EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

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Ph.D., Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics
Saint Louis University (2008)
M.A., Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
University of Missouri – Columbia (2004)
B.S., Biology & Natural Sciences – Chemistry
Missouri Western State University (1998)

​Contact Information:
email: cbd63@cornell.edu
office phone: (607) 254-2162

Students interested in conducting research with me should contact me directly to discuss potential opportunities. 

RESEARCH INTERESTS

I am interested in many aspects of ichthyology research including evolutionary biology, natural history, phylogenetics, population genetics, and comparative anatomy. In my work I attempt to integrate these interests into a unified whole with a focus on the power held by specimens deposited in Natural History collections.

​I use a multi-faceted approach to accomplish my research goals, which includes data from genomics, traditional multi-locus DNA sequence datasets, development, and morphological character complexes from CT scans and cleared and stained specimens. These are used to understand species interrelationships and reconstruct hypotheses of relationships. This phylogenetic foundation is then built upon to understand evolutionary phenomena such as temporal diversification using fossil calibrations, elucidating the role that morphology and ecology play in diversification, pattern and process during lineage diversification, and biogeographic history. In addition to the application of phylogenetics to evolutionary biology, I am also deeply interested in philosophical questions related to the practice of phylogenetic systematics.

PUBLICATIONS
García-de-León, F.J., C.B. Dillman, A. de los Santos Camarena*, A. George, F. Camarena-Rosales, I. de los A. Barriga-Sosa and R.L. Mayden. 2020. First steps towards the identification of evolutionarily significant units in Mexican native trout: An assessment of microsatellite variation. Environmental Biology of Fishes. (103): 733-756.

Dillman, CB, C.M. Dardia, W.E. Bemis and A.R. McCune. 2019. The Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates holdings of fishes from South and Central American Waters. Neotropical Ichthyology. 129: 23-26.

de Santana, C.D. C.B. Dillman*, W.R. Crampton* et al. 2019. Unexpected Species Diversity in Electric Eels with a Description of the Strongest Living Bioelectricity Generator. Nature Communications. 10: 4000 (2019)

Melo, B., B. L. Sidlauskas, K. Hoekzema, R.P. Vari, C. B. Dillman, and C. Oliveira. 2018. Molecular phylogenetics of Neotropical detritivorous fishes of the family Curimatidae (Teleostei: Characiformes). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 127: 800-812.
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Hilton, E. J., B. Kynard, M. Balazik, A. Horodysky, & C. B. Dillman. 2016.  Biology, life history, status, and conservation of the Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus. North American Acipenseriformes Status of Scientific Knowledge. K. Sulak and L. Hildebrand (eds.). Special Publication of the World Sturgeon Conservation Society. 

Dillman, C.B., B.L. Sidlauskas, R.P. Vari. 2016. A morphological supermatrix-based phylogeny for the Neotropical fish superfamily Anostomoidea (Ostariophysi: Characiformes): Phylogeny, Missing data, and Homoplasy. Cladistics. 32: 276-296.  

Hilton, E.J., C.B. Dillman, T. Zhang, L. Zhang, and P. Zhuang. 2016. The skull of the Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis (Acipenseriae). Acta Zoologica. 97(4): 419-432. 

Dillman, C.B. and E.J. Hilton. 2015. Anatomy and early development of the pectoral fin and pectoral fin spine of sturgeons (Actinopterygii: Acipenseridae). Journal of Morphology. 276(3): 241-260

Dillman, C.B., P. Zhuang, T. Zhang, L. Zhang, N. Mugue and E.J. Hilton. 2014. Forensic investigations into a GenBank anomaly: endangered taxa and the importance of voucher specimens in molecular studies. Journal of Applied Ichthyology. 30(6): 1300-1309.

Escalante, M.A*., F.J. García-de-León, C.B. Dillman, A. de los Santos Camarillo, A. George, I. de los A. Barriga-Sosa, A. Ruiz-Luna, R.L. Mayden, and S. Manel. 2014. Genetic introgression of cultured Rainbow Trout in the Mexican native trout complex. Conservation Genetics. 15: 1063-1071.

Hilton, E.J., P. Konstantinidis, N.K. Schnell and C.B. Dillman.  2014. Identity of a Unique Cartilage in the Buccal Cavity of Gars (Neopterygii: Lepisosteiformes: Lepisosteidae). Copeia 2014(1): 50-55. 

Lusk, S.C., B.E. Watkins, A. Rhea, C.B. Dillman and E.J. Hilton. 2014. Occurrence of Juvenile Southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) in Tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. Southeastern Naturalist. 13(3): 515-522.