Aubree Jones
Visiting Lecturer in Biological Sciences
Research and teaching interests in comparative anatomy & physiology of vertebrates, organismal biology, sensory biology, neurobiology, evolutionary biology.
My research experience covers a broad number of topics in vertebrate ecomorphology - the intersection between anatomy/morphology and species ecology. I am interested in how organisms' biology has adapted to their environment, diet, and/or behavior. My past research at Texas A&M University at Galveston included how seal whiskers are used to follow trails generated by swimming fish, hormone levels used as a proxy for reproduction and stress in harbor seals and Steller sea lions, nesting recovery efforts for the endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle, the jaw musculature of Gulf of Mexico shark species, and how salinity affects salt gland morphology in the American Alligator. My PhD dissertation studied the flow-sensing system in three species of North American freshwater fishes. I studied how their sensory systems develop and how climate change can impact development, as well as how fish use their flow-sensing systems in tandem with their other senses to feed on invertebrate prey.
I am teaching Comparative Physiology & Anatomy at Wellesley, and I have taught Human Anatomy & Physiology as well as the Diversity of Fishes at the University of Rhode Island where I completed my PhD.
Outside of the classroom I enjoy yoga, anything on the water (paddle-boarding, SCUBA, fishing, kayaking), skiing, gardening, and hiking with my best adventure buddy, my dog Winston!
Current and upcoming courses
How do animals work? This course addresses the structure, systems of physiology, and energetics of vertebrate animals, with comparisons of the adaptations of animals of different thermal regime, body size, lifestyle, and environment. The laboratories include projects in diversity, respirometry, digestion, muscle energetics, study of comparative anatomy through dissections of vertebrate specimens, and the use of statistics and graphing.
-
A study of life, ranging from the physiology of organisms to the structure of ecosystems. The main themes of the course are evolution and biodiversity, form and function in plants and animals, and ecological interactions among organisms. The course provides the fundamental tools for exploration of organismal biology with the aim of enhancing conceptual understanding. Laboratories focus on experimental approaches to these topics and are shared with BISC 113 and BISC 113Y. Either BISC 110, BISC 110P, BISC 112, BISC 112Y, or BISC 116; or BISC 111, BISC 111T, BISC 113, or BISC 113Y may be taken first. Students must attend lab during the first week in order to continue in the course.. This course has a required co-requisite laboratory: BISC 111L.. Twelve seats have been reserved for sophomores during Initial Registration. The course has a waitlist which will operate on a first-come, first-served basis. If offered a seat, you will receive an offer for the lecture and will be able to accept a seat in the course only if a laboratory which has an available seat can also fit into your schedule. Flexibility for lab times increases your ability to accept an offer.