@article{peterson_larson_hipp_beall_lerose_desrochers_lauder_torres_tarr_stukes_et al._2024, title={Birdwatching linked to increased psychological well-being on college campuses: A pilot-scale experimental study}, volume={96}, ISSN={["1522-9610"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102306}, abstractNote={Exposure to nature is known to improve human health, but little is known about how one of the most common forms of nature engagement, birdwatching, impacts psychological well-being - especially among campus populations at great risk for experiencing mental health challenges. This study engaged 112 campus participants in a stepped design experiment evaluating the degree to which five >30 minute weekly birdwatching (n = 62) and nature walk (n = 77) exposures impacted self-reported subjective well-being (WHO-5) and psychological distress (STOP-D) levels relative to a control group (n = 81). The directions of all relationships supported hypotheses that nature-based experiences, and birdwatching in particular, would increase well-being and reduce distress. These results build on preliminary evidence of a causal relationship between birdwatching and well-being and highlight the value of considering well-being impacts for specific types of activities in nature, underscoring the need for future research with larger and more diverse samples.}, journal={JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY}, author={Peterson, M. Nils and Larson, Lincoln R. and Hipp, Aaron and Beall, Justin M. and Lerose, Catherine and Desrochers, Hannah and Lauder, Summer and Torres, Sophia and Tarr, Nathan A. and Stukes, Kayla and et al.}, year={2024}, month={Jun} }
 @article{gilbert_lerose_conith_albertson_2022, title={Breaking constraints: The development and evolution of extreme fin morphology in the Bramidae}, ISSN={["1525-142X"]}, DOI={10.1111/ede.12409}, abstractNote={AbstractThe developmental process establishes the foundation upon which natural selection may act. In that same sense, it is inundated with numerous constraints that work to limit the directions in which a phenotype may respond to selective pressures. Extreme phenotypes have been used in the past to identify tradeoffs and constraints and may aid in recognizing how alterations to the Baupläne can influence the trajectories of lineages. The Bramidae, a family of Scombriformes consisting of 20 extant species, are unique in that five species greatly deviate from the stout, ovaloid bodies that typify the bramids. The Ptericlinae, or fanfishes, are instead characterized by relatively elongated body plans and extreme modifications to their medial fins. Here, we explore the development of Bramidae morphologies and examine them through a phylogenetic lens to investigate the concepts of developmental and evolutionary constraints. Contrary to our predictions that the fanfishes had been constrained by inherited properties of an ancestral state, we find that the fanfishes exhibit both increased rates of trait evolution and differ substantially from the other bramids in their developmental trajectories. Conversely, the remaining bramid genera differ little, both among one another and in comparison, to the sister family Caristiidae. In all, our data suggest that the fanfishes have broken constraints, thereby allowing them to mitigate trade‐offs on distinctive aspects of morphology.}, journal={EVOLUTION & DEVELOPMENT}, author={Gilbert, Michelle C. and Lerose, Catherine S. and Conith, Andrew J. and Albertson, R. Craig}, year={2022}, month={Jul} }