Freeman, J.F. Gilliam, M.C. Marshall, S.A. Thomas, J. Travis, D.N. Reznick, and C.M. Pringle. 2017. Local adaptation in Trinidadian guppies alters stream ecosystem structure at landscape scales despite high environmental variability. Copeia. 105(3):504-513.

27. Bassar, R.D., T.N. Simon, W. Roberts, J. Travis, D.N. Reznick. 2017. The evolution of coexistence: reciprocal adaptation promotes the assembly of a simple community. Evolution. 71: 373-385.

26. Bassar, R.D., B.L. Bryan, M.C. Marshall, C.M. Pringle, D.N. Reznick, and J.
Travis. 2017. Local adaptation of fish consumers alters primary production through changes in algal community composition and diversity. Oikos. 126:594-603.

25. Auer, S.K., R.D. Bassar, K. Salin, and N. Metcalfe. 2016. Repeatability of metabolic rate is lower for animals living under field versus laboratory conditions. Journal of Experimental Biology. 219: 631-634.

24. Bassar, R.D., D. Childs, M. Rees, S. Tuljapurkar, D. Reznick and T. Coulson. 2016. The effects of asymmetric competition on the life history of Trinidadian guppies. Ecology Letters. 19: 268-278.

23. Bassar, R.D., B.H. Letcher, K. Nislow and A. Whiteley. 2016. Seasonal changes in climate outpace compensatory density dependence in eastern brook trout. Global Change Biology. 22: 577-593.

22. Bassar, R. D., T. I. Heatherly, M. C. Marshall, S. A. Thomas, A. S. Flecker, and D. N. Reznick. 2015. Population size structure dependent fitness and ecosystem consequences in Trinidadian guppies. Journal of Animal Ecology. 84:955-968.

21. El-Sabaawi‡, R. W., R.D. Bassar‡, C. Rakowski, M.C. Marshall, B.L. Bryan, S. N. Thomas, C. Pringle, D.N. Reznick and A.S. Flecker. 2015. Intraspecific phenotypic differences in fish affect ecosystem processes as much as bottom–up factors. Oikos. 124:1181-1191.

20. El-Sabaawi, R., M. C. Marshall, R. D. Bassar, A. López-Sepulcre, C. Dalton, and E. P. Palkovacs. 2015. Assessing the effects of guppy life history evolution on nutrient recycling: from experiments to the field. Freshwater Biology. 60:590-601.

19. Letcher, B. P. Schueller, R. D. Bassar, K. Nislow, J. Coombs, K. Sakrejda, M. Morrissey, D. Sigourney, A. Whiteley, M. O’Donnell. 2015. Robust estimates of environmental effects on population vital rates: an integrated capture-recapture model of seasonal brook trout growth, survival and movement in a stream network. Journal of Animal Ecology. 84:337-352.

18. Travis, J., D. N. Reznick, R. D. Bassar, A. López-Sepulcre, R. Ferriere, and T. Coulson. 2014. Do eco-evo feedbacks help us understand nature? Answers from studies of the Trinidadian guppy. Pages 1-40 in J. Moya-Larano, J. Rowntree, and G. Woodward, editors. Advances in Ecological Research.

17. Bassar, R. D., Auer, S. K. & Reznick, D. N. 2014. Why do placentas evolve? A test of the life history facilitation hypothesis in two clades in the genus Poeciliopsis representing two independent origins of placentas. Functional Ecology. 28:999-1010.

16. Bassar, R. D., D. N. Reznick, A. López-Sepulcre, and J. Travis. 2013. Experimental evidence for density-dependent regulation and selection on Trinidadian guppy life histories. The American Naturalist 181:25-38.

15. Marshall, M. C., A. J. Binderup, E. Zandona, S. Goutte, R. D. Bassar, R. El-Sabaawi, S. A. Thomas, A. S. Flecker, S. S. Kilham, D. N. Reznick, and C. M. Pringle. 2012. Effects of consumer interaction on benthic resources and ecosystem processes in a Neotropical stream. PLoS One 7:1-11.

14. Bassar‡, R. D., R. Ferriere‡, A. López-Sepulcre, M. C. Marshall, J. Travis, C. M. Pringle, and D. N. Reznick. 2012. Direct and indirect ecosystem effects evolutionary adaptation in Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata). The American Naturalist 180:167-185.

13. Reznick, D. N., R. D. Bassar, and F. H. Rodd. 2012. The demographics of density regulation in guppies (Poecilia reticulata). Evolution. 66:2903-2915

†12. Auer, S.K., A. Lopez-Sepulcre, T. Heatherly II, T.J. Kohler, R. D. Bassar, S.A. Thomas, D.N. Reznick. 2012. Life histories have a history: Effects of past and present conditions on adult somatic growth rates in wild Trinidadian guppies. Journal of Animal Ecology 81:818-826.
†Elton prize winner, British Ecological Society

11. Zandonà, E., S. K. Auer, S. S. Kilham, J. H. Howard, A. López-Sepulcre, M. P. O’Connor, R. D. Bassar, A. Osorio, C. M. Pringle, and D. N. Reznick. 2011. Diet quality and prey selectivity correlate with life histories and predation regime in Trinidadian guppies. Functional Ecology 25:964-973.

10. Pires, M. N., R. D. Bassar, K. E. McBride, J. U. Regus, T. Garland, and D. N. Reznick. 2011. Why do placentas evolve? An evaluation of the life-history facilitation hypothesis in the fish genus Poeciliopsis. Functional Ecology 25:757-768.

9. Walsh, M. R., D. F. Fraser, R. D. Bassar, and D. N. Reznick. 2011. The direct and indirect effects of guppies: implications for life-history evolution in Rivulus hartii. Functional Ecology 25:227-237.
†Runner up for the Haldane Prize for Young Investigators

8. Bassar, R. D., A. López-Sepulcre, M. R. Walsh, M. Turcotte, R. M. Torres-Mejia, and D. N. Reznick. 2010. Bridging the gap between ecology and evolution: integrating density regulation and life history evolution. The Year in Evolutionary Biology 1206:17-34.

†7. Bassar, R. D., M. C. Marshall, A. Lopez-Sepulcre, E. Zandona , S. K. Auer, J. Travis, C. M. Pringle, A. S. Flecker, S. A. Thomas, D. F. Fraser, and D. N. Reznick. 2010. Local adaptation in Trinidadian guppies alters ecosystem processes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.107:3616-3621.
†Hynes Award for Young Investigators, Society for Freshwater Science
†Runner up Thomas M. Frost Award for Excellence in Graduate Research-ESA

6. Auer, S., R. D. Bassar, J. J. Fontaine, and T. E. Martin. 2007. Breeding biology of passerine in a subtropical montane forest in northwestern Argentina. The Condor 109:321-333.

5. Auer, S., D. M. Logue, R. D. Bassar, and D. E. Gammon. 2007. Nesting biology of the black-bellied wren (Thryothorus fasciatoventris) in central Panama. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 119:71-76.

4. Auer, S. K., R. D. Bassar, and T. E. Martin. 2007. Biparental incubation in the chestnut-vented tit-babbler (Parisoma subcaeruleum): mates devote equal time, but males keep eggs warmer. Journal of Avian Biology 38:278-283.

3. Martin, T. E., S. K. Auer, R. D. Bassar, A. M. Niklison, and P. Lloyd. 2007. Geographic variation in avian incubation periods and parental influences on embryonic temperature. Evolution 61:2558-2569.

2. Martin, T. E., R. D. Bassar, S. K. Bassar, J. J. Fontaine, P. Lloyd, H. A. Mathewson, A. M. Niklison, and A. Chalfoun. 2006. Life-history and ecological correlates of geographic variation in egg and clutch mass among passerine species. Evolution 60:390-398.

1. Lloyd, P., T.E. Martin, R.L. Redmond, M.M. Hart, U. Langer, and R.D. Bassar. 2006. Assessing the influence of spatial scale on the relationship between avian nesting success and forest fragmentation: A case study.in J. Wu, K.B. Jones, H. Li, and O.L. Loucks, editors. Scaling and Uncertainty Analysis in Ecology: Methods and Applications. Columbia University Press, New York.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE:

Associate Editor, Journal of Animal Ecology